Apple had plenty of exciting announcements to kick off WWDC today at its keynote, the last of which detailed upcoming features implemented in iOS 11. There are a lot of changes and refinements coming to iOS 11, so we’re going to break it down by categories for easier reading.
Messages
- Messages will receive a redesigned app drawer accessible directly from a message thread.
- iCloud syncs all iMessages across devices, deletions included.
- Optimized storage so Messages take up less space.
Apple Pay
- Apple Pay is on track to support 50% of retailers in the U.S. by the end of the year.
- Person-to-Person payments coming and will integrate with iMessages. Users can send from Credit or Debit cards.
Siri
- New female and male voices.
- Intelligent learning that learns from device and contextual awareness.
- More app support.
- End-to-end encryption.
Camera
- 2x better compression of photos.
- Improved low-light image quality.
Control Center
- All on one page.
- 3D touch enabled for more in-depth controls.
- Lockscreen integration.
Photos
- Live photos can capture one “key photo”.
- Seamless loop of live photos.
- Live photos can be reversed.
- Auto long exposure option added.
Maps
- Detailed floor plans of malls, airports; can browse floor plan by floor.
- Speed limit and lane guidance for navigation.
- “Do Not Disturb While Driving” option added; disables notifications while driving, but allows for “urgent” text messages to send a notification through for the important things.
Music
- General improvements
- See what your friends are listening to.
App Store
- Complete redesign for the first time in 9 years.
- Faster app review times.
- Phased release an option for developers.
- New Today, Games, and Apps tabs to make app discovery easier.
In addition to those categories, Apple is taking massive strides towards integrating augmented reality.
iOS 11 looks to be a good enhancement to the already popular iOS 10, which currently runs on 86% of Apple devices. There seem to be a lot of incremental improvements and a few major ones to keep iOS feeling fresh.
Readers, what are your thoughts on iOS 11? Are you excited for the update, or were there features you wanted to see that were left out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!