Known as one of the most significant developer conferences in the world, Apple WWDC 2019 kicked off on June 3rd and kept the stage rolling in McEnery Convention Centre in San Jose, California. WWDC is still loved by developers across the globe. The Apple company with its expertise in hardware and software came up with a keynote presentation showcasing the software that will be used in its range of products, be it iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more.
Apple also revealed the early beta versions of its new operating system, iOS 13, watchOS 6, macOS 10.15 and others. Alongside, the company came up with tons of new features which are available for developers right away. These features will soon be made available to the end users as well.
Make sure you keep up with these WWDC 2019 announcements as they are surely going to affect the iOS app development trends for 2019 and even beyond.
So, here is a recap of all the key announcements made during the conference –
1. Dark mode and updated apps with iOS 13
One of the top announcement for iOS developers at Apple WWDC 2019 was the latest version of iOS.
It is now official that Apple is bringing the dark mode to iOS 13, its newer operating system.
Being an incredibly popular feature admired by users in the recent past, dark mode is useful for its functional benefits and aesthetic appeal.
Also, the company confirmed that even the iPad will have the dark mode with its iPadOS. Not just that, this mode is all set to be available across its native apps and can be used by developers.
For the end users, this mode is accompanied by the feature to turn it on at a certain time or at sunset automatically.
Updates made available in certain apps are as follows–
Swipeable Texting in Messages and suggested contacts to share things with those who are frequently messaged.
The Lyric mode in the music app to show the words while a song is being played.
Personalization options in Memoji, such as makeup options, hair styles, and accessories.
Reminders tagging to get a reminder when a user messages the tagged contact
Maps showing favorite spots and saved placed by a user
Photo sorting feature in the Photos app to classify pictures into days, months or years
Key takeaway for iOS developers from this WWDC announcement:
Developers can start using the iOS 13 now and take the benefit of all of these features of iOS 13 to develop the functionally-rich and aesthetic appeal.
2. App permissions
To tighten up the security from third-party offenders, Apple has come up with selective app permissions. Apple never compromises on the security and hence, this announcement at WWDC 2019 was quite important.
Using the App Permissions, users can choose to allow an app to ask if they want to share the location information.
The OS will not give all-time access to that data to the apps, but only when they need it. The company is also working on Face ID authentication feature using which a user can get to log into different apps installed in his device.
Similarly, Apple users can choose to share or hide their email addresses from third party apps. If not shared, a random email account will get created to forward information from these apps to a user’s active email address.
Key takeaway for iOS developers from this WWDC announcement:
Now, iOS developers can use this feature to tighten the app’s security. With such a security feature update, the customers can get the super-secured mobile app which will help them gain the trust of their users.
More security leads to more trust and more trust leads to more business.
3. Security protocols for homekit
For Homekit, security protocols have been extended as well. This includes secure video mode to encrypt video information locally before forwarding it to the cloud. Similar encryption will be offered to the routers as well.
Key Takeaway for iOS Developers from this WWDC Announcement:
The iOS developers can ensure their clients of having secured encryption when they develop their IoT-based applications for Apple devices.
Do you know how IoT and Smart Home Automation is Changing Our Lives? Find Out Now
4. Siri’s voice changes and other new features
Rather than using a human-based recording system, Siri, the popular voice assistant will be based on neural text-to-speech technology. Therefore, Apple users may feel a slight change in its voice.
Also, Siri now gets extended support on other Apple Devices. It can read the incoming message on the Bluetooth ear plugs to help a user give a quick response.
Similarly, a user can split AirPods to share it with a friend at the time of content streaming.
On the HomePod, it will be easier for a user to recognize different voices for a personalized response. A user can even transfer where he is at in a song between his iPhone and the HomePod.
Key takeaway for iOS developers from this WWDC announcement:
To utilize these functionalities on some or the other ways as per the client’s requirements, the iOS developers will get that through SiriKit.
5. Separate operating system for iPad and other features
Apple iPad can now be recognized as a device that has its own platform. To make it possible, Apple company has made changes to iOS to make it iPad specific.
Furthermore, a user can split screens by dragging apps side by side. One can split screen using the same app. This is useful when an individual need to view multiple notes or emails at the same time.
File view has also been changed to look like that on macOS. One can browse through column view and share folders on the cloud.
Also, a user can now import data using USB cables between two Apple devices. iPads will support USB thumb drives and camera imports.
Key takeaway for iOS developers from this WWDC announcement:
Now, iOS developers need to use this iPad-specific operating system (OS) while developing apps for iPad.
6. Newer updates in iTunes in newer MacOS
The older version of iTunes will soon be found with three distinct apps for Music, Podcasts and TV in the new version of macOS named Catalina. Using a Podcast app, a user can search for episodes of certain shows, while the TV and Music app will have features to filter content as per genre or recommendations.
A user can also connect the Mac with an iPad to be used as a second touchscreen display. He can connect the iPad with both wired and wireless connections.
Soon, MacOS will also offer voice control to do diverse tasks, be it opening an app, adjusting the volume, editing text, and more.
Key takeaway for iOS developers from this WWDC announcement:
A Project Catalyst framework has been announced to let the developers port iPad apps to the Mac. Developers can start using this code.
7. SwiftUI framework for developers
To speed up the coding process using Apple’s coding language, Apple launched a new framework, named SwifUI.
Using this framework, the developers can drag and drop the content and begin building the code without manually typing the code. This framework is compatible with international languages that read right to left.
Also, SwiftUI can be used to develop Apple OS apps, be it for the Watch, TV or the iPad. This will help the developers in building feature-rich apps without facing workload.
Key takeaway for iOS developers from this WWDC announcement:
Start learning, exploring, and experimenting this new iOS development framework, SwiftUI, on test projects to understand its capabilities, features, and benefits.
8. Launch of new Mac pro
Apple launched its new Mac Pro, which has been completely redesigned aesthetically. The device is more angular in shape, with cutouts on the sides for airflow and a handle at the top.
Mac Pro supports Intel Xeon processor and has a memory capacity of up to 1.5 TB. For memory expansion, there are six slots, along with 8 PCI slots. Its graphics supports Radeon Pro 580X. For device portability, one can even add wheels under the Mac Pro shell.
It also comes with a 32-inch LCD screen with 6K display of XDR range. It can be connected to six displays altogether as well.
With all these features, it will hit the markets later this fall.
Key takeaway for iOS developers from this WWDC announcement:
Well, if an iOS developer wanna buy it this year, then go ahead and start saving.
9. Multiuser support in TVOS
For the TV-based services that were recently announced by Apple, the new TVOS has multiuser support feature, along with a redesigned homepage having previews of TV shows and movies. The recommendations shown to a user will be personalized as per his likes.
It has also been announced that the Apple TV will support a good number of third-party game accessories.
Key takeaway for iOS developers from this WWDC announcement:
More and more TV-based app development requirements will be flooded in. So, all you iOS app developers, get ready for some new experiments.
10. App store for WATCHOS
A dedicated app store has been announced for the new watchOS update which can be used with the help of Siri, scribble and voice dictation. It will also have a calculator app to help users split bills, and a voice memo app as well.
It will come up with Health and Fitness updates as well, including long term activity tracking to tell a user how his health has changed over a time period, menstrual cycle tracking, noise level tracking, and much more.
Key takeaway for iOS developers from this WWDC announcement:
So, next time when you take up the app development project using watchOS, make sure you explicitly tell your clients that the apps will be launched in its separate app store. And, also, guide them through the process and help them launch the app effectively.
Wrapping up
Whenever Apple comes up with WWDC event, the announcements cover everything for which Apple is renowned for- aesthetic appeal, super-tight security, unbeatable user-experience, and WOW-some innovation.
