iOS 8 Pre-Release Briefing

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iOS 8 Pre-release briefing

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iOS 8 key themes


In iOS 8, a primary area of focus has been removing unnecessary steps. !One area where this is particularly evident is rethinking how apps are used and how they communicate - with each other, and with external devices (Mac and iPad). !This means that you can, for example, take a couple of photos, apply a filter from another app (without needing to open it up) and send the photos to your Mac (using OS X Yosemite) in just a few seconds via AirDrop. You can also write an email on your iPhone, place it next to your laptop on a table and see the draft automatically appear on your laptop screen - this removed the need to upload or save to the Cloud. !It’s also possible in iOS 8 to interact with your apps through the Notification Centre: from tweeting to bidding without any extra steps or the need to open up multiple apps.

1. Better, faster interconnectivity


2. A mobile-led, ‘programmable’ world

iOS 8 reinforces the importance of smartphones, including wearables, as the primary touchpoint in our digital lives. !Smartphones are increasingly the arena where each of us oversees, tracks and inputs details on our daily routine. Raw data on our phones is becoming ever more personal and tangible. Smartphones are, therefore, much more than just an extension of our desktops - even though Apple aims for seamless integration of both. !An example of this is that with iOS 8, you can gain deeper insight into your health and wellbeing with the integrated HealthKit app. This will automatically display tracking data from wearables and in-phone apps, displaying information on your weight, your running and even your caffeine intake. This information could potentially update your medical records and issue early warnings to health centres. !Similarly, by uttering a simple phrase to Siri, it’s possible to automate and trigger devices inside your home through HomeKit app - making living environments increasingly ‘smart’ and adaptive to individual needs.


3. More third-party friendly than ever

iOS 8 includes more than 4,000 APIs enabling third-party developers to build better features and capabilities for their apps. Extensibility allows new custom actions, functions and data sharing between apps. !As a result, developers can create better and more immersive experiences for end users with faster, more efficient connectivity. !But there are also big challenges for developers that come with this approach. Reducing a user’s need to open a third-party app by making more functionality available through the Notification Centre means developers need to think carefully about the user experience and flow across not just their own app, but the Notification Centre as well.


4. Continuity

iOS 8 is underpinned by a central principle: continuity. This common theme can be found in many features explored in this document, and focuses on greater integration between both Apple devices and third-party apps. Continuity also aims to ensure a user's activity flow has minimal - if any - disruption. !As a working example of continuity in action, with iOS 8, regular incoming messages or calls on your iPhone could be answered or dismissed on your Mac (OS X Yosemite) or iPad while your iPhone remains on charge in another room. !This in-built feature differs from services like Skype or a Bluetooth device, as the user doesn’t need to be signed up or have their Bluetooth connection turned on. Instead, ‘continuity’ is achieved through Wi-Fi and your Apple ID (for identity verification) to allow you to switch from one device to another (as long as your iPhone is within the Wi-Fi range).


Key features and innovations


Notification CentreSay ‘Hello’ to new shortcuts and interactions

Notifications are no longer designed to simply push information onto your screen. In this release, developers can refine notifications with up to 4 actions. !This allows users greater control: it will be possible not only to dismiss a message or accept an invitation, but also to reply by text or voice directly from the Notification Centre. Each action is colour-coded to keep consistency across all apps. !For instance, if you’re notified of a new message while you’re in the middle of a conversation, you can decide to answer, and type directly on the notification pop-up without leaving your current conversation. !This change is in line with Apple’s core strategy of maintaining a user’s activity workflow by avoiding interruptions with deeper integration. Arguably, iOS 8 aims to remove the need for a user to have to open and check multiple apps, or even a conversation, unless they have a specific desire to do so.

User receives notification User taps to reply - without opening an app


Widgets are dedicated containers displaying at-a-glance information. iOS 7 already features widgets from Apple’s partners, for instance Yahoo Stock, but it was not possible previously for third-party developers to create them. iOS 8 allows anyone to create a widget for the Notification Centre, hence it will provide greater control and customisation. !Users will be able to tap ‘edit’ to easily manage third-party widgets, quickly disable built-in widgets, and/or arrange the whole screen to their convenience. !As soon as you download an app that has a widget, it will be available for you to include on your widget panel. Likewise, you will be able to perform small interactions with your widgets through the Notification Panel, providing a great opportunity for developers and businesses to enhance the user experience. !A real-world example might look like this: download the Ebay app and login (using Touch ID); from here, enable Ebay’s widget and bid on a hot item directly from the the Notification Centre - resuming the more leisurely browsing experience in a few taps.

WidgetsA more customisable experience


For iOS 8, developers have increased opportunity to integrate their custom functionality and features with Apple’s native apps. !In other words, a third-party app would be supported across the following extension points: !- Share - Custom actions - Photo editing - Document picker - Storage provider - Custom keyboard - Today (Notification Centre)

ExtensibilityA strong focus on app integration


Handoff

Handoff is an interesting feature that transfers and syncs a user’s activity flow across all their associated devices. It removes friction-points and takes integration one step further without requiring a central interface or ‘hub’ that drives user actions. !At the moment, we’re used to simultaneous connectivity: editing a document in the Cloud, for example, and having it available on all your devices when you click save, or upload. However, what Handoff aims to do is remove that one extra tap completely. This will allow you to start typing an email on your iPhone, and as soon as you open your laptop and put the phone down next to it, your email will appear - ready to edit or send - on your laptop screen without any unnecessary action required. !Another good example is online browsing. View a webpage on a Mac and switch to Safari on iOS 8, and you will continue your browsing experience at the same scroll position as on the original device. In order for this to happen automatically, both devices should be signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID.

Seamless connectivity within your Apple environment


Touch ID

iOS 8 will allow third-party apps to integrate with Touch ID through an API. !Developers will be able to add Touch ID features to their own apps at the authentication stage. However, to minimise security risks, third-party apps won’t be able to either store or recognise your fingerprint. The third-party app will request a comparison between your fingerprint vs. your iPhone’s records, and if it matches, Touch ID will notify the app that everything is correct. !Touch ID will allow actions as well, which means further authentication processes can be triggered inside an app after you have entered your fingerprint. This might sound more onerous, but should actually mean entering fewer passwords each time you log in, sign up, buy, or pay etc. - creating a more seamless user experience.

Third-party integration for seamless UX


Keyboard

Apple has worked on improving their predictive text engine, Quicktype, in iOS 8. !Quicktype will now ‘learn’ your writing style from previous conversations and per contact - so it will be able to suggest words as you type, showing your different writing styles depending on who you’re speaking to. Quicktype will also support several languages. !As we have already noted on iOS 8, Apple has more broadly embraced third-party development - and the keyboard is no exception. Keyboard options will broaden, allowing users to choose their preferred input method — Android users used to writing with Swiftkey, for instance, could have the same experience on an iPhone.

A smarter text engine


Spotlight

Spotlight for iOS8 will enable users to make faster, more efficient searches on their devices and the web. !It aims to improve searching speed by showing more accurate results whilst requiring less characters to be typed in. It also promises to enhance the search experience, as it will include context and location awareness. This means that if searching for a landmark in London, it will show not only a Wikipedia reference but also directions, restaurants near the area, shows and activities. !It will also browse automatically on the App Store, allowing you to search for songs, books, and movies - and visit the Store with a single tap.

More intelligent, intuitive search


iMessage

Apple’s native messaging platform will match what major competitors (Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Snapchat) already offer. Users will have the ability to: !- Send an audio message by touching and holding the microphone icon, swiping up to send - Record a video or take a photo by sliding up or right on the camera icon - Sharing a location on a conversation (and be able to visualise the other person on a map) - Scroll through attachments easily within a specific conversation - Group conversations and define notifications settings per conversation - Define expiration times for messages (from 2 minutes up to forever) !These will be integrated into the entire iOS 8 system. This means if you receive a voice-recorded note and it appears on your lock screen, you can lift your phone to your ear and listen to it. And just in case you feel like replying by voice as well, simply speak and move the phone from your ear to send your recorded note to the recipient.

Improved features to match the competition


Family Sharing

In iOS 8, devices paired through Family Sharing will now be able to share purchases, data, location and updates. !It will allow family members - and perhaps friends or small groups - to access each others’ photo albums, or locate a sibling on a map, provided that the Sharing feature is turned on. !One feature allows parents to set a unique credit card for family purchases and give access to the whole family. They can ‘sign off’ App Store purchases, improving parental control.

A better way to keep connected


Look and feel

After the design leap from iOS 6 to iOS 7, Apple will keep their aesthetics - matching the new flat, minimalist style found in OS X Yosemite. !We can expect the same range of translucent materials, flat icons and smooth transitions as per iOS 7. The only small noticeable difference might be solid white icons on the Control Centre panel, to indicate an active state.

iOS 7 iOS 8

Flat, minimalist design continues


iOS 8 ‘Kits’


HealthKit

iOS 8 plans to change the way we interact with all that diverse, disparate range of health data on our devices by collecting and displaying it all on a single dashboard via HealthKit. !The main benefit of this built-in app is that it allows you to visualise and track, at a glance, a summary of health information about yourself. This includes fitness performance, sleep patterns, nutrition goals, blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate - and even your caffeine intake. !It can also create a medical ID section within the lock screen. This could show critical medical information such as birth date; medical conditions; medical notes; medication; blood type; organ donor information; weight, and/or height. This private information won’t be shared with third-party apps, but could be accessed by paramedics in case of an emergency. !For medical organisations, this could help to automate changes on patient records or provide alerts for medical practitioners regarding particular patients. !For developers and businesses, this offers an important opportunity to collect and integrate data from other apps - previously generated by a user - and create a whole new range of highly personalised features, metrics and even rewards and offers. !!!


HomeKit

HomeKit operates on a similar principle to HealthKit. Instead of users managing each of their ‘smart’ domestic devices individually with different interfaces, HomeKit will unify this data in a single built-in dashboard, controlled by a user’s voice. !HomeKit will allow third-party smart-home gadgets to pair with your iPhone. You’ll be able to turn off the lights, lock or unlock doors, and even set a specific temperature in your bedroom by simply telling Siri that you’re ‘going to bed’. There will be no need to open your central heating app to turn on/up the heat, only to then open two or three more apps to complete the sequence of actions required before bedtime. !The voice control feature works through triggers and responses that developers would be able to match between your iPhone and the actual device. When the phrase ‘going to bed’ is spoken, Siri ‘understands’ what follows next and will turn all the lights off, lock the doors and set the temperature etc. automatically.


PhotoKit

iOS 8 provides full control over your iPhone’s camera settings (from white balance, shutter speed, and aperture to focus, exposure and more) while integrating third-party apps within the in-built camera interface. !For example, iOS 8 will allow users to apply third-party filters without leaving the iOS camera roll. This removes the frustrating extra step of importing your photos separately into a third-party app. It also saves space on your phone by avoiding duplicates: only a single copy needs to be edited and shared.


CloudKit

CloudKit is a framework designed to make developers' lives easier by eliminating the need to write the server side application logic. This means that now, developers can concentrate only on client side coding as Apple will take care of the rest through iCloud’s servers.


Key dates


iOS 8 release date

Apple’s Keynote: 9.9.14 iOS 8 potential release: 10.9.14*

*not confirmed

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iOS 8 Pre-Release Briefing