The Future of Apple Development: What to Expect from the Upcoming iOS 12 Update

In just a few weeks, Apple has been bleeding new features from iOS 12. On October 31, the iOS 12 beta became available to developers as a free download. In just a couple of months, the iOS will have released eight major features. In 2018, it’ll be a safe bet to say that Apple will release 10, 20, or even 40. If you’ve been using iPhones and iPads for a while, you’ve probably noticed a few changes over time. The latest iOS update is expected to bring a few more significant changes, especially for developers.

The latest iOS update

In May, Apple updated its operating systems with iOS 11. The new operating system brought an abundance of features and improvements to iPhones and iPads. With iOS 11, Apple integrated the entire operating system on iPhone and iPad. In the past, you’d have to access many Apple-centric functions through the iPhone or iPad itself. As a developer, you should consider the changes iOS 11 brought. More importantly, you should think about the changes that are set to come with the next iOS update. The list of upcoming iOS 12 features includes Animoji, ARKit 2, a new iBooks app, HomePod support, a new dark mode, a Do Not Disturb While Driving mode, a Memoji, and more. Most of the new features are already available to developers.

Some of the best features

“The latest and most significant version of the iOS operating system is iOS 12, which will come out this fall,” said Apple’s iOS developer website. “It will feature a ton of new features and refinements for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Mac.” Some of the significant changes in iOS 12 will include: ARKit 2.0 This is probably the biggest addition. Apple wants to make augmented reality mainstream. By giving developers access to a platform that requires a device with an A8 chip, Apple hopes to make AR a reality. There’s no word yet on whether it will work on devices with older or newer chips. The updated augmented reality framework will use computer vision to detect surface features of the environment.

What can we expect from iOS 12?

According to the official page of iOS 12 Beta, Apple is bringing a number of features to iOS 12. We’re expecting a bunch of new animoji characters. The most anticipated feature, however, is Screen Time. There’s also an emphasis on location based, breathing, and do not disturb features. We’re expecting to see new features for Siri, however, there’s no telling when Apple is going to do it. You’ll also be able to apply third-party apps directly from the App Store and to reorder the widgets on the home screen. The focus, however, seems to be on accessibility. It’s possible that Apple has added a few new accessibility features. It could also be focusing on improving the multi-tasking features on the iPhone, along with animoji improvements.

What’s new with the upcoming release?

Some of the new features in iOS 12 will include an improved Messages app, new augmented reality apps, and more. Here are some of the new features that we’re expecting to see from iOS 12. Improved Messages App At the WWDC event, Apple said that it’s going to be improving its Messages app with a new feature called “Tablet Mode”. The feature is expected to make it easier for users to view and reply to messages on smaller mobile devices like the iPad. Another new feature called "Screen Time" will help users to track how much time they spend on the devices. There’s also going to be a dark mode that will look similar to the interface of the MacBook Pro. Augmented Reality It looks like Apple is going to be offering more in-depth augmented reality experiences with iOS 12. The ARKit 2.

How will developers be affected by Apple’s newest iOS update?

To put it mildly, the iOS 12 beta has many new changes. One of them is now able to work on all iOS devices without iOS 11 or iOS 10 on them. Also, iOS 11.3 is currently the only iPhone and iPad which can run the latest iOS version right now. Those that have upgraded their devices to iOS 11.3 or above can still work with beta software as they can still install new software updates. Developers also aren’t banned from working with beta builds of iOS. There are three ways developers can get their hands on new versions of iOS. The first way is through the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. The second is through a Developer Preview. Finally, developers can test features with the iOS 12 Public Beta.

Conclusion

Now, a lot has been said about this in the past. Apple has made some beautiful advancements over time, especially with their macOS and iOS, but it’s safe to say that they’ve yet to completely bring it all together. This upcoming iOS 12 update will be the start of something interesting. The new features and enhancements that the developers are working on will eventually end up in future versions of macOS and iOS. There’s a pretty good chance that, in future years, we’ll be talking about a new era of mobile OS development. Apple seems to be getting better at it every year.