Tag Archives: Siri

iOS 14 Revamps the OS While Android 11 Offers Minor Improvements

July 8, 2020Android Development, iOS DevelopmentAndroid, Android 11, App Library, Apple, Application, Emoji, Group Text, IOS, iOS 14, iPhone, Messaging, Mobile, OS, Siriadmin

Every time Apple announces a new device or OS, it is a cultural event for both consumers and app developers. When Apple announced iOS 14 in June 2020 during the WWDC 2020 keynote, few anticipated it would be one of the biggest iOS updates to date. With a host of new features and UI enhancements, the release of iOS 14 has become one of the most hotly anticipated moments of this year in technology.

On the other side of the OS war, Android has released four developer previews in 2020 of their latest OS offering: Android 11. Currently, Android 11 is currently available in a beta release ahead of its target launch in August/September.

The two biggest OS titans have effectively upped the ante on their rivalry. Here is a summary everything you need to know on how they stack up against one another:

iOS 14

iOS 14 is a larger step forward for iOS than Android 11 is for Android. In relation to iOS 13, it revamps the iOS to become smarter and more user-friendly while streamlining group conversations.

While iMessage remains the most popular messaging platform on the market, competitors like WhatsApp, Discord and Signal include a variety of features previously unavailable on iOS devices. iOS 14 closes the gap with its competitors, offering a host of UI enhancements specifically targeting group conversations—one of the most popular features on iMessage:

Pinned Conversations: Pin the most important conversations to the top of your profile to make them easier to access.
Group Photos: iOS 14 enhances group conversations by allowing users to give group conversations a visual identity using a photo, Memoji, or emoji.
Mentions: Users can now directly tag users in their messages within group conversations. When a user is mentioned, their name will be highlighted in the text and users can customize notifications so that they only receive notifications when they are mentioned.
Inline Replies: Within group conversations, users can select a specific message and reply directly to it.

One of the major upgrades in iOS 14 is the inclusion of Widgets on the home screen. Widgets on the home screen have been redesigned to offer more information at a glance. They are also customizable to give the user more flexibility in how they arrange their home screen.

iOS 14 introduces the App Library, a program which automatically organizes applications into categories offering a simple, easy-to-navigate view. App Library helps make all of a user’s applications visible at once and allow users to customize how they’d like their applications to be categorized.

In addition to incorporating a variety of UI enhancements, iOS 14 is significantly smarter. Siri is equipped with 20x more facts than it had three years ago. iOS 14 improves language translation, offering 11 different languages. Users can download the languages based on what they will need to keep translations private without requiring an internet connection.

Apple has also introduced a number of UI enhancements to help make the most of screen real estate:

Compact Calls condense the amount of screen real estate occupied by phone calls from iPhone, FaceTime, and third-party apps, allowing users to continue viewing information on their screen both when a call comes in and when they are on a call.

Picture in Picture mode similarly allows users to condense their video display so that it doesn’t take up their entire screen, allowing the user to navigate their device without pausing their video call or missing part of a video that they are watching.

ANDROID 11

In comparison to iOS 14, Android 11 is not a major visual overhaul of the platform. However, it does offer an array of new features which enhance UI.

Android 11 introduces native screen recording, allowing users to record their screen. It is a useful feature already included in iOS, particularly helpful when demonstrating how applications work.
While recording videos, Android allows users to mute notifications which would otherwise cause the recording to stop.
Users can now modify the touch sensitivity of their screen, increasing or decreasing sensitivity to their liking.
Android 11 makes viewing a history of past notifications as easy as it has ever been using the Notification History button.
When users grant an Android app access to a permission, in the current OS, the decision is written in stone for all future usage. Based on this decision, the application will have permanent access, access during usage, or will be blocked. Android 11 introduces one-time permissions, allowing users to grant an application access to a permission once and requiring the question to be posed again the next time they open it.

IOS 14 VS. ANDROID 11

While Android offers a variety of small improvements, iOS 14 provides the iOS platform with a major visual overhaul. This year, it is safe to say that iOS 14 wins the battle for the superior upgrade. With both Android and iOS slated for a fall release, how users respond to the new OS’s remains to be seen.

The Best New Features of iOS 11

September 12, 2017iOS DevelopmentApp Developer, App Store, Apple Pay, Apps, AR, ARKit, Augmented Reality, Design, Features, Files, IOS, iOS 11, iPhone, OS, Pencil, Siri, UI, Upgradeadmin

While we thoroughly enjoyed iOS 10’s open functionality and all it offered app developers, Apple’s premiere operating system is due for a refresh. iOS 11 has been making waves in its public beta release, here are the top upgrades coming to Apple’s landmark OS:

MAJOR UPGRADES FOR IPAD

Apple’s iOS 11 preview states right off the bat: “A giant step for iPhone. A monumental leap for iPad.” iOS 11 offers a number of improvements for iPad users.

The improved Dock now looks a lot like the macOS dock. Users can put dozens of apps in the doc and easily pull it up by swiping upward.

Need to use two apps at the same time? iOS has your back. Like Picture-In-Picture Mode for Android, which we detailed last week in our coverage of Android Oreo, iOS 11 allows you to use two apps at the same time—something that will inevitably come in handy on the large screens of the iPad.

Apple Pencil Instant Notes via Redmond Pie

APPLE PENCIL receives a major upgrade in iOS 11. Instant Markup makes it easy to mark up PDFs, screenshots and more. Instant Notes and Inline Drawing let you customize your screen. The Scan and Sign feature also makes it easy to sign important documents online and send them in the flash of an eye.

SIRI MATURES

WIRED recently detailed the path toward improving the voice of iOS: Siri. While Google and Amazon have excelled in their virtual assistant development, Siri seems to have lagged behind. iOS 11 revamps Siri’s voice to sound much more natural, while also teaching her to translate Chinese, Spanish, French, German, or Italian.

GET READY FOR AUGMENTED REALITY!

When Pokemon Go took the world by storm, “Augmented Reality” became a household name. Now, the time has come for app developers rejoice! iOS 11 features ARKit, a new development framework that makes it easy for developers to build incredible AR experiences.

ARKit allows developers to create 2D or 3D elements in the live view from iPhone and iPad camera’s in order to make them appear as if they exist in the real world. ARKit combines device motion tracking, camera scene capture, advanced scene processing, and display conveniences to make building AR experiences a breeze.

Check out some of the best AR experiences built with ARKit so far.

CAMERA TIME

Thanks to a new compression technology, iOS 11 will be able to store video using less space than ever. Additionally, the camera will allow users to loop live videos, to trim and edit live videos, to grab a still from a live photo, and to capture time and movement with long exposure photos.

APP STORE REDESIGN

The rigorous standards of Apple’s App Store always lent itself to curation. With that in mind, Apple has redesigned the App Store to emphasize discovery. The new App Store will offer a completely separate tab for Games, a variety of daily stories and a tab for the best apps of the day, all curated by Apple!

FILES, PAYMENT, AND MORE

iOS 11 is a comprehensive upgrade that comes equipped with a host of other great additions, including:

– FILES: Never lose track of important documents again! The Files app makes it easy to find files stored on iOS devices, in iCloud Drive, and even across other cloud services like Box and Dropbox.

– APPLE PAY IN IMESSAGE: iOS 11 will make peer-to-peer payments easy, allowing users to send Apple Pay payments as a part of iMessage.

– CONTROL CENTER: The Control Center has received a complete redesign. The new Control Center will appear all on one page and is customizable, allowing users to personalize the design to the most helpful layout.

TAKEAWAYS

If you are an iPad user, you are truly in for a treat when iOS 11 comes out. If you only use iPhone, iOS 11 still delivers a fresh redesign with improved functionality. iOS 11 is yet another solid entry in Apple’s OS canon.

Apple Brings the Internet of Things Home with HomeKit & iOS 10

October 4, 2016Internet of Things, iOS DevelopmentApp, Apple, Automation, Design, Development, Home, Homekit, Internet of Things, IOS, iOS 10, IoT, iPhone, Mobile, Siri, Smart, TV, UIadmin

Anyone engrossed in the tech scene knows the Internet of Things is one of the trendiest technology topics on the web. The IoT is shaping our world and building fortunes for innovators, futurists and top app development companies. However, in the common household, the IoT has yet to break through to the mainstream. The biggest company in the world is now looking to enact change.

Tim Cook, in his September Announcement, declared that iOS 10’s HomeKit update is the first time home automation has been integrated with a major platform. While Apple introduced HomeKit in 2014 with iOS 8, iOS 10 comes with a dedicated app called Home that controls all home automation devices.

HOME IS A HOME RUN

Home combines IoT technology with the masterful UI of iOS. Previous iterations of iOS and HomeKit required the user to manage each interface separately. So if a phone had 20 HomeKit apps, they would have 20 user interfaces to manage. The Home app unifies HomeKit apps, creating a central control center for all home automation applications.

With over 1 billion active Apple devices across the world, Home enters the market with giant global reach. Virtually every major manufacturer of home automation devices now supports HomeKit. Accessories cross all major categories, from lights and air conditioners to window shades, locks and home security. Commercial IoT companies now have massive domestic reach, and iOS users have more incentive to update their homes than ever before.

HAVE SIRI SET THE SCENE

One of the coolest features of Home is the Siri integration. Users can control Home from both the Control Center and Siri, but Siri can work at the speed of your language. Siri’s ability to handle multiple requests means users can accomplish their ideal environmental preferences in the speed of a sentence. Apple refers to these combination commands as “scenes” and users can give “scenes” a nickname. A rambunctious user might say “Hey Siri, let’s get funky,” prompting Siri to lock the doors, dim the lights, put Barry White on the speakers at a reasonable volume and provide the most apt customized ambience for the user to rock out.

THE APPLE TV IS THE HEARTH

The fourth generation Apple TV can also act as a hub for the Home app, with the Siri Remote making it easy to control your home on the go. Apple TV’s seamless integration with HomeKit and other iOS products makes it the ultimate smart TV for a smart home, providing yet another reason for consumers to consistently buy iOS products.

BUILDING COMMERCIAL IOT FROM THE GROUND UP

The Home Automation page on the Apple website is a clear indicator of Apple’s intentions to not only be a household name, but to be the name on your household. The company already has a major market share of phones, tablets, computers, TVs and watches. They are rumored to be looking to acquire McLaren as a part of Project Titan. Apple understands that the ubiquity of the iOS platform makes them the most appealing platform for manufacturers of smart devices. Apple also announced that leading home builders, including Brookfield Residential, KB Home, Lennar Homes and R&F Properties, are integrating many HomeKit devices into new homes.

With the Apple Home potentially on the horizon, one can only wonder how much of Apple’s vision of the smarthome will be realized in the next 5-10 years.

How iOS 10’s Open Functionality Can Take Your App to the Next Level

September 20, 2016iOS DevelopmentApp, Apple, Application, Cisco, Design, Developers, Development, iMessages, Integration, IOS, Maps, Open, Siri, Third-Partyadmin

When it comes to mobile app development, iOS is the preferred platform. The lack of device fragmentation on iOS, along with the consistent quality of hardware and the more spend-happy userbase, makes it the number-one platform for generating mobile revenue. During Apple’s September Announcement, Craig Federighi began his iOS 10 demo by proclaiming it the biggest release of iPhone software in Apple history.

A week into its release, it has become apparent that iOS 10’s openness marks a revolution for iOS apps and functionality. Apple has opened up many internal apps to developers, including Siri, iMessages and Maps.

DEVELOPING FOR SIRI

iOS 10 Siri Payment (via idownloadblog.com)

Apple was very excited to announce Siri is officially open for third-party app extensions. The Siri API is currently limited to six kinds of applications: ridebooking (i.e. Lyft), messaging, photo search, payments, VoIP calling and workouts. Machine learning allows iOS 10’s Siri to build a contextual understanding of its user and decide when it should handle a voice query by itself, or shuttle it off to a third-party app.

When you ask Siri to bring you Chinese food, it will use Seamless, Yelp or your go-to delivery app to offer options. Users can have Siri book a taxi, pay a friend, and help manage a workout. The integration gives Apple more access to both how people use language to interact with their iPhone, and how they use their apps. Apple is taking their analytics to the next level while giving developers the ability to integrate voice control without having to invest in voice recognition and query interpretation.

App developers must take note in building their new apps and updating existing apps. SiriKit details how app developers can code for the program.

IMESSAGE EXTENSIONS

Apple gave iMessages its biggest overhaul ever in iOS 10. What was once a fairly traditional SMS system is now opening its doors to third-party developers for integration. This dramatically beefs up iMessage’s capabilities to allow personal payments and more. The new iMessages resembles WeChat, a popular app in China with versatile functionality.

The advantage to the user is the ability to keep all conversation on a single thread. The ability to pay friends without having to leave the app is very convenient and makes sense, considering most payment apps send a text to confirm anyway. iMessages comes with its own app store which offers categories including games, stickers, productivity, lifestyle, travel and more. Users can play chess, pay a debt, make a drawing, and even book movie tickets with Fandango all without leaving iMessage.

The upgraded iMessage opens up a world of social possibilities for mobile gaming. In a sense, it’s a new gaming platform within the iMessage. iMessage also has added the ability to send drawings and have added a ton of new stickers to the app store.

The API framework for iMessage can be found on Apple’s Developer website.

APPLE MAPS

Apple Maps has been opened up to developers. Like Siri, extensions in Apple Maps can allow you to book an Uber, make reservations at a restaurant and more.

PARTNERSHIP WITH CISCO AND IMPROVED COLLABORATION

Apple and Cisco announced their partnership in 2015 and have introduced major updates in iOS 10. The major initiative was to improve collaboration. When connected to a Cisco network, iOS 10 optimizes WiFi connectivity, sensing the fastest WiFi network as AP signals diminish on the closest router. Cisco also has improved business app prioritization, allowing businesses to enhance performance on critical apps. Cisco’s research has shown roaming is 8x faster on iOS 10, voice over WiFi & Spark is 66x more reliable, and there is a 90% reduction in web browsing failures. Learn more directly from Cisco.

TAKEAWAYS

Apple is pursuing the Android way of thinking and opening up their software to developers. With Apple’s internal apps more accessible than ever, mobile app designers are being given the resources to build upon Apple’s impeccably designed OS. The new and improved Messages app makes the most immediate impact on the user, coming with its own app store which begs unlimited possibilities for integration with everything from business to gaming apps. Siri’s redesign is significantly smarter using machine learning. And extensions using Siri will allow Apple more analytics, which will ultimately benefit developers looking to improve their apps.

Overall, iOS marks a major step forward for the platform and is a gift to developers. If you have an iOS app or are planning on building one, it’s time to take a good look at what iOS 10 can do for you.