There’s no denying that Apple’s iOS has evolved a lot since its first incarnation, and the company is still putting lots of hard work into it. The upcoming iOS 10 is supposed to bring various improvements to the table, and fans have been eager to get their hands on it. It’s almost here, so what can we expect to see in the new major release of the operating system?
The new additions to the system have mostly been about productivity. While there isn’t anything too spectacular or flashy in the change log, all of the changes put together still make iOS 10 a significant step up from its predecessor, and a must-have for anyone who does a lot of multitasking on their device.
Apple seem to be integrating iMessage even more deeply into the operating system, and users will now be able to keep on chatting while performing other tasks without even having to break their flow. This is similar to what Facebook did with their “chat heads”, although it sort of works in the opposite direction.
Users who’re regularly busy will also get a new feature that allows them to send short replies to their messages from a predefined list, speeding up their communication flow while on the go. There will be a limit to the number of messages that the user can reply with, but it’s still obviously better than having to type in the whole thing.
Also with regards to messaging, Apple have apparently taken the “stickers” idea of Facebook Messenger and Viber, and are introducing something similar themselves. We expect that the store will soon be full of cute graphics for users to share, but hopefully it won’t get too overcrowded.
Siri is also getting some improvements, which is good because all major mobile operating systems are now moving in the direction of advanced virtual assistants, and there’s still some room for improvement in Apple’s version. From all the previews we’ve seen so far, it looks like Siri will become even more advanced in providing users with relevant information and always chiming in when she’s needed.
Apple’s Maps app has been the target of some criticism for quite some time now, and users keep drawing comparisons to the solutions of other companies, particularly Google. Those who prefer to use Apple Maps for their navigation may finally see their main problems addressed with the release of iOS 10, as the app is apparently getting a significant upgrade.
Last but not least, Apple seem to be moving in a direction of integrating the relatively new trend of home automation into their devices directly. The new version of iOS will now give users immediate access to various features of their homes, from unlocking their doors to controlling the light level.
All in all, there isn’t anything major coming up in iOS 10, but users don’t really need that at the moment anyway. Apple seem to be more focused on polishing the operating system in its current state, and ironing out any issues that were left over.
They are also apparently tightening up the grip on their security, which will be of obvious benefit to their users. Or at least some of them, as it’s still not clear how this will reflect on the practice of jailbreaking iOS devices. If Apple make the next version of the operating system too difficult to crack, some experts predict that this could actually affect them negatively.