Our Wishlist & Predictions For The World Wide Developer’s Conference

 

With WWDC less than a month away and with rumors spreading concerning which features will come to iOS, MacOS, WatchOS, and TvOS this fall, it seemed like an opportune moment to share our wishlists and predictions for the World Wide Developers Conference.

 iOS13 

My number one wish for iOS is a system-wide Dark Mode for iPhones and iPads. Dark modes for phones and laptops are popping up everywhere. Last year Apple gave us hope by announcing dark mode for MacOS, and I’m hoping this year the iPhone and iPad will follow suit. Even Google is getting in on the action as at their Google I/O event, they announced a system-wide dark mode was coming to the latest version of Android. As other operating systems are adopting this feature, I anticipate the inclusion of dark mode on iOS is very likely.

Apple Finally added a user accessible file system to their iOS devices on iOS 11, while this addition was much appreciated, a fuller-featured file manager should be encouraged. Adding more robust support for external storage and management of files stored on those devices would be ideal. Apple wants us to envision the iPad as a viable replacement for our laptops but to do that the iPad needs to function more like a laptop in critical ways such as file management. Due to constant pressure from competitors and Apple’s user base, I anticipate this feature is moderate likely, but it will be implemented in Apple fashion (file type restrictions, installation restrictions, etc.).

I’ve been praying for the addition of a native option for using the iPad Pro as a secondary display for Mac. I’m very hopeful this feature will finally be made available for my mobile workflows. I do however believe if this feature is implemented, it will only be available on iPad Pros with a USB Type C Port, as the lightning port might not have enough bandwidth to support a high-resolution extension of a Mac display. This feature has been available for some time with the use of third-party apps such as Duet and Astropad, but due to the bandwidth of the lightning port video output is highly compressed and the refresh rate is much lower than traditional monitors and displays. 

Multitasking on iPad has significantly advanced over the last couple iterations of iOS, but to truly compete with desktop operating systems, the iPad needs to implement windowed multitasking. These windows need to be arranged as desired or arrange in a split screen configuration as well. Again due to the competition and demand from its user base, I would assume the addition of this feature to be very likely as Apple continues to persuade users that the iPad is a viable replacement for laptops.

 Besides, better multitasking tools on iPad, Apple should also add mouse support to the iPad Pro. With the addition of the Apple Pencil and support for external keyboards, I find my fingers rarely touching the iPads screen. I notice this in specific workflows, especially when I decide to try typing documents on the device. It’s always an inconvenience to move my hand towards the touchscreen to adjust my cursor, and when I try its never as accurate as a mouse’s input. As Apple would have to rework most of their first party apps to utilize mouse support, I would say the addition of this feature is unlikely to slightly likely. 

WatchOS 6

I personally don’t want or expect too much from the next version of WatchOS. The Apple Watch is already one of the most feature-rich smartwatches on the market and understandably one of the most popular wearables. The Apple Watch does have some glaring omissions to its software offerings that wish Apple would finally address. First, I would like Apple to allow support for third-party watch faces. An SDK for building watch faces and a spot in the App Store would create an entirely new development sector for Apple and developers. The only new watch faces Apple Watch owners get are from Apple directly or collaborations other companies have arranged directly with Apple. Examples of this are Pixar’s Toy Story watch faces and Disney’s Mickey and Minnie Mouse watch faces. I would also appreciate more options with the Watch Face options Apple gives us by default. For example, I like to use the live Jellyfish* watch face, though all of the jellies shown are fine, I’d like only one or two of the pictures to be in the rotation. Apple, however, gives you an all or nothing option on that front. Apple also provides a few minimalist watch faces in various colors, which I do enjoy. However, I do wish Apple Watch users had access to a color wheel to choose more specific colors for these watch faces. 

MacOS

As much as people say that Apple needs to pay closer attention to the Mac, I personally feel that Apple has every configuration of Mac desktops and laptops available to a vast variety of users. Also, MacOS seems to get newer and more impressive software features faster than any platform maintained by Apple. MacOS is feature rich, fast, stable, and reliable. I expect Apple to build on this and to further refine its desktop operating system. I personally don’t have many wishes for MacOS as any changes I want to make to the OS or UI I can change with an app. Any new features Apple decides to bring to the Mac will be quality of life changes that I didn’t know I needed or wanted, and those are my favorite kinds of features.

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It’s Time for Apple to Start Acting Like It Owns Beats Audio, and Finally Kill It

When Apple acquired the enormously popular brand Beats Audio in 2014, it stunned the technology market. This acquisition had analysts wondering what Apple planned to accomplish with Beats now under their ownership. I, being someone who follows Apple very closely, knew Apple was preparing to enter the headphone and audio market. I figured within a year or two they would begin rolling out their own branded audio hardware. As anticipated Apple released the first generation of AirPods in the winter of 2016. AirPods was Apple’s take on truly wireless headphones which were quickly growing in popularity at the time. Apple developed the W1 chip that would be the Bluetooth controller for the AirPods, allowing both earpieces to seamlessly and wirelessly connect to iOS devices with ease. I said to myself, “FINALLY,” Apple’s acquisition of Beats has taught them what they need to know about making a solid pair of headphones and hoot market them with Apple branding. Apple then did something that surprised me. Alongside the new, shiny, and Apple-branded AirPods, Apple also released Beats X headphones. These headphones weren’t “truly” wireless as the earbuds were connected via a cable, but these headphones did feature the new W1 chip that had all the same software and hardware integration with iOS devices that the AirPods had.

At the time it had been two years since Apple had purchased Beats, but no significant new model’s of Beats headphones had been announced. Most models were quietly refreshed, some wired options were given a lightning cable connection, and others were given lightning ports for charging. Marketing for Beats had taken a sharp downturn, while ads and product placements for AirPods seemed to be everywhere.

Fast forward to 2019 and Apple is now ready to refresh its AirPods with a second generation. This time around the AirPods are equipped with an H1 chipset. The H1 is supposed to allow for even faster Bluetooth connection and hands-free Siri activation. I believe that Apple is gradually phasing out the Beats brand and was offering an olive branch with the Beats X that launched aside the first generation of AirPods. Apple however still has more olive branches to provide. With very little press and marketing, Apple quietly announced the Power Beats Pro. Unlike the Beats X, the Power Beats Pro are truly wireless like the AirPods and offers a charging case also like the AirPods. Unlike the AirPods the Power Beat’s charging case doesn’t support wireless charging.

To my surprise, the Power Beats is also, shockingly, more expensive than the new AirPods even with the wireless charging case. AirPods 2nd Generation with the wireless charging case cost $199.00, and the new Power Beats Pro will cost $249.95. What doesn’t make sense is why Apple is selling a pair of headphones that they own, but aren’t “Apple Branded”. These headphones also come at a $50 premium over their own headphones that they are heavily marketing and actually are “Apple Branded”.

Companies will often own or manage several brands that can sometimes offer similar products. Car companies are well known for implementing this strategy as they usually offer cars at various price levels and styles to accommodate the tastes of multiple markets. One could argue that Apple is using this strategy with its Beats acquisition. The majority of the Beats line-up has been mostly unchanged since Apple’s acquisition. It is clear Beats Audio is not a primary focus for Apple. I believe Apple still offers Beats for enthusiasts who still demand the Beats sound signature. The youth and athletic market that Beats had locked in for years is now being turned over to Apple as teenagers, and young adults purchase AirPods. AirPods are trendy and seen as a status symbol to teenagers and young adults, and Beats are viewed more like a relic of the not so distant past.

Apple is just getting started in the audio industry. With the release of AirPods and their HomePod home speaker, it is clear Apple is going all in on their own branded audio hardware. It’s evident that the future of Beats audio is bleak and the brand is existing just to supplement Apple’s hardware offering until it releases their own on-ear and over-ear headphones. Beats Audio has various endorsement deals currently in effect with other all known brands that include Disney and the NBA. Apple is likely waiting for these deals to expire before they finally kill Beats Audio and eventually establish themselves as a premium provider of audio hardware.

Apple’s Paradigm Shift to Services has Begun

 

During Apple’s keynote event today, Apple as expected, announced a series of services. These services include “Apple News +”, “Apple Card”, “Apple Arcade” and “Apple TV +”. Apple is broadening and deepening the scope of their ecosystems. They are attempting this strategy in hopes to entice you with their offerings and then lock you into providing reliable streams of revenue.

Apple News Plus
Apple released its News app 3 years ago at the peak of personalized and curated news feeds. Today they are expanding this vision by offering a premium version of this service called Apple News Plus. Along with the usual web articles that have been offered and continue to be free, Apple has invited prominent News and print media outlets into their service. Outlets like National Geographic, GQ, and Essence magazine will now be able to be read in their entirety and unlimited as long as customers subscribe to this new service. Readers of the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times will now be able to read the paper on all of their Apple devices with the subscription as well. Apple has worked with these publishers to optimize and enhance their content for iPhones and iPads. Animations, transitions, and high resolution “Live Covers” will be used to immerse readers into the content they are consuming. Live Covers, will function like Apple’s Live Photos, but only for magazine Covers. Based on the demonstration that was shown during the keynote its looking like the News app may start looking like newspapers from Harry Potter, only in color. Apple News Plus will be 9.99 a month, but this service is supported by Apple’s family sharing feature. This means up to 6 people including the subscription holder can enjoy accessing Apple News Plus at no additional charge.
Apple Card
In an update to Apple’s “Apple Pay” service, the company is now offering their own branded credit cards. Apple plans to simplify the credit card experience and equip customers with the tools to safely and securely manage their finances. Apple ambitiously has “claimed” to have eliminated all fees associated with this card. This includes the removal of annual fees, late fees, and fees associated with exceeding spending limits. In order to offer a credit card, Apple had to partner with the bank Goldman Sachs and the company Master Card. Apple will offer cash back for purchases made on the card in the amount of 2% daily on purchases made on the card and 3% from purchases made at Apple retailers.

Apple will offer a virtual version of their card that will live on your iPhone with its data protected on the secure enclave partition of Apple’s processors. Its data will be encrypted and only stored on the iPhone. Apple will also offer a physical version of this card. The card will be made of titanium and will only feature a name and the Apple logo on the card. The card number, CVV, and signature won’t be present on the card for increased security. This card is to be used wherever Apple Pay is not supported. Details on where customers can get a physical card haven’t been made available at the time of writing. The Apple Card Service will be made available this Summer.

Apple Arcade
In an update to Apple’s App Store service, the company is now offering a subscription to mobile games that have been developed and curated in direct partnership with Apple. The games in this subscription will only be available through this subscription and only available on Apple devices across iOS, MacOS, and TvOS. Apple only offered a few teasers of the upcoming games offered in their service and announced that pricing for this service would be announced at a later date. The service is expected to launch in the fall of this year. The game service will operate through paid subscription only, which means none of these games will be free to play, feature adds, or offer in-game purchases. The service will, however, support family sharing, which means the entire family will be able to enjoy this gaming subscription across different devices.

Apple TV Plus
Today Apple finally unveiled its Apple TV streaming service. Actors, directors, and composers, filled the audience and graced the stage to give us a peek at the original programming that would be exclusive to Apple’s service. Apple also announced that its TV App would be getting an update to accommodate its streaming service and its new Channels feature. “Channels” is an option for customers to subscribe to individual content providers like HBO, Stars, and Showtime. Apple’s original content would only be available to subscribers of their TV Plus service. As its a paid service it will also be ad-free and arriving this fall.

On a final note, Apple introduced TV Legend Oprah Winfrey to introduce an unnamed project that she and the tech company were collaborating on. The only information we were given is that this program would be something like a book club.

Apple’s services could very well turn the tide for this company which is currently seeing sales slumps and fluctuating stock value. Apple needs to produce content that is engaging and provocative, but they also need to match the quality of its content with the quantity as well. Competition is heating up in the streaming world especially with Disney launching their own streaming service this fall as well.

Apple Continues to Refresh Its Product line. Today its Air Pods 2

On Monday Apple refreshed its budget end iPads, Tuesday Apple gave its iMac line up a spec bump, and now today, on Wednesday, Apple is finally announcing Air Pods 2nd generation.

Air Pods have quickly become one of Apple’s most popular accessories. As lightweight truly wireless headphones, its users truly feel like they are living in the future. Air Pods introduced the W1 chip which was a controller for the Bluetooth chip, which help the headphones seamlessly connect to iOS devices. The hardware and software integration between Air Pods and iOS devices is what sets them apart from other wireless headphone options.

Today Apple plans to continue pushing their hardware forward with the introduction of Air Pods 2nd Generation. The 2nd Generation of Air Pods features an upgraded chipset. The W1 chip has been updated to the H1 chip (Headphone chip). With this new chip, the Air Pods can more reliably connect to iOS devices and now supports hands-free Siri activation.

There is still good news for early adopters of the original Air Pods. While the new Air Pods can ship with a wireless Charging case, the new wireless charging case can be bought separately and used with the original Air Pods.

The new Air Pods were rumored to come in a new matte black color, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Also, the new Air Pods also didn’t receive a significant design change, actually the only thing that changed was the internals to accommodate the H1 chip.

Undoubtedly, Air Pods will continue to be popular and sell millions of units, the mystery is, however, what Apple product will they refresh next? Rumblings around the internet suggest that the iPod touch is next, but only time will tell.

Apple Quietly Refreshes iPad Air & iPad mini Ahead of March 25th Event.

Apple usually rolls out the red carpet when it intends to introduce new hardware to its customers. It is clear, however, that Apple’s focus isn’t on hardware. Apple has its sights clearly locked on to its new services. These new services will undoubtedly be unveiled during their keynote event on March 25th. As services will be the star of this event, Apple felt the need to go ahead and announce refreshes its iPad line.

iPad Air
The new iPad Air, not to be confused with the device of the same name that was released by Apple back in 2013, is a massive improvement over its predecessors. For starters the new iPad Air features a larger display, measuring 10.5” giving it the largest display of a non-pro iPad. Even though this iPad Air lacks the “pro” moniker, it is certainly packed with pro-level specs. This iPad Air is fitted with the A12 Bionic processor, the same processor in the latest iPhone XS and XS Max. In comparison, the newest iPad Pros have the A12x Bionic, which is just an A12 processor with a bit more power for pro users. Apple is also adding support for the first generation Apple Pencil and it also supports the Smart Keyboard as well. Consumers can get almost all of the benefits of an iPad Pro without the hefty price tag that comes with the “pro” name. The New iPad Air starts at $499 USD for a 64GB model and $649 USD for a 256GB model.

iPad mini
The iPad mini is no stranger to multiple refreshes, but thankfully this time Apple has made additions to this small device that bring it up to modern standards. Like the new iPad Air, this iPad mini is granted support for the first generation Apple Pencil. Apple clearly believes that all of its modern tablets should support its stylus and now they all do. The new iPad mini’s processor is just as powerful as the new iPad Air. Both devices are equipped with the A12 Bionic chip. This processor is perfect for multitasking and new advancements in Augmented Reality.

Everything isn’t New
Though these iPads are sporting new processors and have access to accessories like the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, they aren’t fitted with Apple’s top of the line technologies. Instead of Face ID, which is featured on the newest iPad pros, the new iPad Air and mini both still feature Touch ID and a home button. These iPads do have Retina displays like most Apple products, but they don’t have the Liquid Retina displays or curved corners like iPad Pros and the iPhone XR. Omissions like these were likely needed to keep costs low for Apple and their consumers.

Coming Full Circle
Apple is releasing these high tech budget friendly iPads with no ulterior motives. Apple is set to unveil its new streaming service on March 25th, and people will need devices with beautiful displays to consume this new content with. Apple has its eyes on the bigger picture, more Apple devices mean more subscribers to their various services.

Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference Will begin on June 3rd

 

WWDC, Apples World Wide Developers Conference, will be held this year on June 3rd, 2019. If you are unfamiliar with Apple’s WWDC event, it is a showcase for Apple’s upcoming software releases. Most notably Apple will be revealing the new features coming in iOS 13.
Viewers should also expect an update to MacOS, WatchOS, and TvOS.

The tagline for this year’s event is “Write code. Blow minds”. Apple’s cryptic tagline usually is a hint to a talking point of their presentation. I think this particular phrase is hinting at providing development tools across its range of devices. Apple famously addressed rumors at last year’s WWDC that they “Are Not” merging MacOS and iOS. They did, however, announce that they will start development on apps that function across platforms. I believe that Xcode, Apple’s programming app, will be coming to iOS this year. In particular, I believe the iPad Pro will be the first iOS device to receive Xcode.

Apple does not usually release hardware during WWDC, though they have in the past. Apple has a fair number of upcoming products in the pipeline, including its previously teased modular Mac Pro. Perhaps their new Mac Pro will get its debut during WWDC this year.

iOS users especially will be excited to see what changes are coming to iOS 13 as the software has virtually kept the same design language since iOS 7 and most users are itching for a change in the user interface.

With less than 3 months until WWDC, the wait won’t be long to see the future of Apple’s various software platforms and potential new devices.

Apple Announces Surprise Event for March 25th

In a cryptic press release, Apple confirms what many tech analysts had predicted. There will be a March Keynote.  The tagline for their press release says “It’s Show Time”. Analysts predict Apple will finally be revealing its long-rumored streaming TV platform to rival Netflix and the like. If this is true Apple has managed to keep a tight seal on any exclusive deals and or partners to help bolster their launch. 

Apple is also expected to offer a paid version of its News services. Apple is doing this in an effort to streamline monetization of news and written media from various outlets across its platforms. 

As for hardware, Apple is rumored to have some products in the queue for Q1 of this year. It is, however, unclear if Apple will risk overshadowing their services announcement by announcing new products.

Air Pods 2, Air Power wireless charger, a new iPod touch, and a refreshed iPad are all expected to be announced or quietly released during this event or shortly followed after at a later date. 

With the decline of iPhone sales and the slowing of annual upgrades, Apple is betting on a new line of services to bring in new streams of revenue. 

Privacy Killing FaceTime Bug Has Now Been Squashed By Apple in New Update

 

Apple has finally released iOS 12.1.4. This update should have been introduced with little coverage as it adds no significant new features. However, iPhone users are heavily encouraged to install this update because it fixes the infamous FaceTime security bug.  If you missed the media frenzy you can read our coverage of the security flaw Here (https://iphonetennismatch.com/2019/01/29/facetime-bug-allows-unsuspecting-users-to-be-spied-on/)

Apple released a statement last week apologizing for the bug and vowed to swiftly address the issue “ We have fixed the Group FaceTime security bug on Apple’s servers and we will issue a software update to re-enable the feature for users next week. We thank the Thompson family for reporting the bug. We sincerely apologize to our customers who were affected and all who were concerned about this security issue. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we complete this process. We want to assure our customers that as soon as our engineering team became aware of the details necessary to reproduce the bug, they quickly disabled Group FaceTime and began work on the fix. We are committed to improving the process by which we receive and escalate these reports, in order to get them to the right people as fast as possible. We take the security of our products extremely seriously and we are committed to continuing to earn the trust Apple customers place in us.”

Thankfully iOS 12.2 is on the way and it actually brings some new features to iOS devices. Stay tuned for future updates on iOS, iPhone, and all other things tech!

iOS 12.2 Beta Brings Some Wild New Animoji

 

Photo by Apple

Apple is pushing its iOS software forward with a Beta release of iOS 12.2. This version of iOS will bring fun new animals to Apple’s “Animoji” feature for iOS devices. If you are unfamiliar with Animoji, as its name implies it is simply animal (and one robot) emoji that you can control with your face. Due to Apple’s implementation of a 3D sensing and depth camera on the front of iPhones and the new iPad Pro your face can be tracked, mapped, and mirrored onto the face of various Animoji. Currently, Animoji features a monkey, a cat, a dog, a fox, a pig, a panda, a rabbit, a chicken, a lion, a bear, a tiger, a koala, and a T-rex. It also has some mythical creatures such as the alien, a unicorn, a dragon, and a ghost. The three odd-ball Animoji include a robot, a human skull, and the poop emoji…. So yeah

With iOS 12.2 Apple is adding to this already exhausting list by including a giraffe, a shark, a warthog, and an owl. We aren’t sure who at Apple is deciding on these animals but they sure are cute, and more practical than a talking pile of poop. 

iOS 13 May FINALLY Bring a Dark Mode to iPhone & iPad

A Bloomberg report released today details the eventual adoption for a system-wide “Dark Mode” for iOS devices. This report is likely true due to Apple bringing a dark mode to MacOS last year in its Mojave release in the fall. This can be seen as an effort to align features across MacOS and iOS. Dark Mode has been a highly requested feature amongst iOS users some users have resorted to Jailbreaking their device to achieve this.

Don’t hold your breath for an official statement from Apple on this matter as they tend to hold back any concrete information regarding future versions of iOS, MacOS, or their upcoming features.

Though June is five months away, Apple typically holds its World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) during that month. At this event, Apple debuts its upcoming software for its various devices. If a dark mode is indeed on its way to iOS devices we will certainly find out at this year’s conference in June.