10 BIG Announcements Made by Apple at WWDC 2016

“Hello and welcome to WWDC 2016”. Those were the first words spoken by Tim Cook to a jam packed audience at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Fransisco, California. As always, WWDC venue was full of Apple enthusiasts who wanted to be the first ones to listen to new announcements and experience this one of a kind annual event. The keynote at WWDC 2016 had major announcements for all 4 Apple platform – watchOS, tvOS, OS X and iOS.

Major announcements from WWDC 2016:

Mac OS X gets renamed to macOS & gets new features

Apple announced macOS as the new name for its desktop operating system. The renaming follows the convention of Apple’s operating systems for its other hardware: tvOS, watchOS, iOS, and now macOS. The first version of this newly named macOS is called Sierra. Some new features announced in the new macOS include optimized storage that moves old files to the cloud and makes space for new files.

Siri comes to Desktop

Another major announcement at WWDC 2016 said that macOS Sierra will come with a built-in Siri module. It would enable voice search and all other hands-free commands that are handled by Siri. It may be noted that Windows had already included Cortina (voice search personal assistant) in their Windows 10 update. Apple has opened up Siri for developers. It was stated that Siri would come pre-loaded with its icon in the menu bar and doc.

New Features in watchOS

Announcement about watchOS at WWDC 2016 included the new watchOS 3. It loads apps faster and has an easy navigation. The side button can now be used as a dock to display apps. A new activity face, SOS feature and a meditation app named Breathe are few of the things announced for the new watchOS.

Apple Pay is coming to the Web

Another big announcement from WWDC 2016 is about Apple’s online payment feature ‘Apple Pay‘. Apple pay will now be available on the web. This means that you’ll be able to make online payments through Safari web browser without typing in your credit card details. As of now, Apple pay is available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Singapore. It will soon be rolling out to other European nations.

Apple News, Music & Maps Redesigned

Apple News – Apple news has been re-designed and clear sections have been introduced that include Top News, Trending News, Sports, etc. The app will now display sections based on your reading habits, and include featured stories section with editor picks. Apple News will also have subscriptions.

Apple Music – The music app has been redesigned in such a way that it will now show lyrics of the song being played. Sections in the new design include one for downloaded music and another for recently added songs and albums.

Apple Maps – Maps is getting a whole new feel.Among the new features in Apple Maps, users will be able to book rides through Maps, pay for them with Apple Pay, and even make restaurant reservations. Navigation too has changed and is more user specific.

iMessage

iMessage is becoming a conglomerate of all instant message apps like Snapchat, Whatsapp, Messenger etc. New and bigger emojis have been introduced. Handwritten notes can be sent through iMessage. Another awesome feature announced for iMessage at WWDC 2016 includes hidden messages in invisible ink which would require a user to swipe in order to read the message. The good news for developers is that Apple is giving Developers an access to iMessage and they can develop apps like stickers.

Apple Photos App

Apple photos is also being updated and will offer a more organized collection. Photos can now be organized and manage in different collections based on trip, location, date, face detection and more. The app is also adding Memories, which bundles together photos according to events and locations.

Apple tvOS

With 1300 video channels and over 6000 apps, Apple TV is growing into a mature product. The new features announced at WWDC 2016 for tvOS include Siri for voice command and the phone’s in-built sensors for gaming control. A single sign-in will allow users to use all the tvOS apps. ReplayKit, which lets you live broadcast gameplay has been introduced for developers.

Siri for iOS App Developers

With over 2 billion requests per day, Siri is now finally opening up for developers. It means that you’ll be able to customize Siri to perform voice commands for third party apps. For example, you’ll be able to ask Siri to call an Uber, search for photos on Pinterest, send a message through WeChat etc. All this would be possible with voice commands.

New Features in iOS 10

The last but not the least announcement made at Apple’s WWDC 2016 is about iOS 10. This is one of the most awaited upgrade for billions of people who own an iPhone around the globe. A new app called ‘Home’ has been announced which will easily hep you personalize your phone. A new “Raise to wake” feature will wake the phone’s lock screen when it’s lifted in your hand to give you an overview of notifications. You will be able to use your iPhone camera simply by sliding the home screen towards the left. The 3D Touch is also expanding as you’ll now be able to use widgets without launching an app. For an example, you’ll be able to see live scores, video highlights, etc with the help of extended 3D touch on your home screen without entering the app.

Well, there’s a lot more to WWDC 2016. We brought you the top 10 announcements after day 1 of this 5 day conference.

Stay tuned to Click-Labs Blog for more.