The last few months a public beta version of iOS 10 has been available to developers. Last night Apple presented the long awaited iPhone 7 along with the latest version of the iOS operating system. Here’s a recap of what the update offers.
Siri
One of iOS 10's big news is that Apple has chosen to open "Siri" for developers. This means developers can integrate voice functionality directly in their apps, making it possible to control them through Siri. It is likely to affect the way particularly blind and partially sighted people use smartphones and tablets.
Improved UX
Apple extends the operation of the iPhone and iPad with several new features. When the iPhone is picked up, the phone wakes up and the lock screen is automatically activated. In the future you don’t have to press the home button to wake the phone.
Lock screen functions are also changed. A swipe to the right will now open the camera, while a left-swipe provides access to all user-installed widgets. The update is design-wise in line with the new version of the control center, where messages and pop-ups have been given a visual boost.
3D Touch
3D Touch features in iOS 10 now allows navigation to the control center using 3D Touch.
This is one of the few features that Android does not yet offer. So far 3D has received a mixed response from Apple's customers, with a group of users loving it, but most have still not taken it to heart.
Adaptive white capabilities for True Tone Displays
Devices with True Tone Display, color balance can automatically adjust depending on the environment, making it more comfortable for your eyes to read the screen. When it is dark, the device turns down the cold colors and up the warmth, so the user is not being held unnecessarily awake by the display light.
Compatibility
iOS 10 is compatible with virtually all devices from iPhone 5 and iPad 4 generation onwards. However, the availability of individual features may vary according to the hardware on the individual devices. iPad Mini and all iPod Touch prior to generation 6 is not compatible with iOS 10.
What does iOS 10 mean for me?
For ePapers using Visolink apps iOS leads 10 a few important changes. This applies to the "Pinch Zoom" function on images. Now you can enlarge the pictures by pinch zoom in full screen via article view. Previously this was only available on Android devices.
Another interesting function for news apps is the ability to make a 3D touch shortcut to download and open the latest newspapers. This means a few less finger swipes and clicks for the everyday reader. In addition, users can also go directly to "my newspapers."
Does my app need an upgrade?
Our QA department has worked hard to test all aspects of our apps on iOS 10, and found a couple of features that needs to be fixed and updated. One of them is the zoom function that magnifies text in Article View, which no longer works due to a change in the operating system. For customers with forward compatibility as part of their Visiolink contract a new version of the app will be available as soon as possible. You will hear from us when the app is ready for the App Store.
If your contract does not include forward compatibility, we will contact you if your app is affected by the changes in iOS 10.
iOS 10 is released on September 13th.
