As the 2020 New Year resolution, we decided to leave our past imperfect versions behind, and get on with the motto, “new year, new me.” Little did we know that a virus would take that motto to heart and give us an unpleasant surprise with its newest version, now named, COVID-19.
While the novel coronavirus continues to wreak havoc into our lives, Apple has come up with its latest iOS 14 updates to diminish the melancholy of its iOS users, who are under lockdown with their iPhone, iPad, Mac, and the internet to retain their sanity.
If you’re one of the Apple fans eagerly awaiting for any little tidbits you can get of the iOS 14, then read on to appease your curiosity.
When is iOS 14 going to be released?
The news surrounding the full-fledged iOS update comes amid the pandemic, but it will most likely be launched between September 14 and 18, if Apple sticks to its usual release schedule that is:
iOS 9 — 16 September 2015
iOS 10 — 13 September 2016
iOS 11 — 20 September 2017
iOS 12 — 17 September 2018
iOS 13 — 19 September 2019
When to expect the iOS 14 public beta?
September seems like eons away, where a week before the iOS update, we will also have an iPhone launch. However, we could expect the announcement, the first developer beta, and the first public beta as soon as in June. As Apple holds its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in the said month, usually around the first week, it also announces its plans for its upcoming software and hardware.
One thing that’s going to be different this year at WWDC is that it’s going to be held online to adhere to the social distancing practice accompanied by the pandemic.
So soon after the online WWDC keynote, developers will be able to access the beta version of iOS 14 to test its performance and ensure its stability prior to the release for the general public. The beta version will be accessible to the public a few weeks later, probably 29 June 2020, among die-hard Apple users who will test and give a hand in refining the update.
The previous iOS 13 went a bit awry with bad bugs despite some new features i.e. Dark Mode and a revamped photo app and required small yet immediate fixes to straighten up its performance. So expectations are a lot higher surrounding the fresh version.
Which iPhones will have iOS 14?
iPhone soft claims that it has verified their Apple contact that iOS 14 will run on the same catalog of iPhone as its predecessor, the iOS 13. However, it won’t be compatible with the seventh-gen iPod touch.
So here’s a complete list of compatible devices for you:
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, & iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, & iPhone XS Max
- iPhone 8, & iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone SE, iPhone 7, & iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s, & iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone 6s and iPhone SE users can rejoice as the iOS 14 will not leave them out, despite that the iPhone 6s is turning five as it was introduced in 2015, and Apple is notorious for dropping support for hardware that old.
iPhone 6 users were saddened to see their device incompatibility with the iOS 13 update in 2019, exactly five years after the product came into the market.
Is iOS 14 going to be flawless unlike its forbearer, iOS 13?
Following the disappointment of iOS 13 in September 2019, the company had to release eight updates in rapid succession in its first two months of launch to every iPhone user across the globe. The updates worked on fixing various faults and glitches in the novel operating system such as missing features, apps crashing, visual malfunction, and a lot more.
The whole update was riddled with bugs and crashes, so this time around Apple will be set on making up to its users for the bungled mess, and may even revamp its procedure for developing operating system updates.
As per a report by Bloomberg, the company will adopt the process of feature flag utilized by most other tech companies such as the likes of Google, Microsoft, and Spectrum Fort Worth Service, so to avoid the excess bugs and errors.
It will establish software flags in its routine iOS program testings, known as daily builds, which will aid engineers in pinpointing botched code in the system prior to its access to developers and users.
There has been a pattern with iOS updates that Apple follows, which we hope will discontinue as the company either delivers enhanced performance or a new set of features in its every new update. Take for instance the iOS 12 update, which had quite minor changes to its antecedent in terms of features, the iOS 11. But the update came out as a lot more reliable and stable in its performance.
Since we have received a barrage of new features in the iOS 13 update, we may risk not seeing many of those in the new one. Instead, we are sure to acquire close to flawless performance.
What new features will iOS 14 have?
As the hour for the iOS 14 announcement draws nearer, techies have been scrambling to uncover bits and bobs about what the newest iteration will bring for its users. So there has been plenty of useful information leaks, mostly based on past iOS patterns.
A Fitness App
Apple may introduce a partner to its health-tracking app, most likely named as Fit or Fitness. The fitness app is at the moment codenamed under ‘Seymour’ and is set to run on iOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14. The app will let the users view and download guided workout videos across an array of exercises such as running, walking, rowing, stretching, cycling, dance, yoga, and core and strength training that too for free.
However, despite its compatibility with several platforms, an Apple Watch may be a prerequisite to utilizing this app to its full potential. Since the watch keeps a track of your movements and progress as you work out and view the exercise guide on an iPhone or Apple TV.
What do we expect from the iOS 14 update?
What the iPhone users demand and what the company cooks up are altogether different things. There are a bunch of features that the customers expect Apple to include in iOS 14 we shall look into, and dare hope we see them soon.
Better Messaging
Apple may be contemplating adding several new features in its messaging app, and we may see them in our iPhones soon. Here is what we have come across:
- More information on the messaging activities in a group chat such as, your friend is typing’
- Despite the group chat on mute, you will be notified if someone tags you in a message by simply inputting @yourname. So you will be tagging each other in the iMessages too.
- The iMessage app lets you rescind messages that you send on an impulse.
Most of these features are already found in its competing messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Skype, Slack, and even Facebook Messenger. So it may not be easy for the users, particularly of the business variety, to jump to the iMessages as a standard platform for messaging. But, the prevalence of iPhone devices amongst these users could help encourage adoption.
So which features are the iPhone owners expecting the most?
Clear Cut Notification Design
A lot of consumers are taking issue with the notifications system, as it emulates the lock screen, in its current iOS. Why would we see the date and time in huge forms in the notification area, particularly when the iPhone already shows the time at the top-right corner at all times?
In fact, the old iOS designs were much pleasing as they displayed a semi-transparent dropdown menu, which let us access notifications.
Moreover, the even earlier versions of iOS had an automatic notification grouping feature, which was removed in later updates. The feature was quite handy while managing notifications.
iPhone owners, who are bombarded with hundreds of notifications at once require flexibility in how the notifications are delivered. At the moment, users received them in order of the delivery time.
iPhone 13 did offer its users to manually group their notifications, which allows the users to clear all notifications from a single app, while leaving out other app notifications, by grouping them together.
However, the feature is not available for default. The users have to go through the hassle of diving into each app’s setting and switch the feature on. Which can get quite annoying when there are a lot of apps installed on the iPhone.
Do More with Messaging
A lot of aficionados proclaim that the above leaked iMessages features are not enough to compete with other messaging apps such as Slack.
There is room for a plethora of features that could boost the productivity and group-friendliness of the messaging app. iOS could allow its users to access files via other apps in its messaging app in order to turn file transfer seamless, more modification of Tapbacks, threads, displaying info on the number of users typing, and utilizing Apple Pay Case in group chats.
Incoming Call notifications Banners
The annoying tidbit about iPhones is that the call notifications flash across the entire screen, and they have been since their inception in 2007.
Previously making calls was the cardinal function of every iPhone, but we have moved on from that and diversified into text messaging, photography, gaming, video recording, audio, and video content consumption, etc. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense for phone calls to dominate the entire screen while alerting.
It’s time the company became more flexible with regards to its incoming call feature, particularly when the user is enthused with gaming or is watching a movie on their iPhone. And comes up with banner call notifications, which lets the users accept or decline calls then and there.
Seamless Access to App Updates
The iOS 13 did away with the Updates tab in the App Store on iPhone, hindering users to swiftly dive in and update all the pending apps. Currently, the users can reach updates by touch and hold delay shortcut onto the App store icon or by going into the profile icon at the top-right menu bar of the App Store.
Animoji Coming into the Main Camera App
The Animoji videos are one of the coolest features introduced in the iPhone X. However, they are limited to their messaging app only. Users would like to see them in their main Camera App, make longer Animoji videos, save in their gallery, and even upload on social media.
Right now, users tend to make and send those cartoonish videos of themselves to save and share on social networks.
Could Siri do more?
Apple hasn’t peeped a word with regard to any exciting improvements in its voice assistant. But there are a lot of ways Siri could aid its users and streamlining their iOS experience.
To End Things Off
Unlike its initial days of iOS, when each change brought in clamorous changes, Apple has been dragging its feet for the last few years. As the competition ramps up for the company, we hope it unleashes a set of features and performance enhancement that trounces its rivals, while simultaneously delivering unbeatable user experience.
