Apple's iOS 8 Features We'd Like To See Announced At WWDC 2014
April 15, 2014
Apple won’t announce iOS 8 until the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. Until then, we’re left with rumors, speculation, and a wish list of what we'd like to see on Apple's next mobile operating system.
The following is a look at some of the features we'd like to see on iOS 8, and the likelihood they will become a reality:
Apple finally added a wish list feature on the App Store. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go far enough since you can’t add free apps to your list. Cupertino should remove this restriction and allow users to add any app to the Wish List.
Likelihood: ★★☆☆☆
Apple’s Maps app has come a long way since it was first introduced with iOS 6 in 2012. The missing roads and floating buildings may be gone. Nonetheless, there is still room for improvement.
The next version of Maps probably won’t receive significant interface changes. Rather, it will focus on “under-the-hood” changes, according to sources close to Apple.
Besides database changes, Maps will gain new points of interest, new labels to make places easier to find, and more. Many of these changes come as a result of Apple’s acquisitions of BroadMap, Embark, and HopStop. Because of this, iOS 8 Maps is also likely to include public transit directions for the first time.
Likelihood: ★★★★☆
Last month, we finally saw the first "recreation of screenshots" of Apple's Healthbook.
As you can see, the app looks a lot like Apple’s Passbook. Instead of loyalty cards, however, the app tracks health and fitness data points. It includes sections that can track blood work, heart rate, hydration, blood pressure, physical activity, nutrition, blood sugar, sleep, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and weight.
Likelihood: ★★★★★
In iOS 8, Apple should make it easier to find recently updated apps that aren’t installed on the iOS device. At the minimum, you should be able to sort purchased apps according to category.
Taking it a step further, Apple should offer a way for users to “save” certain apps to the iOS home screen, even when they aren’t actually installed. That way, a user would receive an alert whenever the apps get an update. Based on this information, the user could then decide whether to reinstall the app.
Likelihood: ★★☆☆☆
Preview and TextEdit applications from Mac could make the jump to iOS before the end of this year. Neither, however, are being designed to edit PDFs, images, or text documents. Instead, they will allow iOS users to read these types of files when they are located on iCloud.
Likelihood: ★★★★☆
Siri has come a long way since its 2011 introduction. Like iOS Maps, however, there is still room for improvement for Apple's voice assistant.
Thanks to its 2013 acquisition of Novauris Technologies, Apple is likely to improve Siri's speech recognition capabilities. We also hope iOS 8 brings Siri integration with third-party apps.
Likelihood: ★★★★☆
App previews
Users are still unable to try apps before they buy. Many developers have launched “lite” versions to get around this limitation, but that only goes so far. Apple should allow developers to offer apps with time and/or content limits that expire after a threshold is reached. This way, users would have a better idea of what to expect from an app without spending a dime, and developers would have the choice to ditch “lite” apps once and for all. Likelihood: ★☆☆☆☆Freebie Wish List
Apple finally added a wish list feature on the App Store. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go far enough since you can’t add free apps to your list. Cupertino should remove this restriction and allow users to add any app to the Wish List.
Likelihood: ★★☆☆☆
Better Maps
Apple’s Maps app has come a long way since it was first introduced with iOS 6 in 2012. The missing roads and floating buildings may be gone. Nonetheless, there is still room for improvement.
The next version of Maps probably won’t receive significant interface changes. Rather, it will focus on “under-the-hood” changes, according to sources close to Apple.
Besides database changes, Maps will gain new points of interest, new labels to make places easier to find, and more. Many of these changes come as a result of Apple’s acquisitions of BroadMap, Embark, and HopStop. Because of this, iOS 8 Maps is also likely to include public transit directions for the first time.
Likelihood: ★★★★☆
Healthbook
Last month, we finally saw the first "recreation of screenshots" of Apple's Healthbook.
As you can see, the app looks a lot like Apple’s Passbook. Instead of loyalty cards, however, the app tracks health and fitness data points. It includes sections that can track blood work, heart rate, hydration, blood pressure, physical activity, nutrition, blood sugar, sleep, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and weight.
Likelihood: ★★★★★
iMessages Auto-Deletion
Text conversations take up a lot data on your smartphone. Much of this comes from dialogues that are no longer being updated. In iOS 8, we hope Apple adds an auto-delete feature, where stagnant conversations are deleted after a set period of time of our choosing. Likelihood: ★★★★☆Uninstalled Apps
In iOS 8, Apple should make it easier to find recently updated apps that aren’t installed on the iOS device. At the minimum, you should be able to sort purchased apps according to category.
Taking it a step further, Apple should offer a way for users to “save” certain apps to the iOS home screen, even when they aren’t actually installed. That way, a user would receive an alert whenever the apps get an update. Based on this information, the user could then decide whether to reinstall the app.
Likelihood: ★★☆☆☆
Preview and TextEdit Functions
Preview and TextEdit applications from Mac could make the jump to iOS before the end of this year. Neither, however, are being designed to edit PDFs, images, or text documents. Instead, they will allow iOS users to read these types of files when they are located on iCloud.
Likelihood: ★★★★☆
Rethink moving wallpapers
Users either love the dynamic wallpaper feature in iOS 7 — or absolutely hate it. In iOS 8, Apple needs to step up its game and make the feature better. They could do this by adding more stock wallpapers (ditch the iPhone 5c screens, please), and by giving users a simpler way to add their own. Otherwise, what’s the point? Likelihood: ★★★☆☆A better Siri
Siri has come a long way since its 2011 introduction. Like iOS Maps, however, there is still room for improvement for Apple's voice assistant.
Thanks to its 2013 acquisition of Novauris Technologies, Apple is likely to improve Siri's speech recognition capabilities. We also hope iOS 8 brings Siri integration with third-party apps.
Likelihood: ★★★★☆
