iOS 10: What does it mean for App Developers?

by | Aug 23, 2016

Heavyweight tech corporation Apple announced details about their new operating system, iOS 10, at the WWDC 2016 San Francisco conference in June… but if you missed the con, you might be wondering: just what does iOS 10 include? We’re taking a look at some of the top features the new operating system has to offer, though only betas of these elements are currently available for mobile developers. This update to the Apple OS series is reportedly full of major advancements that will contribute to a better future for app development and reinvigorate Apple’s influence over the mobile software environment.
“Big. Bold. Beautiful. Everything you love is now even better with iOS 10, our biggest release yet.” – Apple
Beta
iOS 10 Beta 7 is currently available to mobile developer account holders registered with the beta program and can be accessed through Settings-> Software Update. For the time-being, other Apple customers can download Beta 6, or choose to wait until September for the full operating system, which Apple will release alongside their new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models.
Siri
Apple purports that one of the most exciting features of the iOS 10 update involves its virtual assistant, Siri, which hasn’t seen much expansion since its birth. Siri was introduced five years ago – in the tech world, that might as well be 15, especially when compared to younger versions of similar services, such as Amazon’s Alexa. Siri’s update incorporates third party developers, taking Apple’s baby out of its hands; they hope this will breathe new life into the aging assistant simulator. As of the update, Siri SFK will allow mobile developers to incorporate Siri support natively inside their apps with SiriKit, which extends assistive support for a myriad of different services in an attempt to make Siri relevant and more accessible in the ever-advancing tech environment.
iMessage
A new feature Apple is introducing with iOS 10 directly links the App Store with its text service, iMessage, allowing mobile developers to be creative with designing various advertising for direct messages and providing users easy access to download apps without having to leave their inbox. Users can conveniently share content, edit photos, play games, send payments, and collaborate with friends, all within a custom developer-designed interface.
To-The-Point
If you’re an Apple consumer, then you will want to keep your eye out for our next post, where we look at some of the new iOS 10 features from your relative standpoint. You may even be an Android user right now, but if you’re interested in what game-changers Apple has in store for the future of Messages, Maps, and accessibility, we’ll see you Wednesday!
If you’re a mobile developer like us, this is the bottom line: iOS 10 will allow your apps to reach out further in the consumer market with the ability to extend your influence to Siri, iMessage, and more, providing higher user engagement and functionality that Apple hopes will once again drive top-tier desirability from app developers for its mobile platform.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Danielle Nicole

Danielle is a social media manager and blog writer for Powered Labs. She majored in public relations. Danielle has been writing since the age of 5, and continues to do so into her career. “Writing isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifelong gift…”

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