With the official announcement of the dates for this yr’s Worldwide Builders Convention, all eyes have turned to June for the following barrage of Apple updates. Chief amongst these, after all, is the much-rumored Apple headset—regardless of current reviews that it might have been delayed.
However even when the headset sucks up many of the oxygen within the Steve Jobs Theater (or wherever Apple is exhibiting this yr’s keynote), WWDC is historically a time for the corporate to point out off the newest variations of all of its platforms, and it’s not as if it will possibly let iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS merely lie fallow for a yr.
Whereas earlier reviews urged that this yr’s updates may be extra like “bug repair” releases, extra just lately it’s been urged that we’ll see some “good to have” options, if not the sort of huge marquee enhancements that we’ve come to count on yr over yr.
And that’s not a foul factor. There are many tough edges in Apple’s working techniques, and locations that might use some minor tweaks and enhancements. So let’s look forward at what the corporate may do to enhance its platforms in small methods.
iOS 17
iOS has grown in leaps and bounds during the last decade, with yearly bringing some huge characteristic or one other. However too typically, Apple appears to ship stated enchancment, then mud off its palms and stroll away, patting itself on the again for a job effectively achieved. These options then languish, yr over yr, till folks get annoyed and cease utilizing them as a result of it looks as if they’ll by no means be up to date.
For instance, one addition I’d actually wish to see is enhancements to iOS’s autocorrect system. Perhaps I’m simply getting previous, however I’ve discovered it more durable and more durable to kind even brief messages on my iPhone, and no less than some of that’s right down to autocorrect, which appears to typically exchange a completely legitimate phrase I’ve entered with another phrase–typically even a phrase that appears to be utter gibberish. Tweaking this technique to truly make it simpler to kind as a substitute of a extra irritating expertise is only one method Apple might enhance the present expertise on iOS with out delving into huge new options.
Foundry
Different small enhancements that may be good to have might embody breaking the Passwords part of Settings out into its personal app, tweaking the best way a number of calendars seem within the Calendar app, and permitting extra widgets on the lock display, simply to call a number of.
iPadOS 17
Sure, the iPad’s software program would appear to be one place Apple nonetheless must do quite a lot of main work, however there are nonetheless locations it could profit from some smaller enhancements to enhance the standard of life.
The iPad Professional is usually a nice platform for podcast manufacturing, with apps reminiscent of Ferrite (pictured), besides it has microphone limits.
One place specifically that might use enchancment is best audio assist, together with the power to let two apps use the microphone directly, lastly enabling actual podcast creation assist on the iPad. Does this transcend a “good to have” characteristic to a extra main endeavor? Maybe. However Apple’s lengthy had sturdy audio assist on the Mac, and because the iPad and the Mac get nearer collectively, it turns into more and more ridiculous that the iPad can’t do issues that the Mac has been capable of do for years.
As well as, it could be good to see some additional tweaks to Stage Supervisor, indicating that Apple is aware of it hasn’t but nailed that specific characteristic; the addition of iOS’s lock display options on the iPad; and a re-think of the floating keyboard palette that at all times appears to be in precisely the flawed place.
macOS 14
With a product as mature because the Mac, it might sound that there aren’t quite a lot of enhancements left to make, however the fact is, the older the platform, the extra issues fall by way of the cracks.
One huge nice-to-have characteristic I’d wish to see in macOS 14 is letting widgets dwell exterior of their little column in Notification Heart. Frankly, for the reason that disappearance of Dashboard, widgets have gotten the brief finish of the stick in macOS, and given their reputation on iOS and iPadOS, it’d be nice to get related capabilities on the Mac. Why can’t I’ve my climate widget on my desktop or a listing of my upcoming calendar occasions? To be trustworthy, proper now, I solely ever examine my Mac widgets accidentally.
We don’t want a revival of Dashboard in macOS, however we do want a greater method to make use of widgets.
Foundry
Another issues that might use some work: a revamp to final yr’s controversial System Settings app redesign, the power to hyperlink between notes in Notes, and tags for occasions in Calendar.
watchOS 10
Ten years of the Apple Watch! Wonderful how time flies (when you’ll pardon the expression). The Apple Watch has come a good distance since its debut, evolving from a do-everything-computer-on-your-wrist to a health-and-fitness-focused wearable. However whereas it could typically really feel like the quantity of new compelling performance has dwindled, there are locations that might use some tweaks.
One which involves my thoughts? Refining health monitoring and streaks. We’ve all had days the place we simply can’t get off the bed—whether or not as a result of we’re sick or injured or just because it’s simply a kind of days. However the Apple Watch’s Exercise app simply can’t appear to learn the room, as a substitute nudging you that you may nonetheless shut your rings if solely you may handle a two-hour stroll across the block. Apple badly wants so as to add a “relaxation day” idea right here; in any case, the one folks we’re actually dishonest are ourselves. Take a web page from the wonderful recreation Knotwords, which lets you recuperate a streak damaged by missed days by hitting your targets for seven days in a row.
Different good enhancements would come with the power to obtain FaceTime video calls, a built-in Notes app, and an enormous one: tweaks to older watch faces that carry the newest complication kinds and extra.
tvOS 17
Will tvOS get any vital updates this yr? It’s maybe Apple’s least-updated platform, however there are definitely enhancements that might be made to boost its expertise.
Initially, some tweaking of the house display design: I don’t count on the mass of app icons to go away, however it could be good to have an choice to mechanically organize them in, say, order of frequent use. What I don’t need to need to do is rearrange the icons myself continuously. Alternatively, a technique to divide the house display into a number of classes may additionally go a good distance towards bettering how customers entry apps.
Different issues that might be good are the addition of lossless audio passthrough, improved iCloud Keychain implementation to keep away from cumbersome re-logging in, and sure, determining tips on how to negotiate with Netflix to get it built-in into the Apple TV app. However I gained’t be holding my breath for that final one.
