As some of you may know, the WWDC 2016 (The Worldwide Developers Conference) was held on Monday in San Francisco, where Apple made big announcements regarding the release of several novel features and apps across their desktop and mobile operating systems.

At the WWDC, Apple provided two overarching themes which come into play through the brand’s redesign and updates. Firstly, Apple is integrating more intelligent software algorithms on their devices, and secondly, Apple has now begun opening up their applications to external developers and third party services, when they used to be tightly contained by the brand. This has allowed Apple to improve many features on their operating systems and devices; making them smarter, more efficient, and easier for consumers to use.

So below is a summary of the new features Apple announced on Monday for the coming year:

Swift Playgrounds

One update which we are really excited about is the new Swift Playgrounds app, which will be released this autumn on the iPad free of charge. This revolutionary app, teaches users how to code with Apple’s Swift programming language – a programming language used to develop many contemporary and popular apps.

The Swift Playgrounds app operates in the form of a game whereby users guide a character through a 3D environment. Users learn about the fundamentals of Swift programming by overcoming a series of challenges, interactive tutorials and lessons which increase in difficulty as the user progresses.

The app, made to be fun and constructive, requires no previous knowledge of coding, so can be used for beginners and novices alike. The app also specifically directed towards children in order to develop basic coding skills at a younger age.

The Apple Watch

With the release of WatchOS 3, various bugs and consumer complaints regarding the expediency of the device were amended in the Apple Watch. For example, many users were dissatisfied by lags when opening and using applications on the watch. In response, Apple has now revealed an improvement in the speed of the watch, now seven times faster than it previously was.

Apple also announced a host of other features during the conference such as new Activity Faces which are now available on the watch, allowing users to switch between apps with greater ease and in a similar manner to the iPhone and iPad. Another two features which were highlighted were the new Activity Sharing and SOS feature. 

The Activity Sharing feature enables users to see the activity of friends and family, much in the same way as on social media, and to respond, such as through sending audio messages, with simplicity.

The new SOS feature is also a nifty addition whereby users can swiftly call emergency services for help while simultaneously sending a message to emergency contacts which includes the location of the user at the time they called for help.

MacOS Sierra

Similarly to the other improvements, some alterations were made on the practicality of the Mac operating system.

Compared to before, the Mac will now support a Continuity feature which enables users to work more efficiently across multiple Apple devices such as through the use of a universal clipboard which makes text available on all devices when the user is logged in. Likewise, due to new web integration methods the Continuity feature now allows Apple Pay to be useable on the Mac. Siri will also be made available for the Mac with the new operating system, showcasing the same features as Siri for the iPhone or iPad.

The productivity, or possibly the unproductivity, of users is also stated to be improved on the Mac as users have greater control of application windows on their desktop, for example, the new OS now allows users keep videos open and playing on top of whatever application is being used.

iOS 10 

The look and usability of iOS 10has been radically improved as seen in it’s launch at the WWDC. Several apps including, Siri, Photos, Maps, Apple Music, Messages, Phone, as well as the introduction of the Home app, have been updated from previous versions giving consumers greater control over their data, allowing users to communicate easier, and manoeuvre through online services more resourcefully.

Working on the restrictions of previous operating systems, upgrades to Siri (which third parties can now contribute to) lets users give commands to specific apps such as Whatsapp. Similarly, Siri has been used to provide improvements in quick type suggestions, allowing users to use contextual information throughout iOS 10 – for example, if a contact texts, “Where are you?”, Siri can suggest to offer the user’s current location. Contextual information through Siri has also been integrated into new features on Maps. As such, Maps can offer to guide the user around traffic if the user opens Maps at around the same time they usually go to work.

The biggest changes to iOS 10 appear in the Photos, Messages, and Phone app. Here, users can now view sent links and listen to music directly in Messages, have their voicemails transcribed or let iOS 10 immediately block spam calls for the user on the Phone app. Finally, facial recognition plays a big part in the new Photos app, which can now automatically group photos of friends or family into specific albums, or group photos into a single memory album, without sending private data to Apple servers for analysis.

TvOS

Updates to TvOS makes use of the Continuity feature to allow users to be able to easily control their TV remotely using their iPhone or iPad, such as by being able to enter text into search fields or to directly operate their TV. In line with other devices, Siri has also been integrated into TvOS by enabling users to voice commands for specific apps, including Youtube and other live-streaming apps, in order to tune into particular videos or live broadcasts instantly.

To finalise, Apple made a lot of big changes to their operating systems and devices which they hope to improve the experience of consumers and preserve the brand’s big name. Plenty of exciting developments, particularly due to the use of clever processes through Siri and the contribution of third parties, will definitely make the usability of their systems much easier and far more enjoyable for all users and Apple fans. Our favourite is definitely the launch of the new Swift Playgrounds app, which shares in our positive attitude towards providing a fun and interactive experience in teaching people of all abilities to code. We are definitely enthusiastic to see how Apple’s new launches perform in 2016 and to see what is in store for the future.