For those of you that missed this mornings Apple WWDC 2015 announcements, we thought we’d sum them up for you. This one of the largest developer meetings in recent history from the company. Much more than what we will mention here was released. These are what we think were “the goods” of the show.
Top 15 Hits from WWDC 2015
1. New OSX El Capitan announced. The overall design and aesthetic has not changed much from Yosemite. Some minor UI design changes. Spotlight has been overhauled to improve searching within your computer and on the web. More direct links to content and websites.
2. New split-screen mode announced. Formerly, you could achieve this by parking two windows side by side. Now, Apple allows OSX to do this for you, change which screen takes up the most room, and add new desktop homescreens at the top of the window.
3. Apple pay is going to start using Discover card. Will be launching in the UK this Fall.
4. Passbook is changing its name to Wallet. We are sure the Google fanboys are up in arms over this one! Wallet will start taking all of your store discount cards like Walgreens, JCPenney and Dunkin Donuts.
5. iOS9 adds an overhauled SIRI to do a better job of finding what you need with real word sentences. SIRI will also start remembering your patterns to start your music when you get in the car or hit the gym, pull up recipes when you’re in the kitchen, etc.
5. Notes now allows links, pictures and drawing. This is great for us note takers!
6. Apple maps will add public transit in iOS9 for buses, trains and subways. You can also search within Maps for restaurants, places to go, things to go, etc. It looks to have a very Yelp feeling.
7. iOS9 also adds a News App. We think it looks exactly like Flipboard without the personalization of adding your own private content links. News will collect magazines, websites and newspaper feeds from all over the world to build your very own morning paper. The New York Times will be giving away 30 free articles per month.
8. HomeKit will add support for window shades, more door locks and security systems, temp controls from NEST and other makers, and camera systems for surveillance.
9. CarPlay will start accepting manufacturer apps built into the system display to integrate with your vehicles ODB2 and diagnostics. CarPlay will also become standalone soon. No date announced.
10. watchOS2 announced. For those of you with the Apple Watch, it just received a few fixes owners have been complaining about. A better UI, smoother, more logical buttons and scrolling. The big announcement for watch is standalone apps. Fitness gurus will finally be able to go for a hike, run or bike and not have to carry their phone with them. You can upload whenever you find WiFi or when you get back home.
11. Swift 2 announced. Apple’s programming language goes OPEN SOURCE for OSX, iOS and Linux. This is a big deal for DEVs.
12. A completely new Apple Music App will launch with iOS9 this Fall. It will cost $9.99/month, provide the best music experience possible (according to Apple), connect users with artists via the artists new homepages, and have a live 24/7 radio station with DJ’s from Los Angeles, New York and London. For $16/month you can have up to 6 family members on the same plan with different playlists and so on so your content doesn’t get mixed up.
13. iOS9 will add a single button dedicated to Low Power Mode, saving up to 50% of your battery life when you are going to be away from your phone for a good portion of the day.
14. Big news for iPad owners! You can now multi-task with split screens on every iPad from 2-Air2. So, you can be typing in Pages and reading your mail on the same screen. Picture in Picture is also coming in iOS9 to iPad. Watch your favorite movie anywhere you want on the screen while working in the background.
15. No new devices were announced.
All of the announcements will be live on Apple’s website soon. You can watch the recorded version of WWDC on your Apple TV, or at Apple.com anytime.
A free public beta of iOS9 will drop in July. Look for the full release of iOS9 this Fall.
What are you most excited about?
Did anyone else notice how many times Tim Cook referred to privacy and security being a problem on mobile devices?
What were you hoping for that didn’t get announced?
What device are you waiting for next?
Leave us a comment below with your thoughts or drop us a like on Facebook. We’d really appreciate it!
