WWDC favorites

Now that WWDC is over, what are some of your favorite upcoming software changes?

Some highlights and favorites

TvOS

  • Multi user support tvOS. Finally, no longer will you have to have one person be the head of household, TV-wise.

watchOS

  • Voice memo. Like dictating to a 1930’s watch companion á la Dick Tracy, you can share your thoughts, musings, and all from your wrist. I love this one. Great for character and story development when thoughts arrive.

  • Calculator. Who doesn’t need this?

  • App Store. The idea that the phone is where we need to initiate the installation of apps for the watch will soon be a thing of the past as we will see the App Store for Apple Watch this fall.

iOS 13.jpeg

  • 30% faster Face ID unlocking. It’s already fast (at least it is for me, on the iPhone XS, but there is always room for improvement when the identity guard of Face ID stands between you and your next move on your mobile device.

  • Smaller updates and faster downloads. I don’t often run into the need for much smaller and faster downloads, but when you are using an app and see that it gets an update and you’re on a cellular (instead of WiFi) connection, this will totally come in handy.

  • 2x app launch speed. Much needed. If you can believe it, there are still apps that take 4–5 seconds to properly load and I think this is a huge improvement that will make an aging iPhone feel new again.

  • Dark Mode. Those of us who do some work while in bed sometimes will definitely appreciate this. Often I write and have ideas as the day ends, and just before going to sleep. This ocular aid will be substantial.

  • Reminders rewrite. As a task-management nerd this was by far my favorite update. The Reminders app in its current form was essentially introduced in 2013 on iOS 7. While Notes and Calendar got great, Reminders was left in the dust. I am excited to see what the organizational possibilities are.

  • Maps. “Look Around”, Apple’s challenger to Google’s mature “Street View” will be exciting to put to the test. The privacy that Apple is known for will certainly be at play here and it will be so effective to finally use one app to plan trips or even scour area parking conditions for that destination of yours.

IPadOS.jpeg

  • Multiple Apps in Slide Over. Getting its own big-boy enhancements, iPad OS will be a powerhouse to work on, even more so than it is today. We will gain the ability to cycle through open apps in the slide over position, effectively giving you the ability to work within many apps nearly simultaneously. A win for someone who uses the iPad as a productivity machine.

  • App Exposé. Getting a Mac-like treatment of open windows, App Exposé is going to go very far in getting various workflows to become easier. Finally, using multiple apps in a split screen formation will feel like having multiple computers as each set will have their own Exposé window while open.

macOS Catalina.jpeg

Sidecar in macOS Catalina. The big one. Having your iPad next to your Mac, you can use it as a second screen, doubling your productivity potential. No secondary monitor to buy, no giant desk necessary. This will change the way that I work.

The one that I should love the most, but have some concerns about

  • Text editing. As someone who is constantly writing, I should love the new cut/paste/undo moves that are coming to iOS and iPad OS, which use finger gestures. The WWDC demo was a bit fumble-y, and I hope that in practice it becomes second nature and part of a muscle memory but in the moment it looks…childish. I hope that I eat my words on this one.

What do you think?

Share some thoughts here and let me know!

Productivity, AppleEric BowersWWDC