iOS 11: Here are the new features coming to Apple iPhone and iPad this fall

The developer preview of iOS 11 is available to iOS Developer Program members starting today

Apple on Monday showcased a preview of the iOS 11, the company’s next major update to bring new experience and features to iPhone and iPad devices, at Worldwide Developers Conference 2017. The next iteration of the operating system makes a complete shift from the previous versions and now utilises latest technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality to power the OS. The iOS 11 is currently available as a developer preview and will be a free software update for iPhone and iPad starting this fall.

“With the iOS 11, we’re delivering the biggest AR platform in the world, and it’s available today for developers to begin building AR experiences using ARKit for hundreds of millions of iPhone and iPad users,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. 

“The iOS 11 gives iPad users the powerful app functionality they need to take advantage of everything iPad is capable of, and brings hundreds of new features and incredible updates to the iOS apps iPhone and iPad users enjoy every day.", added Craig Federighi.

Here are the new features of iOS 11:

Customisable dock, files app and drag & drop make iPad even more powerful 

Photo: Apple

The iOS 11 makes multitasking on iPads even more powerful, with a new customisable dock that provides quick access to frequently used apps and documents from any screen, and a redesigned app switcher makes it easier to move between pairs of active apps, used in Split View and now Slide Over. The new files app keeps everything in one place, whether files are stored locally, in the iCloud Drive or across other providers like Box, Dropbox and more. And, with drag & drop available across the system, moving images and text is easier than before. The Apple Pencil is more deeply integrated into iPad with support for inline drawing, and a new Instant Notes feature opens Notes from the Lock Screen by simply tapping Apple Pencil on the display.

Experience compelling virtual reality

Apple is introducing a new platform for developers to help them bring high-quality AI-VR experiences to iPhone and iPad using the built-in camera, powerful processors and motion sensors in iOS devices. ARKit allows developers to tap into the latest computer vision technologies to build detailed and compelling virtual content on top of real-world scenes for interactive gaming, immersive shopping experiences, industrial design and more.

Siri becomes more useful

Siri is one of the most popular personal assistants in the world, with more than 375 million active devices accessing Siri each month across 36 countries. Using the latest advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence, new male and female voices are more natural and expressive, adjusting intonation, pitch, emphasis and tempo while speaking, and can translate English words and phrases into Chinese, French, German, Italian or Spanish. Siri extends beyond voice, using on-device learning to deliver more personal experiences and offers suggestions based on personal usage of Safari, News, Mail, Messages and more. For example, as Siri learns topics or places a user is interested in while browsing Safari, they will be suggested when typing in Mail, Messages and other apps.

Enhanced camera and photo features

Photo: Apple

With the iOS 11, portrait mode images can be taken with optical image stabilisation, True Tone flash and HDR, so every shot looks even more professional. Live Photos are more expressive with new Loop and Bounce effects that create continuous video loops, while Long Exposure can capture time and movement. In Photos, Memory movies are optimised to play in both portrait and landscape orientation, and more memories, such as photos of pets or birthdays, are automatically created. With iOS 11, Apple introduces a new technology called High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) that reduces the file size of every photo taken with iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Drive safe with do not disturb

Photo: Apple

iOS 11 introduces a new way to help drivers stay more focused on the road with Do Not Disturb while driving. iPhone can detect when you may be driving and automatically silence notifications to keep the screen dark. Users have the option of sending an auto reply to contacts listed in Favourites to let them know they are driving and cannot respond until they arrive at their destination.

Additional iOS 11 Features

App Store is redesigned to make discovering apps and games easier than ever before. Through in-depth features and interviews, App Store editors will uncover the stories behind iOS developers and the incredible apps and games they create.

Control Center offers more customization, enabling quick access to frequently used controls all on one page, and a new Lock Screen delivers a more convenient way to see Notifications all in one place.

One-handed keyboard mode on iPhone makes typing on the go even easier and a new QuickType keyboard on iPad delivers quick access to numbers, symbols and punctuation.

Availability 

The developer preview of the iOS 11 is available to iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com starting today, and a public beta programme will be available to iOS users later this month at beta.apple.com. The iOS 11 will be available from fall this year as a free software update for iPhone 5s and later versions, all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, iPad 5th generation, iPad mini 2 and later versions and iPod touch 6th generation. Person-to-person payments and Apple Pay Cash will be available in the US on the iPhone SE, iPhone 6 and later, iPad Pro, iPad 5th generation, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 and later and Apple Watch this fall.