Apple has announced iOS 11, the next major operating system for iPhone and iPad. The new system software update includes a wide variety of refinements and various new features. There’s no wildly new adjustments or changes, making iOS 11 largely familiar to users of prior iOS versions.
iOS 11 Features
There are many new minor features and refinements in iOS 11 including:
- Improvements to Apple Pay and iMessage based money sending
- iMessage enhancements and improved iMessage syncing across iCloud
- Enhancements to Siri including redesigned male and female voices
- A redesigned Control Center
- Smaller photo and video footprint
- The ability to edit Live Photos and create looping Live Photos, Live Photos can make long exposure shots easily as well
- Updates to Maps and maps navigation
- Some new social features in the Music app to see what friends are listening to
- A new “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature
- All new redesigned App Store that looks more like the Music app
- Support for AR (Augmented Reality) apps and features
- Plus much more…
There also appears to be ever-so-slightly revamped icons on the iOS 11 home screen with mild adjustments to gradients and colors of some icons.
iOS 11 will be available in the fall for the general public, with a public beta version available later in the month. A developer beta of iOS 11 is available now.
WatchOS 4 for Apple Watch
Apple also announced watchOS 4 for Apple Watch. watchOS 4 will feature a new Siri based watch face that automatically updates based on days events and changes, along with a psychedelic kaleidoscope watch face, and a trio of Toy Story character watch faces as well. WatchOS 4 also includes a revised Activity app with little nudges to encourage you to be active, along with various other app updates, and a redesigned Music app again.
WatchOS 4 will be available to the public in the fall, with a developer beta available right away.
Separately, Apple also announced MacOS 10.13 High Sierra, also due to release this fall.