At a glance, iOS 7 and iOS 8 don’t look all that different. Many of the changes were granular or internal, although new features like iCloud Drive were part of the package as well. Overall, iOS 8 was a well-received update to the visual refresh Apple implemented in late 2013 with iOS 7, but with WWDC 2015 just around the corner, it’s time to look forward once again.
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Over at MacStories, EIC Federico Viticci has put together an exhaustive list of features, additions and fixes he wants to see from the next version of Apple’s mobile operating system.
The first element of iOS 8 Viticci wants to see explored further in iOS 9 is extensions. Unless you have gone out of your way to make extensions part of the regular workflow on your iPhone or iPad, you probably forgot they even existed. I know I did. But Viticci has a solution to make extensions a more viable aspect of iOS going forward:
By allowing developers to trigger specific extensions programmatically (after a user’s consent) and attach extensions directly to other parts of iOS beyond the share sheet, iOS 9 could fix the discoverability problem of extensions and make the technology more consistent, useful, and approachable at the same time.
Viticci also believes it’s time for Apple to lean into customization, something that iOS users have been clamoring for since the original release of the OS. It begins with default apps — if I want to replace Safari with Chrome or Apple Maps with Google Maps, I should be able to do so.
The list goes on, touching upon Apple’s upcoming music streaming service, ways to improve Siri and turning the iPad into a true multitasking device. Be sure to read the full piece at MacStories.
