Celso Bulgatti / CNET
Apple annual developer conference, WWDC, is almost ready to go, which means we will soon be able to find out what new features Apple has in store for the iPhone with iOS 14. But in the meantime, there are a lot of rumors out there about what to expect. .
Apple would focus heavily on improving the stability of the iPhone with iOS14 and on resolving some of the issues faced by iOS 13 users. In the past few months, a number of Apple rumor sites have reported having got hold of the first test versions of iOS 14 with details on everything from interface changes to new apps. And although we can't be sure if these leaks are the real deal, or if the changes listed will even reach the final version of iOS 14, there are plenty of reasons to be excited.
iOS 14: everything we know
Release date
If everything goes as planned, which has not been the case so far, Apple will introduce iOS 14 to WWDC 2020, which begins on June 22. This year the conference will be held virtually, but we still expect it to be announced at the conference, which usually kicks off the event, alongside all other major update announcements. software.
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In the past, the announcement was followed by the release of the developer beta, then the public beta a few months later, with the official release of iOS when the iPhone launched in early September.
But this year, the calendar is likely to change. the Coronavirus pandemic Rumor has it that it has caused production delays for the next iPhone and Apple may be forced to postpone the launch event, as well as the release of iOS 14, in October. Apple has not yet commented.
Home screen updates
The home screen may look radically different in iOS 14. According to 9to5Mac, iOS 14 will bring a list display option that would allow you to organize apps as a list instead of the current grid view. The Apple Watch already allows you to view the applications in alphabetical order, but on the iPhone, you can also sort them by the most used or by the number of unread notifications.
Editing default applications
Since the existence of the iPhone, Apple has made its own pre-installed applications like Maps or Music the default choice. This may change in iOS 14, as rumors suggest that Apple might allow you to choose third-party apps instead: Spotify instead of Apple Music, Google Maps or Waze instead of Apple Maps, or Chrome instead of Safari.
@ mentions in Messages
Apple's Messages app is said to be inspired by other messaging apps like Slack and WhatsApp by allowing you to mention specific people in group chats by adding an @ symbol before their names. According to MacRumors, the app would also include an option to delete a message once it has already been sent or mark a message as unread as you would with an email. We are also expecting a new batch of emojis as well as new tips for Animojis and Memojis.
Multitasking iPad-like features
iOs 14 can also provide multitasking features on the iPhone. Apple Leaker Ben Geskin posted a video on Twitter of what it would look like on an iPhone 11 running a first version of the operating system. Since then, people have responded that this is just a current version of jailbreak rather than an iOS 14 feature. Apple is rumored to be launching a iPhone 12 Max with an even larger screen than the current Max which would benefit from more iPad-like features, but that does not mean that we will see it in this version of iOS.
New Safari Features
Siri can already translate words and phrases, but iOS 14 may allow you to translate text on your screen. According to 9to5 Mac, Safari will get translation powers similar to those found on Google Chrome and allow you to switch between languages with a single click, even if you have no cellular or Wi-Fi signal. The report also mentions that 'It may also be available on certain other Apple applications.
Safari can also benefit from Apple Pencil support with the possibility of using it as a cursor to click and scroll as well as to take notes or markup pages.
More accessibility options
Yet another 9to5Mac report also mentions an accessibility feature that would allow you to translate sounds, such as the sound of an alarm, or even of a crying baby, into haptic feedback for the hearing impaired.
A new training app
There are also two new application rumors coming with iOS 14. The first is a training application that would guide you through different exercise routines.
According to MacRumors, this would include running, biking, rowing, strength training, dancing, yoga, and a number of other activities. The app would also be available on Apple Watch and Apple TV. The report says the app would be free, but Apple may charge a subscription to the service, or put more premium content behind a paid wall like with Apple News Plus.
Augmented reality app
Apple could also work on a new augmented reality application for iOS 14. The application, mentioned in 9to5Mac, would allow you to get more information about a physical product that you see in a store without having to search for it online. The report refers to the Apple Store and Starbucks at launch, but could also be extended to other retailers.
Forget your car keys
Your iPhone or Apple Watch may soon unlock your car. According to 9to5Mac, Apple has been working on a feature called CarKey that would allow users to turn their devices into key chains for their cars. BMW is rumored to be one of the manufacturers working with Apple on this, but it is unclear whether this would include other manufacturers and which car models would be compatible. It is also possible that only newer iPhones and Apple watches are compatible with CarKey.
Compatibility
Aside from the CarKey functionality, rumors so far suggest that iOS 14 will be compatible with all devices running iOS 13. This is good news for people who keep older devices, since previous iOS updates have excluded older models of iPhone and iPad.
