Why it matters to you
Last year, we called iOS 10 a remarkable step forward for Apple’s mobile devices, and iOS 11 may up the ante even higher.
Apple’s 28th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to kick off on June 5 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. There, the world will get its first look at iOS 11, the next edition of the mobile operating system that will make its way to iPhones and iPads.
There are still weeks to go until the unveiling of iOS 11, but rumors are beginning to trickle in about new features we can expect to see. New versions of iOS typically release in beta form shortly after the unveiling in June, with the full release coming early in the fall.
FaceTime Audio, new Pay features, and Low Power Mode
A Reddit post from user Cyanhat, which has since been removed, elaborates upon some of the major additions Apple is planning in iOS 11. The post was picked up by Redmond Pie before it was deleted and claims group FaceTime calling will debut in the next version of Apple’s mobile platform — a rumor that has been making the rounds for some time now.
Cyanhat also stated Apple will make FaceTime Audio the default method of calling between iPhone users in iOS 11, just like how it replaced SMS with iMessage many years ago. FaceTime Audio uses LTE to deliver a significantly crisper and clearer experience compared to typical calling. Perhaps the addition of group calling has made Apple confident enough to make FaceTime Audio the standard going forward.
The post goes on to describe new features coming to Apple Pay. In April, it was revealed that Apple was interested in adding peer-to-peer money transfers to its digital wallet service, in an effort to take on Venmo and SquareCash. According to Cyanhat, that feature will debut in iOS 11, alongside an iMessage extension that allows iPhone users to transfer cash within conversations. Apple Pay will be outfitted with a social feed similar to Venmo’s, so the rumor goes. Accompanying all of this will be a name change of the app — Wallet will supposedly become Pay.
Finally, Cyanhat said Apple is looking to update Low Power Mode in a big way. The redesigned battery-saving feature will intelligently monitor your usage habits to develop a schedule whereupon it will automatically activate. Furthermore, Low Power Mode will comprise contextual cues like your location and connectivity status, in addition to battery life, to determine the best times to turn itself on. For example, it could learn to start conserving battery when you leave your home Wi-Fi network and it is less than 20 percent charged.
That new, intelligent Low Power Mode may also serve as an example of deeper automation functionality coming to iOS 11, according to Cyanhat. In March, Apple bought DeskConnect Inc., developers of the popular tool Workflow, which allows users to string actions and tasks together on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. In a subsequent post, the Reddit user claimed Apple would leverage its recent acquisition to deliver a similar first-party app, with expanded Siri support. The new app would accompany updated Automator software for MacOS computers.
Now, those are certainly a lot of rumors to take in, so this seems as appropriate a time as ever to stipulate these are unsubstantiated claims, that neither we nor other outlets have been able to verify. The fact that they were deleted is a curious sign. They are believable as far as rumors are concerned — but they are rumors nonetheless. As we get closer to WWDC, we will have a much better idea of which of them stand up, and which can be debunked.