Apple Encourages Developers to Update Their Apps for iPhone X

[MacRumors]

Apple this afternoon reminded developers about the imminent launch of the iPhone X and encouraged them to submit apps that are optimized for the new device.

Developers can download Xcode 9.0.1 to test apps using the iPhone X simulator before submitting their updated apps to iTunes Connect.

The future is almost here. iPhone X will be available November 3. This stunning device features the all-new Super Retina display for more immersive experiences and Face ID, a secure new way to unlock, authenticate, and pay. The TrueDepth camera works with ARKit, and the A11 Bionic chip is designed for Core ML and Metal 2. Download Xcode 9.0.1, test your apps in the iPhone X simulator, and capture screenshots. Then submit your updated apps and metadata in iTunes Connect today.

There are specific Human Interface Guidelines developers are encouraged to follow when updating their apps for the iPhone X.

Developers need to take into account the iPhone X's rounded corners, sensor "notch" at the top of the device, and the indicator area for accessing the Home screen to prevent clipping. Developers are discouraged from attempting to mask or call special attention to features like the rounded corners and the sensor housing at the top of the device.

Apps that support Apple Pay or Touch ID will need to make sure Face ID, not Touch ID is referenced within apps on the iPhone X. Apps that use Touch ID will be able to incorporate Face ID as a replacement automatically.

The iPhone X will be in the hands of customers starting on Friday, November 3, the official launch date for the device.

Article Link: Apple Encourages Developers to Update Their Apps for iPhone X

 

[xero9]

Given I still have apps that aren’t optimized for the plus screens, I’m not hopeful. I look forward to the next two years at least of terrible looking apps!

 

[Cosmosent]

Apple needs to tell us how precisely how many iPhone X units have been Pre-Ordered, so that we have some confidence & incentive to do so !

NO MORE marketing games, Mr. Cook ... give us the facts, & treat us like Adults !

 

[WilliamG]

Yeah this is going to be terrible at launch. Some apps will likely NEVER get updated, which will make me crazy. More crazy than the fuzziness of still-existing non-Plus apps.

 

[JohnApples]

...so is it pronounced “ex-code” or “ten-code”?

 

[keysofanxiety]

Apple needs to tell us how precisely how many iPhone X units have been Pre-Ordered, so that we have some confidence & incentive to do so !

NO MORE marketing games, Mr. Cook ... give us the facts, & treat us like Adults !

Lol please. As if the numbers aren’t announced so your magnum opus of an app isn’t updated for the iPhone X.

This sort of ridiculous hyperbole seems to get more prevalent every year.

 

[nt5672]

Given I still have apps that aren’t optimized for the plus screens, I’m not hopeful. I look forward to the next two years at least of terrible looking apps!

Well Apple does not care about any Apps for pre iOS 11. It seems to be impossible to get a single app to work correctly on both iOS 9.x and 11.x, since they made the change from guides to safe areas. We cannot figure out if the problems are in the simulator or if they will be real problems with devices. So we sit and wait for real devices, because that is what Apple is forcing us to do.

 

[LandRovers]

Apple needs to tell us how precisely how many iPhone X units have been Pre-Ordered, so that we have some confidence & incentive to do so !

NO MORE marketing games, Mr. Cook ... give us the facts, & treat us like Adults !

Future iPhones will adopt the same form factor as the X. You should probably update your app dude.

 

[HiVolt]

Given I still have apps that aren’t optimized for the plus screens, I’m not hopeful. I look forward to the next two years at least of terrible looking apps!

I absolutely agree. I have one app that I use constantly that hasn't been updated for the iPhone 6/6Plus and higher series of resolutions...

And the app has gone thru dozens of updates since then, like 3+ years. I keep bitching about it in the reviews, they don't give a ****.

Apple forces a lot of stupid things on people & devs, but I'm surprised they haven't forced devs to update for the higher resolution support.

Perhaps with the iPhone X and a completely different aspect ratio and screen format, devs will be pushed to redesign for it and will by the same token update it for the other larger resolutions of the 6/6Plus and higher phones.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Apple needs to tell us how precisely how many iPhone X units have been Pre-Ordered, so that we have some confidence & incentive to do so !

NO MORE marketing games, Mr. Cook ... give us the facts, & treat us like Adults !

Millions of units have been sold. That's more than enough to get most developers invested.

More units than all Pixel XLs sold last year.

 

[rti92391]

So what’s the negative if someone doesn’t update their app? As a developer, if it takes you a boatload of time to edit an app for the X (to various degrees of success, see Marco Arment’s tweets on Overcast updates for iPhone X) why do it? I surmise we will see a phone without a notch in the future, which would require an undo of this work. Outside of an iOS 11/32 Bit app situation, I don’t see much changing for apps on iPhone X.

 

[scrapesleon]

Developers embrace the notch hehe on it man

 

[itsmilo]

The downside of long time support and so many different screen sizes to support is that devs simply dont bother and stick to what is being used by most people i assume. Still waiting on a lot of iPad Pro 10.5 updates

 

[Bathplug]

Just a quick update to include notch support.

 

[JosephAW]

They want the developers to go out and buy an X so that your can test your app. ChaChing $$$

 

[hasanahmad]

Given I still have apps that aren’t optimized for the plus screens, I’m not hopeful. I look forward to the next two years at least of terrible looking apps!

Apple will soon start kicking out apps which don't support full screen like those which don't support 64 bit.

 

[Glassed Silver]

Yeah, just as usual you can expect your favorite less mainstream apps to start supporting the new resolution in about 1-2 years, that's if the developer is still actively maintaining the application at all...

But of course there is a replacement for EVERY application, right? Yeah... maybe if you're on a 16GB phone with 15 apps tops.

EVERYONE has some niche to fill... (purposefully exaggerating, I'd love to live the luxurious life of having all my needs catered to by a handful of vendors at all times)

Either way, sorry for the tangent.

Wasn't there something about the SDK now supporting automatic scaling and element layouts? Is it still impossible to make apps "just work" on any resolution in iOS?

I mean I understand how you may want to optimize for the resolutions you know at the time of coding, but something like multi-view tab layouts... Or text rendering... does that still "dumb-scale"?

Bit confused here...

Glassed Silver:win

PS: genuine question

 

[ILikeAllOS]

As a developer, if it takes you a boatload of time to edit an app for the X (to various degrees of success, see Marco Arment’s tweets on Overcast updates for iPhone X) why do it?

You do it so that you don't end up as one of the many 1-star apps that haven't been updated in 2 years, which allows another developer to then make a newer app and steal all of your customers away.

 

[newtestleper]

I’ll never look at that App Store logo the same way again. Still the most bizarre post I’ve ever read on here.

 

[Tijdelijk]

Yeah, just as usual you can expect your favorite less mainstream apps to start supporting the new resolution in about 1-2 years, that's if the developer is still actively maintaining the application at all...

But of course there is a replacement for EVERY application, right? Yeah... maybe if you're on a 16GB phone with 15 apps tops.

EVERYONE has some niche to fill... (purposefully exaggerating, I'd love to live the luxurious life of having all my needs catered to by a handful of vendors at all times)

Either way, sorry for the tangent.

Wasn't there something about the SDK now supporting automatic scaling and element layouts? Is it still impossible to make apps "just work" on any resolution in iOS?

I mean I understand how you may want to optimize for the resolutions you know at the time of coding, but something like multi-view tab layouts... Or text rendering... does that still "dumb-scale"?

Bit confused here...

Glassed Silver:win

PS: genuine question

I was asking me the same question.
Seems Android is doing that much beter (seems to scale automatically)

 

[borgqueenx]

Yeap time for black boxes again. This time larger then ever!

 

[szw-mapple fan]

...so is it pronounced “ex-code” or “ten-code”?

If it comes first, it’s eks, if it comes last, it’s ten.

Eks: Xcode, Xserve, xQuartz
Ten: OS X, Final Cut Pro X, iPhone X

 

[borgqueenx]

we need a list of optimised iphone X apps and games.

 

[Wyvernspirit]

I was asking me the same question.
Seems Android is doing that much beter (seems to scale automatically)

Android started out with different manufacturers and different screen sizes. It had to do so from the beginning. iOS started with one (then two when the iPad came out).

 

[Phonephreak]

I know this won’t happen. What if developers don’t update their apps to use the notch. I mean a mass refusal. Might tell Apple something.

And no I don’t really have a problem with the notch. Just a question.