The Master iOS 7 Wish List & iPhone 5S Predictions
In the last few weeks I have been putting together this list of everything that I could either think or find for Apple to add to the next version of their mobile operating system; iOS 7. iOS 7 will like launch later this year with a new iPhone 5S or whatever they call it. Not all of the ideas in this post are mine, some I have gathered from reading articles or forums about what other people think iOS 7 will get or from concept videos on YouTube.
If their are any questions or feedback about any of the ideas or concepts let me know. Also let me know if I have left anything off that you want to see.
iPhone 5S Predictions:
A7 Processor with quad-core
Improved GPU (2 times faster)
Improved Wifi (802.11ac)
Global LTE
Fingerprint Scanner in Home Button
NFC
Duel Flash
And here is my extensive wish list for Apple for iOS 7:
= features I believe Apple will add
*** = features with an explanation at the bottom
Anything without a star is something I want but probably will not add this year
Music
Up-next like in iTunes 11*
Bass and treble level sliders
Stream purchased music without downloading
Add current song to a playlist *
iTunes Store
Discover new artists based on your music library
Landscape mode shows artist profiles like iTunes 11 (artist info)
Speed enhancements*
Music wish list
App Store
Automatic updates (optional feature)
Speed enhancements*
App wish list
Download status (Mb to go)
iTunes Match
Download songs from iTunes app & added from iTunes on your computer
iCloud
Sync music playlists between all devices*
Sync Song ratings (stars) & play count
Select the apps or specific data you want to backup to iCloud (needs to be more reliable)
Dropbox like storage (iDisk)*
Sync albums of pictures on all devices (part of photo stream)
Notification Syncing - notifications appear on all devices and disappear when view on one device*
Siri
Offline Siri
API for developers***
Faster Siri - apple will need to improve/expand their servers*
Add shopping results*
Recipe searches
App Store/iTunes store search*
Voice memo activation*
Always listening mode - for cars that don't have built in support, say "Siri" to activate
Use Siri as a translator - it already has multiple languages
Reads notifications from all apps
Song recognition*
Tells you when you should leave to make it to an event on time
Ability to find friends
Wikipedia integration (like wolfram entries)
Ask for latest news updates
Ability to read notes or play voice memos
Camera
Timer
Flash always on option
Ability to select video quality (1080p, 720p, 480p)
Built-in QR code reader - take a picture of a QR code & it will automatically bring up search results
Built-in bar code reader - take a picture of a bar code & it will automatically bring up search results
Focus and exposure adjustment options
Allow complete panorama photos (360 degrees in all directions)
Clock App
Add ability for more timers and stopwatches
Larger snooze button for alarm*
Ability to turn off alarm in notification center after snooze has been hit
Ability for military time in world clock menu
Seconds for the timer
Calculator
Graphing functions built-in
Settings
Built-in data counter
Search menu*
More text tones
Silent Mode - turns off all sounds including alarms, can be set for specific calendar events (meetings, etc.)
Better usage statistics - time in specific app, listening to music, talking on the phone, browsing the web
Weather App
Radar
Severe weather alerts
Advanced information - wind speed & direction, humidity, etc. (Partner with the weather channel)
Pull to refresh*
Stocks
Pull to refresh*
Newsstand
Automatically hides when no magazines are downloaded
Notification for new literature
Safari
Unified search bar*
Two finger swipe for forward or back
Ability to have more than 8 webpages (tabs) opened
View that shows multiple tabs (swipe up to remove)*
Download files to iDisk
Pull to refresh*
Passwords
Stores all safari passwords
Stores app store app passwords
Ability to store other important, private information (Social Security Number, etc.)
Auto login (without password, with password, fingerprint scanner)
Maps
Add compass to the maps app
Continue to improve map accuracy and increase number of points of interest*
Logos of companies for point of interest icons (feature for maps in Japan)*
Dark screen for night time navigation*
Add more flyover cities*
Add bus routes and walking directions
Integrate find my friends using contacts (friends still must confirm tracking)
Ability to save routes for a trip (incase there is no coverage)*
Offline maps (huge file, user option)
Contacts
Add social links so show contacts profiles*
Interaction information - how many texts, tweets, calls, etc. you have sent to a contact
Nicknames entry option
Photos
Filters*
Remove pictures from camera roll when they are added to another folder*
Separate folder for videos
Allow user to select photos for photo stream after they are taken
Messages
Copy portions of messages not just the whole thing
Remove yourself from group messages
Combine conversations - all numbers/iMessages from one person are in one message thread
Tap the name to choose iMessage or text message
Pre-saved texting groups
Drafts*
Time stamps on every message (user option)
Reminders to reply to texts
Block iMessages sending as regular texts for specific contacts (stops international charges)*
Phone
Ability to block numbers
Forward voicemail
Convert voicemail to text
Notification Center
Expandable/shrinkable notifications
Hide specific calendar events
Swipe right to remove*
On/Off toggle for settings*
Videos
More supported file types (for iDisk downloads)
Separate tv shows, music videos, movies
Stream purchased movies and tv shows
FaceTime
Allow multi-person FaceTime (more than 2 on iPad only)
Allow voice only after FaceTime has been started
Notes
Integrate voice memos
Add pictures to notes
Change font color and text formatting
Search for words (Find)*
Home screen
Folders in folders*
Scrollable folders
Landscape mode
Live icon for weather (updates hourly)*
Live icon for clock (minutes only, saves resources)*
Dynamic Icons***
Widgets***
Multitasking Menu
Images of opened apps in their current state*
Swipe down to hide*
Swipe app up to kill the app*
Kill all apps feature
Setting Toggles (wifi, 3G, LTE, Bluetooth, airplane mode, brightness, etc.)*
Other
User profiles (personal & business or shared device)
Airdrop (over wifi, apple devices to other apple devices)*
Hide stock apps
Set app store apps as defaults
Wifi sync that allows selection of what you want to sync
Remove size restrictions on attachments for emails, texts, etc.
Fingerprint scanner can be used anywhere a passcode is now*
Location-based Actions***
User Interface
Flatter, cleaner design with one color scheme (no skeuomorphism)*
Better use of space especially on the lock screen and multitasking menu*
Lock Screen
Weather widget
Quick settings (wifi, Bluetooth, etc.)*
Quick flashlight*
Better use of space (especially on iPad)
Powering Off
Passcode or fingerprint scanner (user option)*
DFU mode allows GPS tracking for find my iPhone
Spotlight
Searchable dictionary*
Allows searches of setting app
Siri searches - for the times talking to your phone is not acceptable (kind of defeats the purpose though)
Predictor***
Notifications
Swipe right to dismiss
Battery warnings appear as notification*
Calls appear as notifications*
Quick reply - reply to text, etc. without leaving the app your in (API for use in all apps)*
Notifications for settings that have turned on/off (ties into ideas below)
Custom notifications***
iPad
Weather app
Two apps on the screen at the same time
Notification center that slides out from the right (like Mountain Lion)*
Keyboard
Swype keyboard
Improved autocorrect - based on common mistakes & nearby letters*
List of changes to autocorrect made by user patterns (allows removal of incorrect changes)
Word suggestion (optional)
Social
Notification center twitter hashtag suggestions*
Notification center Facebook friend tagging*
System wide Instagram integration
Reminders
Sharing - lists check off for both person sharing & sharer*
Game Center
New interface - better layout (very complicated now)*
Mail
Unified sent mail & trash (easier than searching through all accounts to see if something has sent)
Save attachments to iDisk*
Calendar
Download calendars and allow them to be edited
Built in calendar with holidays that can be hidden
Passbook
Easier to add coupons, gift cards, or other payment methods (not forced to download & keep the app)*
NFC chip to make wireless payments at many stores (partner with credit card company)*
Passcode or fingerprint scanner*
Power Management
User set battery warnings - Instead of just 20% & 10%
Energy saving mode - when enabled phone switches off certain battery wasters (wifi, bluetooth, etc.)
Restrictions
Allow certain websites to be blocked
Prevention of deleting pictures, videos, & songs*
Gesturers
Swipe up (off screen to on) for multitasking*
Four finger pinch for home screen
Swipe right on item for delete*
Swipe left or right (off screen to on) for slide out menus (per app)*
Volume Control
When up or down volume buttons are pressed on the side of the device a volume notificator comes up in the middle of the screen showing the ringer in most cases on the iPhone. If this is tapped it will switch and show the music volume controller instead of the ringer. If tapped again it will control Siris volume.
Predictor
Predictor would be a service which takes into account the events and other data that the user has entered into apple apps. It also takes into account where, when, how, and the frequency of which you do things on your phone. This data will then be incorporated into the spotlight screen below the search box and in apps like reminders or calendar.
In spotlight it will show things like the weather at a time that it feels it may be useful to the user or when the weather has been checked in the past. Also if a meeting or event is scheduled on the calendar it will check the traffic and provide directions of the quickest way to get there. In the reminders or calendar apps it will take entries like Vacation to Florida or Remind me to call my brother back and give the user useful data such as the weather for the first example and a call back number for the second. The possibilities are virtually endless, it could even find keywords or phrases in emails and texts and suggest actions.
List of apps it could be used in:
Spotlight - various suggestions based on patterns & habits
Reminders - calls, texts, emails, reservations, etc.
Calendar - directions, notifying others, reservations
Mail - search for keywords
Messages - search for keywords
Maps - suggest points of interest
Music - improved genius
Custom Notifications
Custom Notifications are basically user set notifications. Created in the notification section in settings, a user can specify what time and the content that the notification displays. It could display anything from the days weather to a traffic report for the drive home from work. These notifications can also be triggered by arriving at a certain location and like the predictor the possibilities are nearly endless.
List of apps it could be used in:
Weather - reports before leaving the house
Stocks - end of the day stock report
Maps - traffic report
Game Center - friends scores (if your having a contest)
App Store - app updates available
Location-Based Actions
Many people have been asking for settings to be turned on and off based on there current location. The big problem with this is while battery might be saved by turning off wifi, bluetooth, etc. the GPS must be on to track your location. In most circumstances the GPS uses more battery than wifi and bluetooth therefore defeating the purpose of having it on.
There are several solutions or at least partial solutions that could help solve this problem. The first is using wifi to tell other settings to turn themselves on or off. This will work quite well; when your connected to your home wifi bluetooth, 3g and various other user defined settings can be turned off. When the connection is lost your phone assumes that you are in the car and bluetooth, etc. will be turned on back on until you connect to the wifi at work or wifi elsewhere. Obviously the user can decide which settings they want to be enabled or disable in certain places. The obvious problem with this solution being that wifi has to be kept on at all times for it to function correctly.
A second solution is using cell towers to determined a general location. The user would have to specify which settings they would want enabled and disabled on each tower which they connect to regularly. A profile could also be made for all other towers which the phone owner connects to often. The problem with this solution is in order for the settings to change you must travel out of range of one tower and into another so a home and workplace would have to be a moderate distance away from each other. It is also possible that the phone could use multiple towers to pinpoint a more accurate location but I am not sure if the technology is there yet.
A third solution is using hardware that the current iPhones do not possess: NFC. With this technology the user could just place several special stickers places where they often visit and want their settings to change like at home, in the car, or at work. Each of these stickers will be programmed to adjust the phones settings to whatever the user desires. This would likely be the best solution if the new iPhone gains this technology.
Settings that could be enabled/disabled or adjusted:
Wifi
Bluetooth
Data (2g, 3g, LTE)
Do not disturb
Brightness
Passcode
Airplane Mode
Silent Mode
Notifications
Dynamic Icons
Dynamic icons are exactly as the video below shows. They show a small picture in place of the app icon when the app is either doing something like playing music or is updating you with something like the weather. The would likely release an API so developers could do the same thing with their apps.
Apps that would use this:
Weather - current forecast & temperature
Music - current song artwork
Messages - contact pictures of unread messages
Phone - contact picture of missed call
Stocks - updates of gains or losses
App Store - apps with updates
Maps - next turn direction
Clock - live time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me-lwiY8t-c
An additional feature that could be added to dynamic icons is notifications. When the user swipes an app icon down a list of notifications specific to that app are shown. Play and pause along with settings could be incorporated this way too. While this would be a cool feature Im not sure if Apple would add this feature into iOS because it really is just an alternative way to do things that does not have a real time advantage over other methods like notification center.
Apps that would use this:
All apps with notifications
Settings - wifi, Bluetooth, etc. toggles
Music - previous, next, pause, play
App Store - apps with updates
Clock - active alarms
Maps - current direction
A further extension of this concept would be Flipcons that are shown in the video below. Flipcons would be more a feature to show the latest news, social network posts, or other information not based on notifications. Flipcons are very similar to widgets, showing information to the user without entering an app. Developers would be the main users of this feature as iOS does not have many apps that would take advantages of this feature.
Apps that would use this:
Stocks - latest stock trends
App Store Apps - Social Apps (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram), News Apps (CNN, CBS)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tszqkbDXb-c
Widgets
Widgets are one of the most talked about features that is not yet in iOS. Widgets break many of the rules that Apple has set for itself. They clutter the home screen and if developers started creating them there would be an excessive number, all showing basically the same information. The amount of widgets that can be shown on the screen is also a concern of Apple, they made iOS to show one type of information at a time, hence all the different apps. Finally widgets waste battery and resources; they constantly have to be updated even when the user is not looking at them. Users expect that they will be updated with the latest information when they look at it. All of this updating means the phone is constantly on the internet receiving new information and then using ram and processing power to display it.
If Apple does decide to make home screen widgets they would be sure to limit the number you could have and what each one showed. A layout like the one in the video below would likely be similar to what Apple would create because of clean look and easy to set up. Also its unlikely Apple would release an API for developers as it would just make the home screen become cluttered and confusing. The best solution would likely be the dynamic icons listed above as they hide the information until the user wants to see it and also provide quicker access than opening an app.
Apps that would use this:
Weather - current weather
Calendar - upcoming events
Settings - wifi, bluetooth, etc. toggles
Reminders - current reminders & lists
Clock - time & alarms
Stocks - stock updates
Messages - unread messages
Mail - unread mail
Music - current song information & music controls
Game Center - challenges
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D96TDxXRDgc
Siri API
A Siri API like widgets is one of the most ask for features of iOS 7. It is also one of the most complicated features that Apple would have to build. An API is basically a tool that developers use to build their apps. If a developer wanted to integrate Siri functions into their app they would not just be able to build the feature into their app like normal. They have submit data to Apple to be put into the Siri server. In order to get this to work correctly a huge amount of work has to be done to make sure that Siri understands what a question means, the context, and what data to answer it with. Even for just a few commands or questions the amount of work and time that has to put in is enormous. It is defiantly possible that Apple would open this up to developers this year but they would likely restrict the number of developers that could use this feature and force developers to take training courses that instruct them on how to make Siri work.
Another problem with having hundreds of developers working on Siri is which data answers which questions. With so many apps it is likely that some of them will overlap as far as information needed to answer questions. Apple needs find a way to determine which app gives information when others can answer the same question.
Concept Videos
http://www.letskis.com/ios-7-concept-that-will-blow-your-mind/
http://gamereader.de/video/29703
Concept Pictures
