The iOS 8 Speculation Thread

[joejoejoe]

Some would say it's early, but considering that we've already seen everything there is to see in iOS 7, I'd say that it's a good time to start speculating about the future of Apple with iOS 8. Besides, it's never too early to speculate.

This past year, Apple's team has been hard at work with redesigning iOS. As a result, big changes to the way iOS works didn't happen. Since iOS 8 will already have a visual framework to work off of, the focus this next year, I think, will be on what we do with and how we do these things with iOS 8. Of course there will be some visual changes.

Here are some ideas:

Underlying Changes

• App-to-App Communication: apps will be able to work together; the current closed, sandboxed system will be freed up with new APIs.
• Filesystem: Yes, Apple doesn't want a FS for iOS due to its "steep learning curve," but I'm not talking about a legacy approach. I'm thinking of a repository of documents that can be accessed system-wide. This is exactly how photos are accessed by different apps. With the document repository, I imagine basic FS features will exist, like folders (much like we see in iCloud). Imagine: no need to email or "Open in…" documents between apps, which creates multiple documents everywhere.

Major Features

• Offline and Improved Siri: we’ll be able to do basic things like opening apps without an Internet connection. Maybe offline diction, too. Siri will be become much smarter and faster with an overhaul in how voice input is analyzed; it'll be like Google Now where the voice input doesn't have to be sent all together after it's said. By smarter, I mean that Siri will be able to do more things (no, not simply adding the Worldwide Ping Pong Championship scores to Siri ). (Any ideas as to what these things could be, please share.)
• 3rd Party Siri APIs: we can use Siri to do specific things in other apps, like adding todos in the Things app (instead of relying on the Reminders app) or asking Siri to download articles from Zite to Instapaper.
• Offline Maps: we'll be able to cache specific cities or regions (maybe even whole countries). Off course, this will require a lot of storage space.
• Better Personal Data Interaction: I imagine that iOS 8 will use a lot of data from its users to personalize information to them, kind of like how iOS 7 tells users about traffic conditions to their place of work and the new smart multitasking updates apps in the background based on app usage. It’ll get quite personal! I'm thinking of Google Now and the new Moto X phone with all it's sensors.

Visual Changes
I won't get into this since I like iOS 7's refreshed UI and don't absolutely loathe the new icons. Of course, visual tweaks may occur in the following betas and/or 7.x releases.

So if you guys have anything to add or speculate about, or even to refute some of my ideas, go right ahead!

I've been ignoring this thread because I figured it'd be filled with nonsensical babble.

But these ideas are all good and likely IMO (other than offline maps).

 

[Switchback666]

For the love of god a proper auto-brightness

 

[Zaid]

The one thing I'd like to see, which hopefully isn't a pipe dream, is the ability to tag photos in the camera roll and then search for photos using tags.

In terms of tagging, I'm thinking hit a tag button and start typing with auto-complete suggestions based on previous tags or contacts. Also they could make the GPS tags serachable.(They're already using the meta data from GPS tags to do segmentation of the camera roll into events so i don't think it's impossible)

You could then use tags to create auto-updating live folders or streams and it would make finding photos in large camera rolls really easy as well. So I could create a folder which automatically includes a photo which is tagged with a member of my family or my bf or combine tags to create a folder of pics of me and the bf that are taken in London.

If they wanted to be really out there, any photos on the cloud could tag suggestions by looking for faces and comparing to previously tagged photos (much like they do in iPhoto)

 

[Gogurt48]

The one thing I'd like to see, which hopefully isn't a pipe dream, is the ability to tag photos in the camera roll and then search for photos using tags.

In terms of tagging, I'm thinking hit a tag button and start typing with auto-complete suggestions based on previous tags or contacts. Also they could make the GPS tags serachable.(They're already using the meta data from GPS tags to do segmentation of the camera roll into events so i don't think it's impossible)

You could then use tags to create auto-updating live folders or streams and it would make finding photos in large camera rolls really easy as well. So I could create a folder which automatically includes a photo which is tagged with a member of my family or my bf or combine tags to create a folder of pics of me and the bf that are taken in London.

If they wanted to be really out there, any photos on the cloud could tag suggestions by looking for faces and comparing to previously tagged photos (much like they do in iPhoto)

Excellent ideas. I hope they do something like that.

 

[jutte64]

What is everyone's obsession with Widgets? Am I the only one that thinks they are a bad idea? They usually look tacky, they get in the way, they use memory to stay up to date, they use extra data, and they effect the ever precious battery life of your phone.

So where is the up side to them? Is it really harder to just tap the icon and open the app then try to look at a little widget, which you are going to eventually tap and open the app anyway?

I guess I just don't get it with the Widgets. Isn't the notification center pretty much the same thing only better? It tells you when you should open an app because there is something there you need/should look at.

On to the topic of this post, quick reply is really the only thing left I would like to see. It will be the only reason I jailbreak, if/when it is available.

 

[Dulcimer]

What is everyone's obsession with Widgets? Am I the only one that thinks they are a bad idea? They usually look tacky, they get in the way, they use memory to stay up to date, they use extra data, and they effect the ever precious battery life of your phone.

So where is the up side to them? Is it really harder to just tap the icon and open the app then try to look at a little widget, which you are going to eventually tap and open the app anyway?

I guess I just don't get it with the Widgets. Isn't the notification center pretty much the same thing only better? It tells you when you should open an app because there is something there you need/should look at.

On to the topic of this post, quick reply is really the only thing left I would like to see. It will be the only reason I jailbreak, if/when it is available.

I agree with you about the widgets. That's why I didn't include it in my speculation because I don't think Apple intends to add widgets in iOS 8. I don't care for them either.

As for quick reply, I think Apple will add it in a 7.x update because they have it in Mavericks, so...

 

[HenryJobs]

Ooh, iOS 8. How about this.

•Integrate QR codes into the camera app.

That's a great idea.

Also, something i forgot to mention earlier, LIVE UPDATING ICONS
Developers could do a lot of great things with that

 

[jutte64]

I agree with you about the widgets. That's why I didn't include it in my speculation because I don't think Apple intends to add widgets in iOS 8. I don't care for them either.

As for quick reply, I think Apple will add it in a 7.x update because they have it in Mavericks, so...

I'm really hoping the quick reply is announced when the GM comes out and the new iPhone is announced. However, I also have a feeling that if that is the case they will make it only available on the new iPhones.. Although all else fails I hope you are right and it comes out in one of the dot releases.

 

[Switchback666]

I'm really hoping the quick reply is announced when the GM comes out and the new iPhone is announced. However, I also have a feeling that if that is the case they will make it only available on the new iPhones.. Although all else fails I hope you are right and it comes out in one of the dot releases.

If they add quickreply and only to the new iphone lol Apple is not getting my money anymore atleasr for phones and tablets, if they do something like that it will be the most disgusting move #

 

[adildacoolset]

My hope: Improved developer authentication for the betas. The idiots who don't know what they're signing up for will see the bugs, then cry on forums about it.

 

[WhackyNinja]

I would like for iOS 8 to add a little bit more of color to the UI

 

[vigilant]

My hope: Improved developer authentication for the betas. The idiots who don't know what they're signing up for will see the bugs, then cry on forums about it.

Right, crack down on people selling udid slots.

----------

The user interface will probably evolve and adapt much faster after iOS 7.

Think of how different the original iMac was compared to the FireWire based ones.

I'd expect more improvements in the Apis released in iOS 7. Things like trusted cross app communication and more customizations to the springboard and Control Center.

iOS 7 is an upgrade to us. I'd imagine to Ives, iOS 7 is more of a first step then an iterative upgrade.

----------

I would like for iOS 8 to add a little bit more of color to the UI

I think that depends on who's developing the apps you are using more then it depends on Apple.

I'd recommend going through the different WWDC sessions on the new UI, and what you can do it customize appearance.

The way to look at the new UI isn't how Apple has done it for their apps. What Apple did with their apps is their implementation of things. There appears to be a lot of control.

I'd expect third parties will run with it the same way they did with current pre-iOS 7 apps.

 

[EricNau]

MODERATOR NOTE

Please keep this thread on topic.

If you don't like the subject of this thread, post elsewhere.

 

[benji888]

...[*]Filesystem: Yes, Apple doesn't want a FS for iOS due to its "steep learning curve," but I'm not talking about a legacy approach. I'm thinking of a repository of documents that can be accessed system-wide. This is exactly how photos are accessed by different apps. With the document repository, I imagine basic FS features will exist, like folders (much like we see in iCloud). Imagine: no need to email or "Open in…" documents between apps, which creates multiple documents everywhere.
[/LIST]...

This sounds great, needed!

I would really love a way to set priority over Wi-Fi connections.

With multiple networks in my house, it's a must!

Couldn't this be done easily with location services...set it to connect to wifi1 when you are on this end of house, then go to other end and set it to connect to wifi 2...but, in the middle, I guess it should go by signal strength? Is this what you mean? I don't see why this isn't already possible...iOS 7.1??

Quick reply (from Notifications)

AirDrop to Mac (send files to and from Macs as well as iOS devices)

iCloud Photos (view all your photos on all your devices with 50GB free space)

Up Next in Music (brings the play queue from iTunes 11 to iOS, syncs queue across devices, auto mix using iTunes Radio)

Remote merged into Music (control Mac or iPad's music from your iPhone, switch playback between devices (i.e. "Continue playing here" on Mac from iPad)

your iCloud Photos thing already works in iOS 7, as far as I know, not sure what you mean about the free space tho.

Quick reply should be by 7.1! (IMO) ...really, if not in 7, then Apple is too slow to add this!

AirDrop is already on Mac (since Lion), just need to enable it between iOS 7 & OS X, probably simply on the iOS 7 device...Macs already do this between each other...I was expecting this already, but, hopefully by GM...if not Apple is just being stupid/weird about it, and would have called it something else...so either GM or iOS 7.1?

I'd also like to see Up Next RIGHT NOW, lol...but, seriously, if not GM, iOS 7.1, it just should be there already ('been looking for this since I first put iOS 7 beta on)

Security enabled apps (require fingerprint/passcode unlock for certain apps with sensitive data like Mail, Messages, developers can add to their own apps, optional)

Remote merged into Music (control Mac or iPad's music from your iPhone, switch playback between devices (i.e. "Continue playing here" on Mac from iPad)

Guest Mode (configurable guest mode which provides options for vanilla versions of apps like Safari, restricts access to apps like messages)

These would be doable, IMO. Being realistic, yeah, Guest Mode probably not likely in iOS 7, but, should be there...at least for iPads. ...especially since, as they head on up to iOS 10/X...and OS XI/11, they will be more alike, if not merged. (If what I'm thinking in my head makes sense here...if not catch me on it).

I predict that apple will be licking its wounds for ios 8 and looking to bring back more ios 6 layouts but passing it off as ios 8 new retro ..... Blackberry got to os 10 before looking to sell the company.

If that's what you really think, then go get a blackberry or an iOS device that cannot be upgraded past iOS 6. ...After using iOS 7, anything older, looks just that: OLD.

 

[TheRainKing]

I predict that apple will be licking its wounds for ios 8 and looking to bring back more ios 6 layouts but passing it off as ios 8 new retro ..... Blackberry got to os 10 before looking to sell the company.

This is possible.

I expect iOS 7 will receive some kind of backlash and drive a few more people away from Apple products. If it happens on a large scale then Apple will definitely try to undo the damage in iOS 8. I wouldn't be surprised if iOS 8 has a different colour scheme and new icons.

 

[tigertazz]

It's been said before in this thread but I really want "up next" on the music player. Just because I select a new song doesn't mean I want it to start now. It can't take that much processor power to insert a song into the current playlist.

 

[Ed91]

As others have said:

1) A file library (a la photos library) would be awesome. Filesystems are problematic, but the problem was solved on the desktop with libraries a long time ago. iOS needs one badly, and anyone that's created multiple copies of a document by using "open in"; Or deleted an app that contained a file they needed; or drafted an email, only to wonder how to attach a PDF, and have to jump through hoops etc. will have realised this. It's pretty bad.

2) Small but simple: a separate folder in the photos.app for screenshots.

3) Expanded control centre with more / optional quick toggles. In my opinion the flashlight should move to the quick toggles up top (as it's a toggle, not an app) and be replaced with a settings icon, so you can quickly access the full system settings from CC. Whatever replaces it, it should be an actual app to fit the paradigm.

4) Clear out old programs from the switcher. I know what you're thinking, but hear me out. The task manager is not a launcher for programs you haven't opened in a month, and I see no reason for it to compile a list of every application I've ever opened but not explicitly removed from the list - a list that may be hundreds of apps long. It just encourages people to endlessly swipe through it in search of an app they could find in a few seconds via Spotlight or the home screen. Even just an option in Settings would be nice (Multitasking: Clear inactive apps after x days/weeks). Maybe that's just me.

I'm sure there are more, but that's all I can think of for now. iOS 7 is providing some awesome features, and really, I'd be happy if only the file library was removed from my list in iOS 8.

I'm almost wondering if we may get some extra features in a 7.x update though with features that weren't quite ready for primetime, or polished quite enough for release. Perhaps it's wishful thinking.

 

[hakr100]

Has IOS 8 been jailbroken yet?

 

[zbarvian]

I think there's going to be a palpable disapproval to iOS 7. I'm not talking about the icons or general ugliness, I'm talking about how disorienting it can be. I'm pretty quick and have been using iOS for ages now, but occasionally the screens confound me. Everything is white with some sketched outlines or text. I foresee many people being put off by the new look for aesthetic and also usability reasons.

That is why in iOS 8 I think a redesign is in store for us again. They have an entire year this time to right many of the design wrongs they're committing with iOS 7. Hopefully that's enough.

 

[Dulcimer]

I think there's going to be a palpable disapproval to iOS 7. I'm not talking about the icons or general ugliness, I'm talking about how disorienting it can be. I'm pretty quick and have been using iOS for ages now, but occasionally the screens confound me. Everything is white with some sketched outlines or text. I foresee many people being put off by the new look for aesthetic and also usability reasons.

That is why in iOS 8 I think a redesign is in store for us again. They have an entire year this time to right many of the design wrongs they're committing with iOS 7. Hopefully that's enough.

I agree with you about some redesign to fix the oft-dissapproved changes, but I doubt that there will be disapproval from the masses. They'll adjust to it and some will like it while others will… live with it. I think the feedback on iOS 7 has been generally well received. I guess we'll have to wait till the public gets it to see what happens.

 

[zbarvian]

I agree with you about some redesign to fix the oft-dissapproved changes, but I doubt that there will be disapproval from the masses. They'll adjust to it and some will like it while others will… live with it. I think the feedback on iOS 7 has been generally well received. I guess we'll have to wait till the public gets it to see what happens.

I'm betting on a vocal minority that gets broadcasted by the tech sites. Most people might be fine with it, but that's not how it will be framed.

 

[Dulcimer]

I'm betting on a vocal minority that gets broadcasted by the tech sites. Most people might be fine with it, but that's not how it will be framed.

Can't say I disagree with you there. It happens every time.

 

[SeenJeen]

This. File System is definitely need for god's sake. I still cannot understand why would people rather want hard way to operate than a easy way

Yup, agreed. Going into an App where you downloaded a file to "Open In" another App is nonsensical.

The filesystem, for sake of ease of use, should be like "All My Files" in Mountain Lion's Finder, where everything is organized by filetype.

This is a no brainer.

 

[iphonehype]

I know a guy, who knows a guy, thats knows a guy who says iOS 8 will be able to read your mind. That take for innovation

 

[ritmomundo]

I'd like to see more features in Maps/GPS (alternate routes due to traffic, Siri being able to answer questions like "what is the speed limit here?," etc).

Also, multiple user profiles. For instance, my nephew frequently borrows my iphone to play games. A separate user profile would give him access to the games, but not to the apps or notifications for my emails/texts/social media/etc.