Based on Apple’s previous release schedule, iOS 12 (reportedly code-named “Peace” internally) is expected to be announced in June 2018. There are a number of rumors circulating about what will be added to iOS 12 and it does not sound like there will be any major changes. The iOS 12 features are expected to be much more subtle than the drastic changes that Apple made in past releases every September.
Rather than shipping a long list of features by the time iOS 12 is actually released for download in September 2018, Apple’s engineers will likely spread it out over minor point releases just like how iOS 11 was handled. For example, Apple had announced the Apple Pay Cash at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2017, but it did not become actually become available until iOS 11.2 was released in early December 2017.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman -- who has been a credible source about rumors in the past -- it is believed that Apple will focus on features for the iPhone and iPad two years out at a time. Even though Apple will continue releasing a major version of iOS every year, engineers will be given the flexibility to push back features that are not as polished to the following year.
Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company hit a 1.3 billion active install base of devices. So anytime there is a bug, it could potentially affect hundreds of millions of people. That is why it has become much more important to do rigorous testing on every release going forward. Some of the bugs that occurred in iOS 11 alone included issues where the iPhone X would become unusable after a rapid temperature change, text messages being displayed out of order, the Calculator app not functioning properly and devices crashing after receiving a random string of characters.
So what features are expected to be rolled out with iOS 12? Here is a breakdown of what Apple may announce at WWDC in June 2018:
App Uniformity On iOS And macOS
Apple is reportedly working on bringing app uniformity on iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 (reportedly code-named “Liberty” internally). For example, Gurman's sources hinted that the Apple Home app for controlling smart home devices such as connected speakers, thermostats, locks and lights would become available on macOS this year and look similar to its iOS counterpart.
Currently, Apple allows developers to extend iOS apps out tvOS and watchOS so it makes sense that the same distribution would become available for macOS as well. And I am assuming that Apple will provide advanced Handoff support for developers so users can easily switch between their apps on mobile devices and desktops.
If this feature does end up rolling out in iOS 12, then Apple would not be the only major technology company that has app uniformity. Microsoft has been pushing app uniformity as part of the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). And Google allows users to install Android apps on Google Chromebooks.
AirPlay 2
AirPlay 2 was originally slated to be released with iOS 11.3 later this month or in April, but the feature was removed from the betas. So I am assuming that it will be added as part of iOS 12 this June. AirPlay 2 will enable users to stream music to multiple devices at the same time. This will be especially useful for people that own multiple Apple HomePod speakers.
The AirPlay 2 feature was being tested in the first couple betas of iOS 11.3, but it was removed in the third beta for some reason. There is still a slight chance that Apple could add AirPlay 2 to the final version of iOS 11.3, but it seems more likely that Apple will need more time to polish it up.
Digital Health Tool
Smartphone addiction has become a problem globally. And parents and guardians are especially concerned about how much time their children spend looking at screens. iOS 12 is expected to have a "Digital Health" tool that will enable parents and guardians to see how much time their kids have spent looking at their devices. Personally, I believe I could benefit from this type of service since I have been aiming to spend more time in the great outdoors rather than behind a screen.
Animoji Updates
Animoji is a feature that allows iPhone X owners to create and share custom animated characters in the Messages app using the Face ID facial recognition system. Apple is likely going to add new characters and make it easier to use this feature by creating a more intuitive menu for it.
It is rumored that Apple will be announcing a new line of iPad Pros at WWDC this year with the Face ID feature. This means that Animoji is expected to be added to become available for the iPad Pros around that time as well.
Apple released the first 12.9-inch iPad Pro in November 2015. And that was followed up with a 9.7-inch iPad Pro in March 2016. And in June 2017, Apple released the second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a 10.5-inch iPad Pro. So new iPad Pros being announced at WWDC this year would make sense timing-wise with Apple's previous release schedule.
Another interesting feature that Apple may be adding to iOS 12 is the ability to use the Animoji characters during real-time FaceTime sessions. So you will be able to talk to your friends and family with a digital emoji mask on. This would definitely cause a lot of laughs!
Siri Enhancements
As Apple officially joined the smart speaker market this year with the HomePod, it has become imperative for Siri to become as sophisticated as its competition. I personally believe that the Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant digital assistants have fared better at understanding different pronunciations, accents, cadences and obscure references than Siri does.
In iOS 12, Apple Siri is expected to become deeply integrated with the Search view. And Apple will likely update Siri with better artificial intelligence technology.
Over 150 New Emoji
Last month, Emojipedia announced the emoji list for 2018. The emoji list added 157 new emoji to the standard, bringing the total approved count to 2,823.
The Emoji 11.0 list includes emoji for “redheads, curly hair, superheroes, softball, infinity, kangaroo and more.” And Emoji 11.0 brings new components for hair color with options provided for red hair, curly hair, white hair and baldness for use in sequences for men and women of any skin tone.
Plus there are emoji for activities such as sewing, knitting, lacrosse and skateboarding. Other interesting emoji in the new set include tooth, lab coat, raccoon, llama, hippopotamus, badger, swan, peacock, parrot, lobster, mosquito, mango, bagel, cupcake, teddy bear, magnet, petri dish, DNA, broom, soap and pirate flag. Apple will likely implement this emoji in a minor point update of iOS 12 in October 2018.
Other Minor Updates
There are also reports that Apple will redesign the Stocks app and enhance the Do Not Disturb feature with additional customizations in iOS 12. Plus Apple is going to improve the process for importing photos into an iPad. And Apple may add multiple player support for ARKit games.
Other minor improvements include an email toggle to mute notifications, multiple tab support for certain apps and the ability to split-screen tabs from the same app on the iPad.
Major FaceTime Update Expected In 2019
One of the most highly anticipated concepts that many iOS users are waiting for is the ability to set up group video chats like you can do with Skype, Google Hangouts and Facebook Messenger. It is believed that this is one of those features that will be added in 2019 rather than this year. Plus FaceTime is expected to gain screen sharing abilities next year as well.
As mentioned above, Apple typically announces the major versions of iOS in June of every year. Around that point, developers can start beta testing the new version of iOS. And that is typically followed up by a public rollout in September every year -- which is around the same time that new flagship iPhones are announced. So iOS 12 should become available for everyone in September 2018. As I learn more about additional rumored iOS 12 features, I will update this article.
