Apple’s WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) 2017 kicked off yesterday, with a keynote packed with major announcements. To get everyone in the right mindset, the conference opened with Apple’s new video depicting what a world without apps would be like. View it here! The tagline reads: “Keep making apps. The world is depending on you.” Cutting to the chase: Apple announced their new and improved watchOS 4, macOS High Sierra, iMac, MacBook, tvOS. The biggest reveals included the iPad Pro 2 and the HomePod, Apple’s highly anticipated Siri speaker. Check out their website for a more detailed overview of Apple’s exciting new products.
For us app developers, the most interesting information came in the form of iOS 11. This update comes with a complete overhaul to the App Store on iPhone and iPad. According to Apple: “The App Store has been redesigned from the ground up to help you discover new apps and games you can’t live without. You’ll see daily stories by experts, a dedicated Games tab, lists for all kinds of apps, and much more. It’s the biggest thing to come to the App Store since apps.”
Overall, the new app store tabs include “Today”, “Games”, “Apps”, “Updates,” and “Search.” When opening the App Store, users will land in the Today tab. This feed, resembling a blog, will feature must-read stories, expert recommendations, carefully crafted lists and helpful how-to’s. These recommendations and lists include an App of the Day, Game of the Day, and The Daily List, with the best apps currently available for users to download.
The Games tab, as you might have guessed, will also focus solely on games. It’s primary purpose is to help users discover new games with the help of their recommendations. The Apps tab, on the other hand, will do the same thing for regular apps. These designated tabs are designed to discover the next app or game you can’t live without.
When clicking on a specific app, the app listing remains similar the current App Store, but more emphasis will be placed, videos and app ratings and reviews. There will be triple the amount of videos on each app page, to show users exactly how an app works or what it’s like to play a game. According to Apple, “the app product page has been redesigned to focus on the details you need when deciding what to download.”
Besides iOS 11, the keynote briefly addressed Apple’s new ability for developers to chose a phased release. The Google Play Store has had this option for some time now, allowing users to release their app in phases instead of all at once. Now Apple app developers will be granted the same luxury. You will be able to roll out your app to a smaller audience to test it and make adjustments, before making it available to the whole app store.
To watch the keynote in full, head over here: https://www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2017/
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