iOS Application Development: 5 Latest Trends that are Ruling 2017

The Apple’s app store witnessed record-breaking revenues and downloads in the first quarter of this year. This clearly points towards the spurt of growth experienced by the App Store in recent times. With 2017 promising the entry of new technologies and devices, Apple is adopting new trends to roll out better, more interactive, and dynamic applications and continue on its positive growth trajectory.

Here’s a list of five iOS App Development Trends that we believe will rule 2017:

1) AR-enabled Applications

Yes, Augmented Reality has finally entered the mainstream. With Apple announcing the launch of its new iOS 11 that comes with an exclusive ARKit to build AR-powered applications, iOS app development teams are increasingly exploring this avenue to replicate the success of apps like PokemonGO.

2) Swift Coding

Swift is one of the most popular coding languages among app developers. Ever since Apple open sourced it, the language experienced a rise in the number of developers using it. This year, Swift 3.0 was released providing developers with a better platform to build robust applications for iOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

3) IoT-based Applications

In 2016, there was a 34% increase in the number of IoT application developers. The rise of IoT has prompted an increasing number of iOS developers to maximize its utilization. The focus this year will be on the secure exchange of information between the devices through Wi-Fi networks.

4) Security Concerns

The emphasis Apple exerts on security is one of the reasons why iOS is so popular. Rigorous efforts and greater innovation will be seen this year by developers to enhance security further. From mandating ATS to focusing on setting strict data encryption technology, Apple is certainly taking the right step towards greater security.

5) iBeacon Applications

Beacon technology, once restricted to retail stores, will now witness adoption by other industries including restaurants, healthcare and so on. Experts will focus on developing unique applications that can interact with other appliances such as lights, washing machines, etc. Location-based marketing will also gain traction.

The iOS Application Development industry is headed towards the right direction, proving to be a profitable avenue for developers as well as businesses. If you’re building an application, make sure it’s in line with the latest trends. Don’t know how? Leave it to the leading iOS app development company in Malaysia.

10 exciting features the new iOS 11 adds to iPhone and iPad apps

The wait is over! Apple unveiled its latest OS version – iOS 11 – on June 5, 2017, and was met with a staggering response from its user community. The promising new OS comes loaded with a host of impressive features that are bound to enhance user experience. Also, Apple has redefined development strategies in tune with the latest enhancements of the version to allow developers to build novel applications. Let’s take a look at what Apple has in store for iPhone/iPad users:

The ARKit

Forming the center of attention is Apple’s ambitious release of ARKit along with this version. Designed to allow developers to imbue Augmented Reality elements in applications, it’s all set to take interaction to a whole new level.

Screen Recording

Unlike the earlier versions that required the use of third-party apps, iOS 11 comes preloaded with a screen recorder. Yes, now you can switch on the option in the control center and record your on-screen activity.

One-handed Keyboard Mode

With screen sizes getting bigger, typing now requires two hands – but not with iOS 11’s new features. There’s a one-hand mode that pushes the entire keyboard to one side on the iPhone and also a QuickType feature on iPad that allows quick access to emojis, symbols, etc.

QR Code Scanning

Now you don’t need a separate app to scan QR codes. The updated camera will read all the codes to provide quick sign-in options.

Siri Revamped

Siri just got better, advanced and more efficient. It can now translate English into foreign languages and can interpret a far greater range of words.

FLAC Media Playback is Now Renewed

Audio files compressed using FLAC media playback will no longer display any degradation in music quality.

Multitasking Made Easy

An incredible option added to iPad allows users to access and use two different apps at the same time in a split-screen, thus enabling multitasking

Revamped Dock

iOS 11 brings an all-new dock for the iPad allowing users to switch between an array of apps in an instant. The dock adapts itself according to the device usage.

Express with Apple Pencil

iPad Pro carries an Apple Pencil feature that enables users to create notes using a graphical representation. The tool is quite versatile and executes tasks in a simple manner.

App Offloading:

Getting rid of buggy, glitchy, and error-prone apps can be quite a hassle. iOS 11’s new offload option has now fixed it. 

With an extensive collection of features, iOS 11 is all set to open up new portals for developers to build feature-rich and future-ready applications. Partner with reputed mobile app development company in the Malaysia to get the best solutions!

The App Transport Security Deadline Gets Pushed Back by Apple

During the Worldwide Developers’ Conference in June last year, Apple had announced that all apps on the App Store would have to comply with the App Transport Security (ATS) safety protocol by Jan 2017. It was implied that apps that didn’t comply would no longer be featured on the store. Recently, Apple reversed its decision and extended the deadline for ATS compliance indefinitely – giving developers worldwide room to breathe. 

However, ATS hasn’t gone away completely. Apple will attempt to bring back the feature shortly, as safety and data privacy become increasing causes for concern – most apps are nowhere near as secure as they should be.  
 
What is ATS? 
 
The App Transport Security is a feature that was implemented by Apple with the release of iOS 9. It gets apps to communicate with servers through the HTTPS (HTTP over SSL/TLS) protocol, which is one of the most secure protocols in existence and tough for hackers to crack. Before ATS, developers used third-party frameworks for HTTPS. 

The problem was (or is) that third-party frameworks don’t always use industry-standard encryptions and cyphers to protect communications. With ATS, Apple was hoping to make the security on most applications airtight. 

Iphone app development

Why did Apple backtrack on its decision?
 
Of the top 200 apps on the iOS store, only about 5% of them are fully ATS compliant. Many have bypassed one or more standards, making them weak or ineffective when it comes to communications security. Apple couldn’t possibly throw out most of its top grossing apps, which is why they pushed back the implementation deadline indefinitely. 

Why are developers so reluctant to encrypt their communications traffic? While HTTPs encryption isn’t hard to implement, the problem is that many applications are integrated with third-party advertisers, hosts, and analytics tools that don't support the future. 

Developers have no way of making these necessary core extensions of the app HTTPS compliant. Until everyone doesn't adopt the standard, it won't work. It's a job that could take a handful of years. 
 
What will happen in the future?

 We don’t expect ATS to go away, as cases of data privacy breaches and theft continue to rise. If you own a smartphone application that doesn’t comply with the feature, Openwave’s iphone app development team can be hired to upgrade your app at an affordable price.