At the recently concluded Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2015, Apples showcased Watch OS 2.0 and OS X El Capitan, along with announcing Apple Music and making Swift programming language open source and cross-platform. Also, the company announced the next version of iOS with several features to refine both user experience and performance. Thus; iOS 9 will now have a huge impact on the users as well as app developers. The users will be excited about availing several new features and functionality, while developers will explore ways to create apps that take advantage of these new features.

New iOS 9 Features that will Impact Both Mobile Platform and App Developers

Proactive Assistance
Along with competing with Google Now, the proactive assistance feature of iOS 9 will enable users to get the most relevant information. For instance, if a user listens to specific music during workout sessions, the feature will automatically put the specific music each day at the specific time. At the same time, it will automatically add reminders and invites to the user’s calendar without requiring him to take any action. However, proactive assistance, unlike Google Now, is not linked to user’s Apple ID or any other account. So the users can avail proactive assistance without compromising their privacy.

Promising Battery Optimization
While developing and testing iOS apps, the developers have to consistently monitor its impact on the battery life of the device. As highlighted by several reports, users often uninstall those mobile apps that quickly deplete the battery. So the battery life improved by iOS 9 will have an impact on the mobile app development. In addition to improving the device’s battery life, iOS 9 further enables users to squeeze out three house of the battery life by using the device in ‘low power mode’. Also, it will prompt the user to recharge the battery by showing a pop-up, each time the battery life reaches 10 to 20 percent.

Improved Search API
Apple also introduced a new and improved search API for iOS 9. Along with improving the device’s search feature, the API will further boost the native search experience of users. It will enable users to index and link out the apps installed on their iPhones or iPads. So they can initiate native search to easily find the content. At the same time, the users can also the option to search from online content and apps, along with the data stored within the apps. The developers must take advantage of the new search API to show most relevant content and information to the users, regardless of the apps installed on their devices.

Proactive Siri
The iOS 9 users can now use an improved and proactive Siri. The proactive Siri enables users to initiate search in a natural language. For instance, Siri can answer questions like ‘the music I heard in February’ or ‘the photos I clicked in April’. Also, it can anticipate a user’s needs based on his regular behaviors. When a user asks Siri to remind him about a topic, it will automatically create a to-do list according to the websites he is currently accessing or the text messages he is currently reading. As the word error is reduced by 40%, Siri can now distinguish the phrases more effectively. It is important for iOS 9 developers to take advantage of the proactive Siri to create apps that deliver richer user experience by responding to users’ voice commands.

New Developer API
The iOS app developers can now avail a new API provided by Apple. The new API will make it easier for developers to directly create links to information or content stored in third-party apps, build better games using Model I/O and GameplayKit, and record game plays using ReplayKit. Likewise, they programmers can now use new HomeKit profiles to effectuate motion sensors, homes security systems, and motorized windows and shades. They can further create robust apps for automobile manufacturers by using wireless CarPlay. On the whole, nee API provided by Apple will help developers to create iOS apps that can be integrated seamlessly into Internet of Things.

App Transport Security
IOS 9 further helps developers to make apps more secure by making them communicate with specific domains. Apple further recommends developers to adopt app transport security while developing new apps and updating existing apps. In addition to being easy to adopt, the app transport security feature is also provides default secure behavior and prevent accidental disclosure. The feature requires programmers to simply mention the domains, with which the app will communicate securely, in the Info.plist file.

Thinner App Updates
The new architecture of iOS 9 will enable developers to deliver updates as much smaller downloads. Thus, the users can now download updates that are much smaller than the previous versions of the app. The developers now have option to create app packages that include only the code and libraries essential to make the app function and perform smoothly. They can also make the economically coded apps thinner by removing the unnecessary legacy stuff. The thinning of app updates will make it easier for developers to update their existing apps despite having limited storage space.

Apple Pay
While developing applications for iOS 9, the developers can take advantage of Apple Pay to enable the users to make payment for products or services within the app in a quick and secure way. Apple has also made several changes to the online payment solution to make it easier for users to pay for a variety of products and services without any hassle. Now the users have option to store their debit, credit and loyalty card information in Apple Pay. So they can now pay for the products or services simply with a tap and a thumb press. The feature will make it easier for developers to create robust mobile commerce applications for iOS 9.

In addition to knowing the new features of iOS 9, the developers also need to focus on an option called “Move to iOS”. The option makes it easier for users to switch from Android to Apple by transferring all their data wirelessly to the iPhone or iPad. So the users can now transfer their photos, bookmarks and message history from their Android devices to Apple devices smoothly and quickly. The developers must take advantage of this feature to encourage the users to stick to their apps despite switching from one popular mobile platform to another.