iOS 9: Small Changes, Big Trends

Just as your financial advisor needs to be on top of market trends or your doctor needs to know the latest health research, an important part of an app developer’s job is to be familiar with how the app environment is changing at any given point.

Simply put, it’s our job to translate technological changes into opportunities for (often non-tech) companies. So of course, when Apple announced last week their upcoming updates – including what to expect in September’s release of iOS 9 – we followed the live WWDC stream so you didn’t have to.

The shift from iOS 9 will not be nearly as dramatic as that to iOS 8. Rather than a large overhaul, Apple is implementing smaller changes and improvements. In fact, many initial responses  have pointed out that several of the new iOS features are already available on Android. Nevertheless, the standardization of such features is just as important as completely new ideas when it comes to influencing how we interact with each other and our devices.

Wondering what to expect come September, and what that could mean for your own business’ mobile app strategy? Here’s our list of the top three upcoming changes to note.

1. CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT: PROACTIVE, NOT RESPONSIVE

Gone are the days when the phone solely offered answers to your questions.

Now it’s all about not only providing an answer – but one based on where you are, what time it is, and your previous actions. Oh, and since you’re so busy, maybe it’ll just give you the answer before you think to ask.

With Apple’s upcoming updates to its digital assistant Siri, it wants to join Google Now and Microsoft’s Cortana in putting the ‘smart’ in smartphone. This will be done through better integration with the device’s cores apps (such as the calendar and map) , along with its new ‘proactive’ element that will learn your daily habits and be able to provide recommendations throughout the day to anticipate your needs. Anything from notifying you that you need to leave for your appointment now because traffic is heavy, to automatically playing your favourite workout music when you plug in your headphones for your evening workout, to connecting that unknown caller to someone in your email contacts based on the phone number in their signature.

This shift will only further our expectation that apps should not only provide information, but ensure the information is personalized, predictive and anticipative. And of course; this trend goes hand-in-hand with the rise of beacon technology and proximity marketing. Context is everything: users don’t just want to find a restaurant through mobile,  they want to know the one that is the closest, currently open and perhaps even well-recommended by their friends.

What does this mean for you?
Mobile devices are getting smarter, and your app better be too. You need to determine how the content your business provides can be the most relevant, contextual and anticipatory for your customers.

2. BETTER APP INTEGRATION: ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY

An important part of iOS 9 for app developers is its focus on better integration between core iOS apps (such as Siri or its search app, Spotlight) and third-party apps on the device. Better deep linking means that if the answer to your Siri or Spotlight question is in one of your apps, that’s where you’ll be directed. This makes the app content that much more accessible and able to provide value (if your content merits it!)

What does this mean for you?
Content has always been king in a solid mobile strategy, but even more so going forward.

3. MULTITASKING IS DEAD… LONG LIVE MULTITASKING

Okay, yes, so productivity experts say we shouldn’t do it. But it’s easier said than done keep focused on one piece of content at a time. In fact, it’s almost surprising to realize that despite all the juggling tasks we do, we can only actually look at one app at a time on our smartphone.

Notifications aside, our phone actually forces us to be more focused than our desktop computer with its multitude of open windows and browsers – isn’t that sweet? But, it can also be counter to how we actually want to work – such as referencing information from the internet as we craft reports or emails, or updating our streaming music selection while reading the morning newspaper. So just as Android tablet manufacturers such as Samsung and LG already offer, iOS 9 for the iPad will now allow multi-window support so users can have two apps open at once. Some have hinted this new feature could also signal that a larger-screen iPad is on the way as the line between how we use our tablet and desktop gets even more blurred.

What does this mean for you? 

Going forward, think about how your iPad users may benefit from having your app open alongside another app – how does this change their experience, their capabilities and the value you can add?

With each change to mobile operating systems, the definition of mobile and what it means to your customers is always evolving. To stay competitive, your mobile strategy must not only consider what is currently possible, but what will be possible – and expected – in the years to come.