With the announcement last week that Apple’s WWDC will begin in just under two months, preparations have officially begun.
Although we don’t have any certainty about the product launch yet, we can say that Apple will take the opportunity to provide the latest updates for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
Like every year, users and developers expect Apple to introduce new features and improvements, not to mention fix every bug. What will it be this year? Hopefully the company picks its battles right, and we have some ideas of what we’d like to see change…
original apps
We don’t mind a bit of an interest in native apps, which we rely on every day.
Although most of them can be replaced by third-party apps, that doesn’t mean they should be discarded. Millions of users still rely on the built-in tools like Mail, Calendar, Contacts, and even Messages, and frankly, they can use Renew.
Take mail, for example. While competitors have added features like automatic filtering, which allows for sorting, alerts, and better search power, new releases from Apple are so rare that sometimes it seems as if the company thinks they’ve mastered the app enough already.
The calendar is updated less frequently than mail. It lacks things like meeting scheduling and natural language analysis for event creation.
Even the Messages app, an app that Apple has certainly invested a lot in, lags behind. We would love to take advantage of the new features like extended tapback of all emojis, spam filtering, and much more.
We don’t expect to make all these repairs within a year, even with the vast resources that Apple has at its disposal. However, this is not impossible. Just take a look at Reminder and Notes, two humble apps that both got an overhaul in last year’s updates.
abbreviations
When Apple launched Shortcuts on the Mac last year, the brand described it as the beginning of a multi-year transition.
Although this move was not a smooth one, it was generally successful, and not only did it make automation more accessible to the average user, but it also brought a degree of parity with its counterpart.
What surprises us is the sheer number of features built into your Mac that simply cannot be accessed through shortcuts. As Federico Viticci recently pointed out, Safari Reader is not. And even all the new features, like Safari tab groups or Quick Notes for Notes, are missing.
It would be nice if the company could break down a real, more detailed roadmap for the future of shortcuts, so that users have an idea of what to expect.
iPadOS
iPadOS has improved steadily over the past couple of years, especially with improved multitasking. However, the power of the iPad has far outpaced the complexity of its software.
Newer devices use the same M1 chip found in many Macs, but they don’t offer features like full support for external displays.
Apple may be happy with the state of iPadOS, but there are plenty of possibilities for the tablet to do more, while incorporating more powerful features.
The iPad is full of potential, which is why we hope 2022 will be a good year for it.
Adapted from the original article published on the sister site Macworld US.
