New Features Will Find Their Way Into Android P and iOS 12

Apple and Google are working hard on the latest versions of their mobile operating systems. Although they’re both months away from release, rumors have already surfaced that point to some of the features the companies have planned. Apple, according to reports, will focus its efforts on improving performance and boosting Siri’s capabilities. Google, meanwhile, seems firmly committed to ensuring Android P will work across a broad set of device types, including the latest handsets with curved screens. This slide show will discuss the latest rumors surrounding iOS 12 and Android P. Read on to learn more:

According to a recent report from Axios, citing sources who claim to have knowledge of Apple’s plans, the company’s software chief Craig Federighi recently told engineers that this year’s iOS 12 update will focus on stability and performance. Apple is apparently concerned about recent bad press about battery performance updates and other problems and wants to ensure the software it has now works better in 2018.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Google anticipates many more smartphone makers developing hardware that will utilize the same notch design that’s in the iPhone X. The notch is a black strip that sits at the top-center of the iPhone X’s screen and houses the earpiece and front-facing camera. Google, hoping to attract more shoppers to Android, wants to develop features this year that take full advantage of the notch design on Android handsets. However, Apple was criticized for the way iOS 11 supported the notch design and because many iPhone X buyers felt it detracted from the software user experience. Most iOS apps were not optimized to wrap around the notch, reducing screen real-estate for app display.                

In the same Axios report, sources told the site that Apple is planning to invest heavily in augmented reality this year. The company apparently believes that the technology holds promise and wants to improve iOS 12’s compatibility with apps that combine real world and virtual elements in the same pane. It’s part of a broader effort by Apple to develop an augmented reality headset at some point in the future, according to reports.

According to Bloomberg, Google is also planning to enhance how deeply integrated its Google Assistant will be inside Android P. The report’s sources didn’t elaborate on all of the new features, but it appears likely that Google Assistant will be capable of performing more tasks and more intelligently respond to user queries.

According to several reports, Apple plans to enhance the performance and extend Siri reach across more devices and apps.  As with the Google Assistant integration, it’s unclear exactly what these enhancements will be, but the reports suggest company wants Siri to work with more of its apps and enable greater integration with third-party smart home devices. That’s been a sore spot for Apple for quite some time.

Recent news reports suggest that Android P that would help its software work more effectively the latest device designs. Specifically, Google is optimizing Android P for foldable screens and handsets with tandem displays according to reports. Samsung is said to be working on a device with a foldable screen known as the Galaxy X.

Some recent reports have said that Apple is planning an overhaul to its Do Not Disturb feature, which allows users to ignore notifications at certain times throughout the day. The update would give users more options when they want to reject calls or silence notifications.

Google has been criticized in recent years for focusing more on enhancing the operating system’s performance on smartphones than on tablets. However, several reports have said that Google this year will deliver some important updates to Android-based tablets. This includes improving multitasking on Android tablets and ensuring users can interact with more information on larger tablet screens. The tablet additions might also include some additional Google Assistant features that are unique to tablet users.

Apple has all but confirmed in several interviews of late that it wants to enhance its presence in the health market. One of the ways it plans to achieve that is by delivering improved health tracking and wellness monitoring features in iOS 12. Of course, the secretive Apple hasn’t said exactly what those features might be, but look for them to play a more prominent role in iOS

Google is hoping to improve power conservation on Android P. Although CPU and GPU efficiency has a major impact on battery life, the operating system also has a role in draining or conserving power. Google wants Android P to be more efficient to increase battery life across all handsets models that run the operating system.