Making Developers Aware of iOS 8 Features

The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system is now available in the market and showcases numerous improvements from notifications to the Touch ID sensor. It has many additions as well as improvements to its credit, like the introduction of the new programming language called Swift, integration of information related to health as well as smart home gadgets.

Developers already had their access to iOS 8 since June so that they get the option to make them able to explore the features, understand the changes and subsequently test the apps. The iOS 8 provides the developers with the scope of working on an adaptive user interface with APIs characterized by context sensitivity, extended functionality, a totally new programming language and many more.

The iOS 8 has over 4000 new APIs that have resulted in making the apps bolder and more responsive. These features are listed below:

Adaptive User Interface: The introduction of Auto Layout has compelled developers to think differently about user interfaces. Previously the developers had to keep in mind the different ways the users may come across the apps specifically the landscape and the portrait meaning the horizontal as well as the vertical views. Adoption of Auto Layout has been successful in getting rid of this particular issue. It is a tool that helps in simplifying the process involved in fitting the apps to screens in the developer suite of Apple named Xcode.

Home Kit Framework: This feature connects all devices in a certain location and is used for discovering devices at home, configuring along with providing them with necessary commands with respect to the user’s requirements. The latest version also provides for grouping of the actions on the basis of selected zones which can further be triggered with the help of Siri. The basic zones that have the provision of configuration through the framework are Rooms, Homes, Accessories, Services and Zones (upstairs or downstairs).

PhotoUI.framework: With the help of the Photo kit framework, the developer or rather the user gets the option of editing photos directly in the camera roll app without importing those as it was in the earlier versions. The photo kit feature incorporates a thread safe element to fetch, catch thumbnails and assets of full size. The framework requests changes to the assets, receives notification on the changes that are made by other apps along with the conversion of the digital assets in a lucid and easy to use format.

Health Kit framework: It is a relatively new feature that provides a framework to the user for the complete management of the information related to the health of the individual. This feature has made the sharing of health related information easier for the different apps irrespective of the source of the same as to if it is coming from devices connected to an iOS device or being manually entered by the user. The information of the user’s health is then stored in a secure and centralized location letting the user see all of the same displayed through the Health app.

Cloud Kit Framework: This feature is related to managing the content that has the provision of being changed in specific instances when the app has to run on several devices. It thereby allows the developer or the user to design the apps in such a way so as to gain control over handling the data. The iCloud storage are of four types namely, key value storage, iCloud document storage, Core Data storage and Cloud Kit storage.

App Extension: A great feature of the iOS 8, App Extension enables the user to make changes and modify the architecture of the system in a systematic way like handling the customization of the notification bar, addition of filters to the photo library amongst many others.

Handoff Mechanism: This unique mechanism helps the user to start an activity on a particular device and then resume the same without any further complication on another device. It is a great feature of the iOS 8 that offers the user the comfort of continuing a process or an activity on different devices without undergoing the pain of shuffling them again and again.

Local Authentication Framework: This framework named as the TouchID adds an extra cover of security to the apps that can use the feature for the purpose of authenticating a user prior to accessing of the complete or some of the content that may be stored in the app. It asks for a pass code the moment a user tries to get access to a particular app.

Notifications in the 8th version of the iOS are easily accessible, Siri is a lot more user friendly and responsive. It also enables the use of the TouchID by third party apps, navigation of mails have been made easier by a single swipe. With the latest version, the keyboard has become smarter, photos and camera have become more advanced, the Health kit feature results in unification of medical information while Home kit provides for a smarter and master control of the home. The totally revamped version has allowed for the group functioning of the messages, the continuity feature acts a bridge to link Macs and Mobiles along with advanced family sharing options that lets the members of a family spread media files to up to 6 people. To get maximum benefits of iPhone development, you may consider hiring services of a certified iPhone development company.

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Is Your iPhone App Eye-Catching and Viral Material?

Hint: What does it take to build a successful iPhone app?
Many companies launch at regular intervals to target the huge base of iPhone users. Some developers also constantly upgrade their existing apps to stand out in the crowded app market. But a report posted on Entrepreneur.com highlighted that most apps lose 76 percent of their consumers after the first three months of use. So despite investing a huge amount of time, money and planning, companies often fail to develop a base of loyal users. The inability to attract loyal users also result in a decline in the revenues streams from various sources.

To quote from an interview given by Mr.Todd DiPaola, president of inMarket, a network with over 20 million users, "Building an app is like building a house. You need to put time into thinking about what the rooms are going to look like before you start building." So the key to build viral iPhone app is attention to details. However, the app also needs to be promoted on several popular platforms to catch the attention of iPhone users, and seduce them to try the free or trial version.

Apple requires developers to meet certain technical criteria while making apps that will run its iOS mobile operating system. You also have options to develop apps compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. But you must concentrate on some key points to target the right users, and build a base of loyal users in a short span of time. It is also important for an app developer to observe the key features of some of the viral iPhone apps, and develop his app by using some of these ideas.

What Makes an iPhone App Go Viral?

Stellar Icon: Most users love to check iPhone apps with appealing and graphical icons. So your choice of icon will have a direct impact on the initial popularity of the app. Based on the nature of your app, you can pick a stellar icon by gathering information and tips from several sources. The social media has further made it easier for you to decide the graphical icon based on outcome of an online survey.

Appealing Copy: Many users decide about downloading a specific app only after reading its description. So the way an iPhone app is described will also have an effect on its popularity. Similar to other ad copies, you must make innovative copies for the app to impress and excite the prospective users. While explaining the features and specifications of the app, you must present the data in a bulleted format. Also, you must include the user reviews to add credibility to your claims. The description must be followed through a direct call to action encourage users to download the apps right away.

Landing Page Optimization: Nowadays, most users initiate web search to gather information about specialized iPhone apps. So you must optimize your landing page to get more users through major online search engines. The landing page must contain the relevant keywords and key phrases to appear at the top of search engine result pages. Also, you can consider specific SEO methods the increase the search engine ranking of the landing page, and make the app viral.

Submission of App for Review: The reviews often add credibility to a newly launched app. Many users even decide about using a specific iPhone app, only after reading the reviews posted on various websites. So you must submit the app to several popular website, where it can be reviewed by the editorial staff. If you have launched a paid app, the editorial staff will need promo codes to access and review apps. You can even distribute promo code among the readers as an initial promotional offer.

Promotional Campaign: Your iPhone app must be promoted on popular online platforms to attract the large number of Apple device users. You can develop and distribute content to highlight various aspects of the application. Along with approaching professional tech bloggers to write articles or blogs on the app, you can also consider promoting the content through guest posting. Similarly, you can make and post a slideshare presentation to highlight the features and benefits of the app in a concise and stylish manner. At the same time, the app also needs to be promoted on popular social networking platforms. You can use your Facebook page to start promoting the app even before its market launch.

High User Rating: Many users even decide about downloading the app after checking its user ratings. A higher user rating also indicates the simple and easy-to-use features of the iPhone app. So you must encourage users to rate the app to enhance its credibility and popularity. At the same time, you also need to concentrate on increasing the app ranking in the app store. Normally, the app ranking is determined based on the number of downloads. You must try to include the app in top 100 to beat your competitors.

The popularity of an iPhone app depends on a number of factors. But you must prepare a comprehensive strategy to develop an innovative way, and promote it through a robust digital marketing campaign. Based on the initial response and feedback of users, you have to update the app regular intervals to attract new users, and retain existing users. Indeed this makes the search for an expert iPhone app development company very challenging.

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