Apple job listing tips new API, framework for next version of iOS

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
A job listing on Apple's own website indicates that the company will be rolling out brand new APIs and frameworks for the next version of its iOS mobile operating system.

The listing discovered by AppleInsider, which seeks an iOS Frameworks QA Engineer, entices potential applicants with the promise of developing "the very first iPhone/iPad app that uses a new API/framework in the next version of iOS." That engineer would join the iOS team, working with different engineering teams within iOS and Apple in order to ensure the quality of APIs and frameworks.

iOS
Major iOS releases are typically revealed at Apple's WWDC in June.


While the listing gives no indication of what specific new APIs could appear in the next version of iOS, it is an early confirmation that the next version of Apple's mobile OS will feature new and expanded APIs and frameworks. This, in itself, is no surprise, as Apple is continually adding features to its offerings; it is, though, a rare public acknowledgement from the notoriously secretive company.

The listing is one of a number on Apple's jobs page making reference to future versions of iOS. Another listing calls for an iOS Software Engineer working in App Compatibility, who would be charged with "analysis of issues found in existing and future releases of iOS software."

The listings give no indication as to when the next major version of iOS will debut. But if history is any indication, Apple will unveil what will presumably be known as "iOS 7" at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Last year's WWDC was held in early June, where the company offered its first public glimpse of iOS 6 with an all-new Maps application, as well as the new Passbook feature. The software for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch launched three months later, in September.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    Slow news day?

    A new version of an operating system (any operating system) with no new APIs would be truly baffling.
  • Reply 2 of 20
    A job listing on Apple's own website indicates that the company will be rolling out brand new APIs and frameworks for the next version of its iOS mobile operating system.

    Ya think?


    --

    What do you all think? Will they completely revamp their current concept? Will they create 'Live Tiles'/ alter the Springboard? Or will they keep on enhancing every little aspect there is to iOS, building on solid foundation, expending on proven tech?

    edit: Sol has given us a couple of ideas which have been 'warmly received'. One was this, I believe:

    1000

    Or perhaps this idea from the internet is something that would work:
    1000

    Or perhaps bring Mission Control to iOS, RiM seems to be doing it:
    1000

    Or perhaps taller App Switching/Multi Task icons:
    1000
  • Reply 3 of 20
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    richl wrote: »
    Slow news day?

    A new version of an operating system (any operating system) with no new APIs would be truly baffling.

    I was thinking the same thing. I am under the impression there are hundreds of new APIs for iOS each year but perhaps we should be focusing on the framework. How many new frameworks appear?
  • Reply 4 of 20

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    I was thinking the same thing. I am under the impression there are hundreds of new APIs for iOS each year but perhaps we should be focusing on the framework. How many new frameworks appear?


     


    I thought maybe they'd announce, "0 new features," and really mean it this time.


     


     


    I haven't really done a count, but there is probably at least one new framework per version. Any major new feature (end user or developer) often means a new framework.

  • Reply 5 of 20


    Originally Posted by PhilBoogie View Post



     


    I like this, but that's already taken up by Notification Center. They can either move Notification Center back to the very top of the lock screen (so then it would be consistent through the whole OS) or get rid of it entirely.









     


    I don't understand this. Is it "swipe down with one finger, starting on the app in question, which shows notifications for said app"? What's wrong with better organization in Notification Center?


     







     


    I've never understood these; what's the point? It seems like a waste of RAM/temporary storage, and is anything these previews could show really important or large enough to be meaningful to see like this?

  • Reply 6 of 20
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    New framework and APIs? How about a biometrics framework? As in face thumbprint recognition through the FaceTime camera and (rumored) thumb print scanner in the iPhone 5S home button?

    Typing passwords is the worst typing chore in iOS right now. Strong passwords should be long, should contain some cap letters, numbers, and punctuation, and shouldn't be auto-completed by UITextField. iOS could be made more secure and security itself could be made far more convenient through some kind of biometric recognition framework.

    Come to think of it, maybe Apple's long-term plan for iOS (and maybe also OS X) is to eliminate as much typing as possible. Siri queries, dictation, and biometrics might be just the first steps toward that goal. And speaking your password would be terribly insecure. (Unless there's also a voice match framework to detect individual users' voices...)
  • Reply 7 of 20
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    philboogie wrote: »
    edit: Sol has given us a couple of ideas which have been 'warmly received'. One was this, I believe:

    image: ttp://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/19526/width/500/height/1000

    I had imagined the Settings options would be revealed by swiping the clock to the right or left (as shown below in my abysmal mockup) but I think yours is much more elegant with the single pull down.


    1000
    Or perhaps this idea from the internet is something that would work:
    1000

    I like the way that looks but I can't figure out how one would activate it. Long hold on the icon? But that's taken. Quick double tap? Does that break the guidelines? Whatever they do I hope do something as I find Notifications to be less then optimal. I only seem to check it for weather once every week or so which means cleaning out all the old notifications.
    Or perhaps bring Mission Control to iOS, RiM seems to be doing it:
    image: http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/19528/width/500/height/1000

    Or perhaps taller App Switching/Multi Task icons:
    image: http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/19529/width/500/height/1000

    The BB10 has some good ideas. I don't think Apple is afraid of losing any marketshare to them or losing any money to Android-based devices but I do hope we get something that truly adds to the usefulness in iOS 7 without affecting any current usability.
  • Reply 8 of 20

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SockRolid View Post



    New framework and APIs? How about a biometrics framework? As in face thumbprint recognition through the FaceTime camera and (rumored) thumb print scanner in the iPhone 5S home button?



    Typing passwords is the worst typing chore in iOS right now. Strong passwords should be long, should contain some cap letters, numbers, and punctuation, and shouldn't be auto-completed by UITextField. iOS could be made more secure and security itself could be made far more convenient through some kind of biometric recognition framework.



    Come to think of it, maybe Apple's long-term plan for iOS (and maybe also OS X) is to eliminate as much typing as possible. Siri queries, dictation, and biometrics might be just the first steps toward that goal. And speaking your password would be terribly insecure. (Unless there's also a voice match framework to detect individual users' voices...)


    Great points! I agree, I'm constantly typing in PW's in my iPhone. Would love just to place my thumb on my iPhone.

  • Reply 9 of 20
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by RichL View Post



    Slow news day?



    A new version of an operating system (any operating system) with no new APIs would be truly baffling.




    I was thinking the same thing. I am under the impression there are hundreds of new APIs for iOS each year but perhaps we should be focusing on the framework. How many new frameworks appear?


    Frameworks are usually a collection of APIs and are useful to interface with new core features such as third party apps being able to communicate with Passbook or Maps, for example, where each framework might have dozens of individual APIs. That communication can be streamlined for the developer with the use of a framework.

  • Reply 10 of 20
    I think functionally iOS works fine for me. Minor tweaks are always welcome.

    To be honest the only thing that really bothers me is the inability to customize some
    Of The features and shortcuts.

    I do believe a cosmetic overhaul is needed.

    That may seem trivial to some, but honestly, after seeing the same format for 5 years span across 6 hardware iterations....a visual chnge would be greatly welcomed in my camp.
  • Reply 11 of 20
    joshajosha Posts: 901member


    They must move technology along, to keep the Apple copiers like Google behind!


     


    Sounds like it's time to update all our iDevices to IOS 6, before being left too far behind.

  • Reply 12 of 20
    I've never understood these; what's the point? It seems like a waste of RAM/temporary storage, and is anything these previews could show really important or large enough to be meaningful to see like this?

    Hit-or-miss AI member PhilBoogie's publication on iOS7 concepts forgot to include a much requested feature found online that is already in the current version of iOS; a password protected login screen:
    1000
  • Reply 13 of 20
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    sockrolid wrote: »
    New framework and APIs? How about a biometrics framework? As in face thumbprint recognition through the FaceTime camera and (rumored) thumb print scanner in the iPhone 5S home button?

    Typing passwords is the worst typing chore in iOS right now. Strong passwords should be long, should contain some cap letters, numbers, and punctuation, and shouldn't be auto-completed by UITextField. iOS could be made more secure and security itself could be made far more convenient through some kind of biometric recognition framework.

    Come to think of it, maybe Apple's long-term plan for iOS (and maybe also OS X) is to eliminate as much typing as possible. Siri queries, dictation, and biometrics might be just the first steps toward that goal. And speaking your password would be terribly insecure. (Unless there's also a voice match framework to detect individual users' voices...)

    The thing is nothing is more secure than data locked way in your brain. Retinal scanning, colonic mapping, fingerprinting, voice authentication, and facial recognition can be copied and used without you knowing. The only way to use your password is to have you give it to the intruder in some way or a brute force attack. Sure, you'd have to give your fingerprints to someone, too, and they could technically try various patterns until enough of the points match up to fool a scanner, but they don't need to do that because you are giving it over very time you touch something.

    Personally, I'll never rely on just a fingerprint if added and I question it will be faster than me typing in my 4 digit PIN.

    A way I can see fingerprint recognition work for Apple in the long run is for security identification, but for usability identification. Making no sense? Allow me to explain with a scenario. You come from your work. Your kid is watching TV. Some cartoon or whatever but it's now your time to watch the big screen of your 120" 4K IPS IGZO TV set. You pick up the remote control and sensors on the remote control relay the biometric data back to the television so now everything you do will be tailored to your settings, your preferences, your viewing history, etc. No more single DVR that saves all the viewers data in on giant unmanageable clump. Your content is queued up and ready to go. You can speak to your remote control with the built-in Siri microphone to tell it what to do next.
  • Reply 14 of 20
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I like this, but that's already taken up by Notification Center. They can either move Notification Center back to the very top of the lock screen (so then it would be consistent through the whole OS) or get rid of it entirely.

    Note that it's invisible when not in use that there is no Notification Center drop down on the lock screen. If you had any notifications that came up then the swipe down would simply move them down a bit. This concept works very well.

    700

    I've never understood these; what's the point? It seems like a waste of RAM/temporary storage, and is anything these previews could show really important or large enough to be meaningful to see like this?

    This JB solution looks nice but I'm not a fan. It's showing a lot of pointless info that doesn't make it more usable. Looking for the app via the icon instead of a condensed version of the page you were on is faster. If you are a web developer checking the same pages in multiple browsers the whole things becomes pointless and the screenshot gets in the way of the icon.
  • Reply 15 of 20
    timbittimbit Posts: 331member










     


    I love this idea! We need something that allows me to quickly turn on/off wifi and bluetooth. I don't leave my wifi on when outside of the house as random coffee shops have free wifi but you have to go to their webpage on safari before it works. This is a long process and I prefer to just use 3G to save time. 


    Having a quick way to access these controls is really nice.

  • Reply 16 of 20
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    timbit wrote: »
    I love this idea! We need something that allows me to quickly turn on/off wifi and bluetooth. I don't leave my wifi on when outside of the house as random coffee shops have free wifi but you have to go to their webpage on safari before it works. This is a long process and I prefer to just use 3G to save time. 
    Having a quick way to access these controls is really nice.

    I would add brightness controls to that list in some way. I will oft adjust my brightness from min to max but when you are coming from a dark enclosure to a bright one, like direct sunlight, it can be impossible to see the screen. Going the other way it can be so bright it's distracting to others. I propose a solution that is visually non-intutitive that is simply running your finger in a clockwise or counterclockwise position on the lock screen to adjust the brightness on or off, respectively.
  • Reply 17 of 20
    timbittimbit Posts: 331member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    I would add brightness controls to that list in some way. I will oft adjust my brightness from min to max but when you are coming from a dark enclosure to a bright one, like direct sunlight, it can be impossible to see the screen. Going the other way it can be so bright it's distracting to others. I propose a solution that is visually non-intutitive that is simply running your finger in a clockwise or counterclockwise position on the lock screen to adjust the brightness on or off, respectively.


    I was going to say that also, but I find the auto brightness works fairly well (though it can be slow sometimes). I also don't want too much clutter on the screen, but a solution like what you are suggesting wouldn't require another slider or switch, just a finger gesture. I like it!

  • Reply 18 of 20
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    timbit wrote: »
    I was going to say that also, but I find the auto brightness works fairly well (though it can be slow sometimes). I also don't want too much clutter on the screen, but a solution like what you are suggesting wouldn't require another slider or switch, just a finger gesture. I like it!

    My main complaint with the auto brightness was that it used to go torch-bright in the unlock screen, which is painful in the dark. It's very puzzling why they did that. It looks like they fixed it in iOS 6.1. I thought I'd try it again on a lark as I was writing this post.
  • Reply 19 of 20
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    I was thinking the same thing. I am under the impression there are hundreds of new APIs for iOS each year but perhaps we should be focusing on the framework. How many new frameworks appear?


     


    Here's what was new in iOS6. Even if users don't notice many new features, the list of new frameworks for developers is usually quite long.

  • Reply 20 of 20
    akacakac Posts: 512member
    At least for me, I have an easier time picking apps by the last screenshot than by its icon. I'd much rather have that.
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