Apple took the world by surprise when it launched its first iOS phone – the iPhone in 2007 and this was the turning point of the tech industry. The very next year we saw a new and worthy competitor rise – the 'Android'. But nevertheless, Apple is Apple and iOS is iOS.

Apple has created a benchmark for how grand a smartphone can be. Even today when there is a plethora of smartphones, people are still crazy for the iOS-based iPhones, following is an example of the same:

The iOS keeps changing rather advancing with every passing year. Apple makes sure that they offer something new and exciting with every iOS version release. Recently Apple released iOS11.3 which included a lot of new features and enhancements.

No wonder that if you have to compete in the mobile app development industry, iOS is a must. You need to be hands-on with the latest versions of iOS if you want to successfully publish your app on Apple store, right? Are you wondering about what trends to look out for in iOS development in 2018?

The first and foremost important trend (doesn’t change with year) to remember while working on iOS apps is that Apple is extremely strict about its apps, updates, and changes. Apple simply rejects the app if any of its guidelines are not properly followed. So, let's start looking at the trends that you don't want to miss for 2018.

Swift4 – the new programming language:

If you are working on iOS apps, without reason you will be aware of Swift4. It is a programming language introduced by Apple recently. It offers compatibility with both iOS and Linux OS and can be compiled on both macOS, watchOS and tvOS. It is an advanced version of Swift 3 and is notably robust, scalable, secure and very simple to learn.

Doubting what's in it for developers? First of all, the application development process is much simplified. Secondly, it offers an improved memory management of the device; thus, consuming less phone memory. Thirdly, there is no need to modify any code to use the new compiler's version.

The parameters brought from Objective-C are in neat syntax which makes the API easy to maintain and read. The other features of Swift include:

• Native error handling employing try, catch, and throw
• Generics
• Multiple return values and tuples
• Structs to support protocols, methods and extensions.

Enhancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Siri:

Siri, the personal assistant launched by Apple, proved to be a major advancement in the field of Artificial Intelligence. It also brought a change in circumstantial learning because it understands and responds based on what people speak and search. It uses machine learning also for its functioning.

It helps a lot on a day to day basis be it predicting the weather, traffic, finding a restaurant or your favorite shopping place. It also comes with a GPS pin which helps to get access to the Citi Mobile app that can be used as a task manager. With the launch of latest iOS 11.3 version, Siri was updated for a clear voice, language translation, follow-up questions and so on.

Core Machine Learning:

Another important trend for iOS developers to look out for is the Core Machine Learning or Core ML. By incorporating Core ML, you can unify skilled machine learning models into your app.

Core ML is the base of domain-specific functionality and frameworks. It supports natural language for natural language processing, Vision for image analysis and GameplayKit for calculating learned decision tree. It is perfected for on-device performance, which reduces power wastage and memory trail. It runs on the device only hence the privacy of user data is maintained.

What a developer has to do? Simple, enhance the security and the features of the app; developing a highly interactive app. It is a ground-breaking asset for gaming apps.

ARKit and augmented reality:

The focus shifted to ARKit when Apple launched iOS11.3 and augmented reality was already crucial for iOS developers. We know that today reality-based and 3D apps have gained a lot of limelight. Hence the sole purpose of ARKit was to facilitate the creation of reality-based and 3D mobile apps. Like: You can start a 3D puzzle, play it for some time, leave it and then resume playing again.

With optimized sharing and storage, usdz – Universal Scene Description, the new format for files can be used to show and share 3D content immanently in iOS. It is set to get a lot of support from Sumerian app platform of Amazon and hence doors of endless opportunities will open for the developers. Now that Amazon has united with ARKit, many other businesses are showing interest in doing the same.

Easy to use Apple Pay:

While Google launched Google Wallet, Apple launched Apple Pay; these are digital mobile wallets which can be used for making easy payments. Apple is an iOS digital wallet for iOS users to make payments. It is compatible with all the iOS devices including Mac laptops, iWatch, iPhone, and iPad.

As per the following stats, in 2018, the number of users using Apple pay is approximately 95 million:

Almost 2 million businesses have started accepting invoices from Apple Pay. As a user, you can, not only book hotels, flights but also transfer money via messages. Isn't it unique and awesome?

And don't worry, relax! This is a very secure payment method and absolutely trouble-free. Since Apple has strict guidelines for security hence it is easy for iOS developers to incorporate Apple Pay in their apps. The proof is the fact that you are not needed to store your bank or debit or credit card details in the app.

HomeKit - Inventive creation of App:

Can you imagine iOS devices interacting with each other under the command of Siri? Yes, that's right and the credit goes to Apple's new innovative creation – the HomeKit. This is developed to ease your home automation I.e. IoT for your home.

The apps developed using this, will allow the users to communicate and control accessories connected in their homes. With this framework, you can provide ways to configure and design actions to control these accessories. The control can be triggered using Siri. The iOS, watchOS and tvOS devices can be easily connected to HomeKit.

The objects of this kit will be stored in the database of the iOS device and will be synchronized with other iOS devices via iCloud. HomeKit is a completely secure framework.

Rectified File Management:

The new app 'Files' was introduced with iOS11 which was developed only for file management. This app will let users store all information in a single file on cloud and can be accessed from any device. This is helpful not only for businesses but for all common users.

This will save the time spent in searching files stored at different locations. The only thing that a user will need to do is to create a dashboard to store all documents like images, videos, etc. The best thing is that files can be handily shared with other people and stay connected.

Take Away:

Since the launch of iPhone8, iPhoneX a lot has changed and iOS ecosystem is going through major changes since the launch of iOS11. Hence it is important for iOS developers to stay tuned with the latest trends. It is equivocally important to think and implement innovative ideas for making the best use of these trends.