When Apple unveiled iOS 7 at WWDC 2013 on Monday, they spent most of their time talking about ten major features of the new OS, including a refreshed interface, better multitasking, and iTunes Radio. But, as with past years, they also spent a couple of minutes highlighting additional features that, while they enhance the user experience, don't merit a five or ten-minute explanation of of their own. The following is a breakdown of other features that we know of that users will see when iOS 7 is released:
- Phone, FaceTime, and Message blocking - Block messages, phone calls, and FaceTime calls from unwanted individuals.
- Handwriting recognition for multiple Chinese characters
- Improved Mail search
- Per App VPN - VPN settings can be changed on an app-to-app basis.
- Activation lock - Prevents someone from wiping and then reactivating your device without your Apple ID and password. Read more here.
- Inclinometer - Devices running iOS 7 will be able to determine your elevation.
- Long MMS support
- View PDF annotations - View annotations, probably inside of iBooks, and perhaps email attachments as well.
- Enterprise single sign-on - Enter a username and password once to access any enterprise app that requires that username and password.
- FaceTime audio - Audio-only calls over Wi-Fi.
- Notification Sync - Notifications from apps on the iPhone and the iPad will be able to sync across devices, allowing users to dismiss once and be done with them across on every device.
- Wi-Fi HotSpot 2.0 - If a user is able to access public Wi-Fi hotspots, like those provided by cellular carriers, for instance, they will be able to connect to them automatically.
- App Store Volume Purchase - Volume purchasing already exists on the App Store, but it isn't widespread. This could be an expansion of the program.
- Do Not Track in Safari - Prevent websites from tracking you after you leave them, depending on website participation.
- Night mode for Maps - Makes Maps easier to use at night.
- Managed app configuration
- Scan to acquire Passbook passes - Scan a code using your iPhone's camera to add passes to Passbook.
- Turn-by-turn walking directions
- Italian, Korean, and Dutch dictionaries
- Maps bookmark syncing - Users can now bookmark their directions and sync them across devices, most likely including the new Maps application in OS X Mavericks.
- Chinese-English bilingual dictionary
- Smart download of TV episodes - We don't know exactly what this is, but it could mean that your iOS device will download new episodes of TV shows that you have a season pass for when they become available in the store.
- Tencent Weibo - Support for the Chinese microblogging service.
There are undoubtedly many other features present in iOS 7 that won't be talked about until after iOS 7 ships in the fall.
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