What you need to know
- 9to5Mac has leaked some details for iOS 14.
- Safari on iOS 14 will include built-in language translation.
- It will also include full support for the Apple Pencil on websites.
A new report from 9to5Mac claims that Apple is going to be bringing some cool new features to Safari on iPhone (and most likely iPad as well). 9to5Mac says that they have gotten access to an early build of iOS 14 and that, after taking a look at the code, discovered that Apple will be adding built-in language translation and full Apple Pencil support to Safari.
The report says that users will be able to either translate a page manually or set Safari to automatically translate all pages into the language of their choice. Apple may also bring the translation functionality outside of Safari for use in other apps as well.
"The translation feature is likely to be available as an individual option for each website, but users will be able to use automatic translations as well. Safari will detect the language to translate the content correctly. There's also the possibility to switch between the original and translated text without reloading the page ... The translation option is also being tested with other apps, such as the App Store. In this case, iOS would translate app descriptions and reviews from users if these were written in another language."
According to 9to5Mac, all of this translation would occur using the Neural Engine and happen locally on device. Apple may even use the Neural Engine for Siri translations as well in the future, enabling more functionality when you may not have signal.
"All the translations would be processed locally with the Neural Engine, so this feature is expected to work even without an internet connection, and it wouldn't send data to Apple. Even Siri translations are supposed to use the Neural Engine in the future, which is a big step forward since it would be possible to ask Siri to translate something if you're offline."
The report also claims that Apple may bring Apple Pencil support to Safari on iOS 14, allowing users to markup web pages while they are scrolling through them.
"iPadOS 14 might include full support for Apple Pencil input on websites, making it compatible not only to scroll and touch but also to draw and markup with all its capabilities in Safari and other browsers."
Apple is expected to announce iOS 14 in its keynote speech at WWDC later this month.
