My expectations can be summed up in a couple of points,
1. iPhone 6s and SE dropped off, they do have the potential and the processing power to survive another year of updates, but the battery capabilities and the screen size limitations (with the SE) shall prevent these devices from receiving intensive newer features, and they’ve both received 6 years of updates anyhow.
2. Farewell, iPad Air 2. This big guy has been supported for about 7 years now, it’s time that Apple calls it quits. The less lucky 2017 iPad 5 and iPad mini 4 shall also receive no further updates.
3. The massive return of skeuomorphism, we shall expect refreshed icons that add a sense of depth. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite feature, but I trust Apple’s transitions.
4. Updated Widgets with support for interactions. I also expect many more stock widgets to join the current iOS 14 collection.
iPadOS will support the ability of having widgets any where on the home screen.
5. Accessibility features (Already announced)
6. Improvements to the Find my app, AirTag has made this app quite more useful, with more users rushing to use it, I expect a refreshed UI and easier controls.
7. Weather app redesign, with Apple taking over Dark Sky, the popular weather app, I think it’s pretty clear that Apple plans to have a more independent weather app that boasts a new design, more info, and is not based on Yahoo or The Weather Channel.
8. It’s unlikely that iPhone will receive anything related to multitasking and it’s derivatives, the whole running 2 apps at once thing is possible, yet I think Apple would like to keep it “iPad exclusive”. However, I always like to think this feature is coming to iPhone, hopes high, fingers crossed.
9. A whole new control center, it’s no secret that Apple has been keen on improving this specific area with every update. However, it hasn’t received any major design change since iOS 11. With the growing list of user chosen functions and toggles, I expect an overhaul.
10. Notifications, hopefully. I believe Apple will clearly mention improvements to notifications, the extent of such changes is however unknown. I would like a change to how they look in general, I’d like to see prettier notifications on my lock screen, there should be a bar in the control and notification center where app logos are presented to give the user a peek at what the notifications panel contains (similar to android but should be done more aesthetically)
11. I don’t expect a lot of changes to Health, Reminders, stocks or books.
12. Calendar app overhaul, it should receive a strongly needed redesign.
13. Some screenshots have leaked through the Accessibility features announcements showing a slightly different design in Settings, I think that this would extend to mail as well.
14. I strongly hope that the widget pane is gone forever, it’s not favorable that I have widgets on every single area in my home screen, notification panel and lock screen.
15. I’m guessing notes might receive a slight update to the sketch feature, I would preferably want Apple to introduce notebook-feel backgrounds and the ability to record voice memos inside notes.
