Apple calls on developers to update apps for iPhone X

Hours after Apple initiated preorders for iPhone X, the company on Friday called on developers to submit updated apps built to take advantage of the new flagship's advanced capabilities — and unique design.

Posted to Apple's developer website, the call to action urges developers to code and test their updated wares for full iPhone X compatibility ahead of next week's launch.

Apple notes app makers can download the latest iteration of Xcode, version 9.0.1, to take advantage of the built-in iPhone X simulator, useful for analyzing app performance without having access to actual hardware. Xcode can also be used to capture screenshots for App Store previews and internal use.

In its announcement, Apple touts major iPhone X features including the 5.8-inch Super Retina display, Face ID authentication, TrueDepth camera and more. Of interest to developers is compatibility with ARKit, Apple's framework for creating augmented reality apps. With the release of ARKit in iOS 11, Apple's iOS lineup became the world's largest augmented reality platform overnight. Apps built on the API are already populating the iOS App Store.

The new iPhone X also boasts an A11 Bionic chip designed for CoreML, a machine learning toolset, and Metal 2 graphics. These advanced APIs allow developers to take advantage of the phone's powerful processor, which features a dual-core neural engine for chewing through complex machine learning tasks. The A11 also includes Apple's first in-house designed GPU, said to be 30 percent faster than previous hardware.

After testing, Apple suggests developers submit their completed wares and corresponding metadata via iTunes Connect.

Apple initiated iPhone X preorders early this morning, but demand quickly outstripped supply. About ten minutes after the system went live, all launch day supply was sold out, with estimated ship times slipping to 5 to 6 weeks.

8 Comments

slprescott 759 comments · 10 Years

About 7 years ago

Interesting timing for me: as a new developer, I posted my first game to the App Store today. :smile:

Now we know what the focus of version 2.0 will be!

BTW, the Simulator released in September was unbearably slow... as posted by many Devs online. I hope this new 9.0.1 version corrects that. Previous versions of the Simulator had fine performance, so something went drastically wrong in 9.0.

shapetables 201 comments · 10 Years

Yeah many apps will look bad on the new screen form factor until they are updated.

xbit 399 comments · 9 Years

Hi Apple, it would be great if you could fix all those bugs you’ve introduced into UIKit with iOS 11. I’ve raised six bugs in Radar. You’ve ignored five and closed one as a duplicated. Even the duplicate isn’t fixed in the latest 11.1 beta. :(

SpamSandwich 32917 comments · 19 Years

slprescott said:

Interesting timing for me: as a new developer, I posted my first game to the App Store today. :smile:

Now we know what the focus of version 2.0 will be!

BTW, the Simulator released in September was unbearably slow... as posted by many Devs online. I hope this new 9.0.1 version corrects that. Previous versions of the Simulator had fine performance, so something went drastically wrong in 9.0.

What's the game? How about a link? :)

StrangeDays 12960 comments · 8 Years

xbit said:

Hi Apple, it would be great if you could fix all those bugs you’ve introduced into UIKit with iOS 11. I’ve raised six bugs in Radar. You’ve ignored five and closed one as a duplicated. Even the duplicate isn’t fixed in the latest 11.1 beta. :(

If you believe non-severe bugs get fixed immediately and in sequential point releases, prepare yourself for disappointment. 11.1 was being developed and scheduled for release before 11.0 was even out. As a large point number it’s a feature release, not a maintenance release.