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Top brands optimize apps with iOS 8's widgets, push notifications

Tilt, Realtor.com, the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press are a few of many leading brands to integrate enhanced features, faster loading pages, widget tools and more in-depth push notifications following Apple's release of iOS 8. 

Top brands are optimizing their mobile applications  for iOS 8 software to enhance the user experience. The swift response to the latest update to Apple's mobile operating system reflects the important role that apps are playing in consumers lives, with brands hoping to gain an advantage by being one of the first out of the gate with new features. 

?I love seeing brands embrace the updates in iOS 8 and iPhone 6 and 6 Plus,? said Tony Vlismas, head of market strategy at Polar, Toronto. ?These brands are updating their apps to fit the larger screen, which is so important because users that are purchasing new phones will lean towards apps that are taking advantage of the extra real estate on the screen. 

?We?re seeing Under Armour taking advantage of the newer, faster chip in the new iPhones, Realtor.com introducing widgets into their updated app, WSJ using Apple?s new programming language Swift and including adaptive UI, support for Handoff, widgets, and interactive notifications. These are three examples where brands are embracing these changes to enhance the experience for their users on day one.?

Rising to the occasion
Social fundraising mobile application Tilt, formally known as Crowdtilt, has redesigned its layout to be optimized with iOS 8 and has added a group functionality, which allows users to avoid dealing with one-off transactions. 

Tilt?s new 60-second promise claims that users can create an account in less than 60 seconds, making the service convenient for on-the-go users. The app has also integrated social capabilities, so friends can see what each other are doing with the service.


Athletic apparel and accessories brand Under Armour released new features on its suite of apps, such as Map My Run, Map My Ride, Map My Fitness, Map My Hike and more.

Under Armour?s Map My Run app now offers a 24/7-activity graph, which offers a single reference to a user?s steps, workouts, sleep and more all in one place. Users can now connect with more than 400 other accounts and connect third-party tracking devices with the app.

Finally, Under Armour?s design has been visually optimized for larger screen sizes in preparation for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.


While the new AP Mobile app carries the same design, users will be able to share stories on social media sites more easily. They will also notice a new story carousel that appears on the home screen, which aims to place the most noteworthy stories as the focus to the reader. The carousel, called Big Story carousel, will surface AP?s most enduring stories, such as its coverage on the Ebola virus or entertainment awards.


AP provides more than 1,100 local contributing publications for users to personalize their own experience and view certain local news sectors. The news provider is working to promote published local work that is of national concern by placing that content on its home screen. 

For example, AP recently featured reporting from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, and content from the Richmond Times-Dispatch on the corruption of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

Given AP Mobile?s optimization for iOS 8, AP plans to roll out more features in November and will continue to look for more ways to integrate the technology.

AP Mobile is available for free on the iOS App Store.

Notification widgets
The Wall Street Journal app has implemented a widget that will now show in a user?s notification center, which displays top breaking news stories.

The WSJ is testing more interactive push notifications, also. Users that subscribe to the WSJ?s push notification will be met with breaking news alerts, and users can read them immediately, dismiss the alerts or save the story for later reference.


Another new tool accessible on the WSJ app is continuity, allowing users to switch from one Apple device to another and continue reading the same story.

The WSJ has also improved navigation, enhanced multimedia and continued to optimize performance for faster loading.

Realtor.com is aiming to deliver new listings to its users more quickly, and has used the release of iOS 8 to implement a widget for quick access to new listings and can be viewed in a user?s notification center.


Sizing up the competition
The most expected change that consumers will likely expect to see in their favorite apps is screen size adaptability. 

?I think the biggest challenge a brand will face is if they don?t optimize for iOS 8 and the new screen sizes of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus,? Mr. Vlismas said. ?These features excite users, and if the app they use doesn?t take advantage of them, it?s so easy to find an alternative. 

?Apple typically highlights those that embrace the richest updates so brands will miss out and lose that valuable placement on the user?s home screen.?

Bob Moul, CEO of Artisan Mobile in Philadelphia, agrees.

?With the advent of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, brands have two more form factors and screen resolutions to deal with,? Mr. Moul said. ?To avoid having content on those devices look blurry from scaling, brands will need to create all of their assets for these new form factors.  

?This will also mean more bandwidth is required to update assets and content which could impact user experience. Understanding how much of this new screen real estate to utilize will require testing and optimization.?

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York