To effectively incorporate push notifications within your iOS application using Xcode 8 and Swift 3.0, you need to navigate through a structured process. This involves creating a project, configuring app capabilities, registering for notifications, and handling device tokens and notifications.

Prerequisites

Ensure the following before proceeding:

• Xcode 8 is installed on your machine.
• You have a valid Apple Developer account to manage certificates and provisioning profiles.
• Your project is set up to use Swift 3.0.

Step 1: Create and Set Up the App

Begin by creating a new project in Xcode:

1. Launch Xcode and select "Create a new Xcode project."
2. Choose a template, like "Single View Application," and click "Next."
3. Fill in your product name, organization identifier, and bundle identifier.

Next, configure the app to support push notifications:

1. Navigate to your project settings by clicking on the project name in the Project navigator.
2. Select the target, then the "Capabilities" tab.
3. Toggle the "Push Notifications" switch to "ON."

Step 2: Configure APNs

With the capabilities set, create an App ID on the Apple Developer portal, integrated with APNs:

1. Go to the Apple Developer website and log in.
2. Under "Identifiers," select "App IDs" and register a new App ID if none exists.
3. Select the proper App ID and activate the "Push Notifications" service.
4. Following this, you'll need to create a new certificate for the notifications.

Step 3: Register for Remote Notifications

In your Xcode project, update the `AppDelegate` to handle registration for notifications:

• `UIUserNotificationSettings` object: Defines the types of alerts the app is allowed to display.
• `application.registerForRemoteNotifications()`: Makes a call to register the device with Apple's APNs.
• `didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken`: Handles the successful registration and receives a device token.
• `didFailToRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithError`: Manages registration failure scenarios.
• Testing push notifications requires a physical iOS device because Xcode simulators do not support APNs.
• Ensure that provisioning profiles and certificates are correctly configured in the Apple Developer portal to avoid common registration errors.