Editor's Message
Closing the Distance
I'm sitting in my home office as I write this, munching on some brownies my mom left on my doorstep and taking breaks to wipe my phone down with a Clorox wipe. If I need to reach anyone at the office, I'll jump on a video call via Zoom and raise my coffee cup to the screen to virtually cheers a coworker. We like to at least simulate a normal human interaction. The iPhone Life team has been working this way for weeks, camping out at home in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. While putting together this issue, we watched as the coronavirus pandemic created ripple effects in all our lives, leaving people across the globe anxious and unsure of what the rest of the year holds.
An Uncertain Year for Apple
Apple has been taking safety measures, temporarily closing stores, sending its developers home to work remotely, and donating 10 million masks to healthcare workers in the US. The tech giant announced it will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference online in June (page 16), trading crowded halls of developers for virtual sessions for the first time in WWDC's 31-year history. For those of us who usually watch the keynote online, that won't change the experience much though. We'll still see Tim Cook and his team of Apple executives unveil new software features for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. I wonder if he'll keep his usual polished look or broadcast in his pajamas with unbrushed hair like the rest of us working from home.
I'm particularly interested in what features Apple has planned for iPadOS. After creating a dedicated operating system for the iPad last June and improving its mouse support this spring, I'm curious what new desktop capabilities it'll add to the tablet's arsenal with iPadOS 14. For years, Apple has been predictable—it releases software in June and iPhones in September. This fall, Apple is expected to launch the much anticipated 5G iPhone, but rumor has it that Apple may be delaying the release by a couple of months to ensure demand is high amid struggling global economies. That would be the first time in nearly a decade that Apple broke with tradition. These are unprecedented times.
Staying Connected & Safe
This issue, our editorial team has compiled some of our best tips for the iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and Apple Watch that can help you stay connected while you're practicing social distancing at home. The iPhone section (page 30) features tips like how to make FaceTime calls, or if you're working from home, our iPad section (page 34) is jam-packed with tips like how to multitask with Safari Split View and access an external hard drive from your iPad Pro.
Aside from staying home, scrubbing down your hands and your iPhone regularly is one of the most effective ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus. I've never spent so much time washing my hands, thinking about washing my hands, and writing about washing my hands! But here I am! At iPhone Life, we've written a complete guide to sanitizing your iPhone, from using Clorox wipes to bathing your devices in virus-killing ultraviolet light.
I hope this issue helps you stay safe and connected during this challenging time. Thank you for your continued support of iPhone Life and for being a valued member of our community. Be well!
Donna Cleveland
Editor in Chief iPhone Life magazine, donna@iphonelife.com