Introducing IOS 12
The WWDC 2018 was all about the software and taking centre stage was the latest incarnation of Apple’s mobile operating system
Though not a huge update by any stretch of the imagination, IOS 12 will instead offer an improvement in response and performance across all supported iphone and ipad models (which is the same set that were able to run IOS 11), improvements to existing features and apps, including some fun new ways to communicate, and a sprinkling of cool new apps to make even better use of the extensive capabilities of your IOS device. We’re very excited.
Turbo charged
Perhaps most impressive of all IOS 12’s features is how it will double-down on performance to make every device that previously supported IOS 11 faster and more responsive, especially the older ones. Now your apps will launch up to 40 per cent faster, your IOS keyboard will pop-up 50 per cent faster and swiping to launch your camera will be up to 70 per cent faster. This is thanks to Apple optimising the A-series chipset so that the CPU performance is ramped up to its highest level when you need a performance spike to scroll content or launch apps, and then wound-down afterwards to preserve battery power. It’s like to plunging an adrenaline syringe into your iphone for a short burst of additional power.
Shared AR experiences
Apple has been a long-time champion of augmented reality (AR) and IOS 12 pushes this technology further to change the way in which we work and have fun. In collaboration with Pixar, Apple has developed a new AR file format called USDZ – a compact single file format that is optimised for sharing while retaining highquality 3D graphics and animations. USDZ works across IOS and files can be easily shared through Messages and Mail. These files place 3D objects in the real world, like an AR ‘Quick-look’ and the possibilities are endless. For example, USDZ can revolutionise the way we shop online by allowing us to see the items we want to purchase, such as appliances, in situ within our homes. The effect is slightly akin to QR code technology, but on a altogether more jaw-dropping scale.
This technology is made possible by the introduction of AR Kit 2 that brings improved face-tracking, realistic rendering, 3D object detection, personal experiences and shared experiences to IOS 12. This includes fun two-player games in which cool graphics are superimposed on what both players can see on their IOS screens, from their own unique perspective, and other people can even sit in and spectate from the side. It is this sort of technology than can make IOS a huge-hitting gaming platform and the potential in the classroom is immense.
Enhanced Photos app
As up to a trillion photos are captured on iphones each year, the Photos app is the best way to relive and share those moments, made easy by the existing scene recognition software that makes finding specific people, objects and even
fauna instantaneous. IOS 12 will boost the app’s search capabilities still further by suggesting scenes, places, etc, and even categories of photos to help speed up your search. Photos can index over four million events by time and location making your images easier to find.
Another new feature of Photos is the
‘For You’ tab. This presents a personal round-up of featured photos (such as ‘On this day’), effects suggestions (such as looping a Live Photo) and all of your shared album activity into one handy photographic digest. The app even now scrutinises your photos and, using facial recognition, will suggest people to share them with based on whether those people appear in the images. It’s quite staggering (and frighteningly efficient). Once the images have been shared, the recipient will get a notification on their device to ‘share back’, bouncing their images of the same event back so both users get the full set.
A smarter Siri
With over ten billion requests processed every month, Siri is already the mostused digital assistant available that works across all of your IOS devices. In IOS 12, Apple has introduced a new feature called ‘Shortcuts’ whereby any third-party app can expose quick actions to Siri that you can then request using your own custom phrase. When this phrase is spoken, Siri will instantly jump into the app to bring up the information you need. Again, this can help speed up productivity across all aspects of our lives. Then there is ‘Siri Suggestions’, a feature where Siri can suggest things based on your current location. For example, it can suggest that you purchase your usual morning coffee – straight from your Lock screen – in anticipation of you passing your favourite coffee shop. With the new Shortcuts
IOS 12 app, you can even create your own shortcuts with multiple steps across multiple applications using a simple dragand-drop interface.
Monitor screen time
So engaging are modern apps that they often demand time that could be better spent in the moment, distracting us with notifications to draw us in when we should be enjoying time with the people around us, so Apple has introduced a built-in set of new features into IOS 12 to help us limit distractions and understand how we are spending our time.
Do Not Disturb has been improved so that you can block all notifications from your screen for periods determined by you. This can be easily implemented via Control Center – just set the ending time and the ignorance will be bliss. You can also limit how many notifications you receive by a process called ‘Instant Tuning, which can be done from the Lock screen. If you receive a notification, you can press on it to get the option to limit further notifications from that app. Another new feature called ‘Screen Time’ empowers you with insight
and control over how you spend your time. You will receive reports every week in the form of an activity summary that details how you used your device, including how much time you are spending on each individual app, how many times per hour you are picking up your device and what is drawing you in.
Fun effects
The final area where IOS 12 really takes off is in communication and how you interact with others through your devices. There are new iphone X Animojis to enjoy and tongue-detection means that you/they can now pull more expressive faces. You can also now create your own personalised Animojis that can look like you, called ‘Memojis’. With a deep set of customisation options you can set skin tones, hairstyles, accessories, the works, so that you create an animated avatar that looks like you.
You can even add these as effects in the Camera app, along with new fun filters and other assorted effects. Then there is Group Facetime. Apple has integrated FT into the Messages app in IOS 12, which not only means you can go straight from texting to Facetime, you can go from group-chatting to group Facetiming as up to 32 people can now share the screen at once! We’re stoked for the September roll-out.