Apple last night previewed iOS 13, introducing a new look for iPhones, with Dark Mode and new ways to browse and edit photos, sign in to apps and websites. It features optimisations across the system that improve app launch, reduce app download sizes and make Face ID faster.
“iOS 13 brings new capabilities to the apps you use every day, with rich updates to Photos and Maps, and privacy-protecting features like Sign In with Apple, all while delivering faster performance,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.
iPhone has a new look with Dark Mode, a new dark colour scheme that works system-wide and across all native apps to deliver an improved viewing experience in low-light environments. Dark Mode is available to third-party app developers for integration into their own apps and can be scheduled to turn on automatically at sunset or at a certain time.
Dark Mode has been available on Android phones for some time. However, it was poorly received when it was enabled by default initially. It now includes a toggle to switch between modes. The benefits of Dark Mode in low light are also questionable, with many users finding it decreases visibility.
However, Apple also announced a range of other new or improved features for iOS.
Click here to read more about the redesigned Photos app, the new Mapping system, and other new features.
Using on-device machine learning, Photos now curates the library to highlight the best images, automatically hiding clutter and similar photos to showcase significant events from the past day, month or year.
Photo editing is more comprehensive and intuitive, Apple says, with new tools that are easier to apply, adjust and review. With a swipe, effects can be increased or decreased to create a different look, providing photographers with more creative possibilities and control over their images. In iOS 13, most photo editing tools are now available for video editing, making it possible to rotate, crop or apply filters within the Photos app.
Portrait Lighting adjustments can be made in the Camera app to virtually move the light closer, to sharpen eyes and brighten and smooth facial features, or push the light farther away to create a subtle, refined look. A new High-Key Mono effect creates a monochromatic look for Portrait mode photos.
Private Sign In with Apple
Apple is introducing a more private way to simply and quickly sign into apps and websites. Instead of using a social account or filling out forms, verifying email addresses or choosing passwords, customers can use their Apple ID to authenticate and Apple will protect privacy by providing developers with a random ID. In cases where developers choose to ask for a name and email address, users have the option to keep their email address private and share a random email address instead. Sign In with Apple has two-factor authentication built in for an added layer of security. Apple says it does not use Sign In with Apple to profile users or their activity in apps.
The new Maps
Apple says that, after driving 4 million miles to rebuild the basemap from the ground up, it is delivering a new Maps experience with broader road coverage, better pedestrian data, more precise addresses and more detailed landcover. The new map is available in select cities and states, and will roll out across the US by the end of 2019 and to more countries in 2020.
A new Look Around feature delivers street-level imagery of a city with smooth and seamless transitions. iOS 13 has brought additional features to the Maps app, including Collections to share restaurants, travel destinations or places to shop, and Favourites for navigating to frequent destinations, such as home, work, the gym or school, with a tap from the launch screen.
Click here to read a summary of all the other improvements to iOS 13.
Apple provided the following information on further features:
- The Reminders has a new look and offers intelligent ways to create and edit reminders, with more ways to organize and keep track of them. The quick toolbar makes it easier to add times, dates, locations and flags, or add attachments. With deeper integration with Messages, it’s easy to tag someone in a reminder so that it surfaces when the user messages with that person.
- Messages can automatically share a user’s name and photo, or customized Memoji or Animoji, to easily identify who is in the Messages thread. Memoji are automatically made into sticker packs built into the iOS keyboard, so they can be used in Messages, Mail and other apps. Memoji also feature new hairstyles, headwear, makeup, piercings and accessories.
- Siri has a new, more natural voice, and Siri Shortcuts now supports Suggested Automations that provide personalized routines for things like heading to work or going to the gym.
- CarPlay gets its biggest update ever with a new Dashboard to view music, maps and more in a single view, a new Calendar app and Siri support for third-party navigation and audio apps.
- HomePod can distinguish voices from anyone in the home to deliver personal requests, including messages, music and more. Live radio gives Siri access to over 100,000 radio stations from iHeartRadio, radio.com and TuneIn, and a new sleep timer turns off music after a set amount of time. Handoff enables users to easily move music, podcasts or a phone call to HomePod when they arrive home.
- With AirPods, Siri can read incoming messages as soon as they arrive, from Messages or any SiriKit-enabled messaging app. A new audio sharing feature makes it easy to watch a movie or share a song with a friend by simply bringing a second pair close to iPhone or iPad.
- Voice Control provides a powerful new experience that enables users to operate their iPhone, iPad or Mac entirely by their voice. Using the latest Siri speech recognition technology, Voice Control gets even more accurate text transcription and editing.
- QuickPath brings easy one-hand typing to the iOS keyboard by continuously swiping through the letters of a word.
- Text Editing is enhanced, making scrolling documents, moving the cursor and selecting text faster and more accurate.
- Files app introduces the ability to share folders with iCloud Drive and access files from external storage devices like SD cards and USB flash drives.
- Health offers ways to monitor hearing health and brings new ways to track, visualize and predict a woman’s menstrual cycle.
- Location Services controls give users more choices for how they share location data with apps, including a new one-time location option and more information on when apps are using location in the background.
Performance improvements make the entire system more responsive with faster Face ID unlock, and a new way to package iPhone apps on the App Store that reduces app download sizes by up to 50 percent, makes app updates over 60 percent smaller and results in apps launching up to twice as fast.
The update is set to launch later this year.