iOS 12 release date, news and features

Apple’s iOS 12 update features were announced at the very start of the WWDC 2018 keynote, with the company wasting no time in explaining how your iPhone and iPad will soon change.

iOS 12 will cement Apple as a leader in augmented reality (AR) with the arrival of groundbreaking multiplayer capabilities. The software update will also make grouped notifications easier to see, and video chatting more plentiful with Group FaceTime. And, of course, Siri will be smarter in 2018, as it is every year, this time thanks to Siri Shortcuts.

It’s not the biggest software update, but so far it’s obvious that Apple is tightening its mobile operating system to make it competitive with Google’s Android P. Here’s everything we know about iOS 12 now that it’s officially confirmed.

iOS 12 release date

You should be able to test it early, as there will likely be three iOS 12 release dates: one for developers, one for beta testers, and one final version for everyone else.

The first developer beta should be available right now. You must be an registered Apple developer to access this beta, and that costs money: $99 for the annual membership.

The iOS 12 public beta typically launches after iOS 12 developer beta 3, and if Apple’s history tells us anything, it should be on or around June 26. This beta is free, and less problematic, with a few more weeks in the cooker.

All iOS 12 beta software will be unfinished software, so we advise caution before deciding to install iOS 12 developer beta 1 on your primary device. Waiting for the public beta is safer.

Everyone else can wait for the final version of iOS 12, which is also free, and which we expect to see in September, alongside new iPhones for 2018. That’s how it seems to work every year.

iOS 12 reliability and compatibility

iOS 12 will focus on reliability and performance with this update, and support all of the same phones and tablets that iOS 11 worked with.

Apple called out the iPhone 6 as being 40% faster than before when it comes to app launches. The camera will be 70% faster and the keyboard will display 50% faster. Keyboard typing and other features can slow down with every new iOS update, and Apple is looking to change that.

iOS 12 will run on devices that have the 64-bit chipset, first introduced with the iPhone 5S. So it’ll work on the iPhone 5S and newer, while the iPad Air and iPad mini 2 are the oldest iPads that are compatible with iOS 12. 

It’s the broadest support for a software update Apple has ever offered, and this is one of the biggest advantages Apple has over Android phones.

ARKit 2.0 and multiplayer gaming

The first big feature Apple is betting on is an expanded focus on AR with ARKit 2.0. The company has created a new file type called ‘USDZ.’ Apple worked on the file type with Pixar, and Adobe is supporting it, too. This is an important step forward for developers working on AR apps.

‘Measure’ is getting its own AR app, Apple announced. It uses the iPhone’s and iPad’s advanced sensors to measure anything in front of you, including suitcases, as shown in the first iOS 12 demo. All it takes it just tap-and-drag along the edges of the object on the screen. It can automatically detect the dimensions of a photo, too – we can imagine that will help when you go to buy a frame for a photo and can’t find the tape measure.

ARKit 2.0 opens up AR to hundreds of millions of users, according to Apple, and that makes iOS 12 the broadest AR platform in the world. We got a taste of AR last year, but Apple is bringing more advanced tools and gameplay with the update.

Multi-user virtual environments are coming to ARKit, allowing for multiplayer gaming and experiences through iPhones and iPads. iOS 12 is going to create a more collaborative (and competitive) way of experiencing AR. Companies including LEGO say that they’re getting into “creative play possibilities.” LEGO showed off up to four players involved in building up an AR town.

Photos is now smarter with iOS 12

Photos is the next big iOS 12 feature Apple is showing off, expanding search in an effort to compete with Google. Photos can index over four million events, and even search for multiple search terms. A new tab ‘For you’ is coming to the iOS 12 Photos app, filled with personalized suggestions on how to improve and share your pictures. Sharing has gotten smarter, letting you share at full resolution and suggesting who to share these photos with.

Share back suggestions is a neat feature that lets you send photos to a friend, and it uses machine learning to poke them to send photos they took to you. iOS 12’s photos sharing uses iMessages and therefore includes end-to-end encryption.

Siri can find your lost keys and gets shortcuts

Siri is getting smarter. It‘ll know that “I lost my keys” means to ring your Tile tracker. Tile is a handy gadget, but getting to the app is a pain, and having Siri integrated is a game-changer for both Tile and our peace of mind.

Siri is going to be filled with shortcuts, so much so that Apple is creating a shortcuts app for iOS 12. It’ll suggest coffee orders from the place you always order from and message contacts to tell them you’re running late, and there’s also Kayak-based flight information you can call up via voice. By pressing the add to Siri button, you can then say “Travel plans” and Siri will read back information such as your hotel address.

Apple News, Stocks, Voice memos and CarPlay

Apps are indeed getting updates with iOS 12, starting with Apple News. There’s a new Browse tab and a sidebar for better navigation. Stocks is finally being rebuilt with a helpful news design, complete with charts and Apple news headline integrated into into stocks. The top stories will be business news curated by Apple News editors.

Voice memos is coming to iPad, and it’ll also get iCloud support, long overdue changes. It’ll also have a better design.

Apple Books is the new name for iBooks, allowing you to pick up reading where you left off and a new store to browse buy ebooks and audio books.

CarPlay is going to support third-party applications, with Waze and Google Maps appearing on-screen. Apple didn’t call out the Google-owned apps by name, but they were there on the screen.

Using your iPhone less

Apple is expanding its Do Not Disturb capabilities with a cleaner Do Not Disturb mode during Bedtime setting. It’ll silence not just the notification delivery sounds, but also the clutter that can distract you when you’re try to sleep.

You can either send notifications to Notifications Center or turn them off entirely. Siri will also suggest turning off notifications for apps you no longer use.

Screen time is Apple’s take on limiting your iPhone use – how much time you’re spending on apps, which apps you use the most, and which apps are sending you the most notifications. To give you a little extra help, Apple has created app limits. You can set your own limit, with a notification letting you know when time is almost up. A ‘Time is up’ message will display when you’ve reached your self-imposed-Siri-assisted limit.

Parents can create limits for kids with Allowances, with time-of-day-based downtime controls, category controls and always-allowed settings. It uses Family Sharing, so you can manage it all remotely from your parental device – no need to get hold of your kid’s phone to execute on these new iOS 12 controls.

iOS 12 group notifications

Grouped notifications are coming to iOS 12, Apple announced at WWDC 2018. That’s an important update that everyone was waiting for. It got a lot of cheers in the venue.

FaceTime Animoji and Memoji

Animoji is expanded, not just with new masks, but with tongue detection, Apple has announced. Ghost Koala, Tiger and T-Rex will be joining the cast of Animoji masks.

Memoji is a thing, too. It’s a customizable mask that can look like you – or the real you, according to Apple. It still resides in Messages. So far you can’t use Animoji or Memoji in FaceTime or other apps. You can select hairstyles, eye color and accessories like earrings and sunglasses.

You’ll be able to use Memoji along with special effects in video calls, as was rumored. It’s not for FaceTime, but very close.

Group FaceTime is coming to iOS 12 with up to 32 participants, and you go directly from a group chat to a group FaceTime in the Messages app. People can drop in and drop out at any time. The interface is filled with tiles that can expand, and ‘the roster’ along the bottom for everyone else in the Group FaceTime chat. When people start to speak, their window gets bigger. Even the people in the bottom roster, they appear in the bigger part of the window.

Okay, now Animoji is coming to FaceTime and Group FaceTime. You’ll of course need to update to iOS 12 to make that magic happen. It works on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and you can even answer on the Apple Watch with just audio.

That’s a wrap for new iOS 12 features at Apple’s WWDC. The two biggest highlights were Group notifications and Group FaceTime with Memoji. 

http://www.techradar.com/news/ios-12