iOS 12 Review: Release Date and New Features

At WWDC 2018, Apple’s annual iOS developer conference that took place on June 4, we had a chance to see some features that we can expect in the new iOS version. Later in June, we expect to see a public beta, but the full iOS 12 release date will be close to the end of September.

In this article, we will make a thorough iOS 12 review and discuss the latest news about iOS 12.

Main focus

Just like the new Android P, Apple’s iOS 12 is focused on performance and responsiveness. Apple promises to avoid the failures of iOS 11, which left many users disappointed. This time, they not only plan to deliver a high-quality operating system but also to address this year’s scandal about slowing down old iPhone devices. iOS 12 will support all devices that support iOS 11, and Apple claims that it will make certain operations faster. For example, iPhone 6 Plus will launch apps 40% faster and the camera app will start 70% faster than it does now.

Apple has paid attention to how the system responds under load – now it will work much faster even if lots of processes are launched.

Another trend the new version of iOS will focus on is digital health. We’ve already seen this in Android P, which provides solutions for people who can’t stop staring at their screens.

Here is the list of iOS 12 supported devices:

iOS 12 is focused on being reliable and high-performing rather than sexy. However, there are still some cool new features that will impress users. Let’s take a look at them and discuss what’s new in iOS 12.

iOS 12 New features

Siri

Voice control is currently one of the biggest trends in the tech world, and there are three major players on the market that are continuously improving their voice assistants: Amazon (Alexa), Google (Google Assistant), and Apple (Siri). Apple is working on improving Siri, and in iOS 12, they’ll introduce a new feature called Siri Shortcuts.

Siri Shortcuts will allow you to program Siri to work with any application on your device. Siri will not only be able to launch applications for you but will also suggest actions according to the time of day.

You can add shortcuts to any application – just press the “Add to Siri” icon and create a voice shortcut to any feature in an application.

Apart from that, Apple has made some general improvements to Siri. In iOS 12, it will support over 40 languages and be even more knowledgeable of sports, food, and celebrities.

Augmented reality

ARKit 2 is probably one of the most anticipated iOS 12 features, both by users and developers. Apple is well aware of that, and its augmented reality presentation was one of the main events during WWDC 2018.

Apple introduced a new format for AR called USDZ. This means that developers will be able to create AR features and send or share them across Files, Mail, Safari, and Messages.

The most exciting demonstration during the presentation of ARKit 2 was an accurate measurement tool right in your mobile device: you can use your iPhone camera to see the length and width of an object.

And as AR is strongly associated with gaming, Apple has decided to add an exciting multiplayer gaming feature called Shared Experiences.

Photos

We saw some improvement in Photos search back when iOS 11 was released, but with the new version Photos has become even more advanced with some new categories.
The main competitor in photo search is of course Google Photos, and with this update, Apple is planning to catch up. Photos search will now be able to recognize photos by events and suggest advanced filters to sort by people, locations, and dates. You’ll be able to search for photos using Siri and request several items at a time.

FaceTime

In iOS 12, FaceTime will support group calls with up to 32 users and will be linked to chats in the Messages app so you can go directly to video calls from there. You’ll be able to leave video calls at any time, and when you speak, your profile window will become bigger. This works on all devices, even on Apple Watch and HomePod where it’s available with just audio.

Animoji will also be available on FaceTime and Group FaceTime, so let’s talk about them.

Animoji and Memoji

The new version of iOS will bring joy to users who love adding emojis to their messages. Though Apple added only four new animojis in iOS 12, they’re giving you the opportunity to create your own custom animojis called Memojis.

You’ll be able to choose from many customizable options to make a unique Memoji of yourself or anyone you like.

Digital health features

Do Not Disturb

The Do Not Disturb feature in iOS 11 will become even more advanced in the new iOS 12. Now, Do Not Disturb will have a silent mode for bedtime that will not only silence all notifications but also won’t show them on the screen.

This will allow you to go to bed without having to think about notifications that you receive in the evening. However, you can customize this feature and allow certain apps to still send you notifications.

Do Not Disturb is highly customizable. For example, it can turn off in one hour or when you leave a certain location, or at the end of a meeting scheduled in your calendar. You can adjust it according to your needs, and hopefully, it will appear in Control Center.

Notifications

Users of the new iOS 12 will have more control over the notifications they receive and will be able to tune them right from the lock screen. You can just press a notification and choose from a number of options to cancel all notifications from the chosen app or specify when exactly you want to allow them. In iOS 12, Siri can offer to turn off notifications you rarely open.

However, the coolest thing about notifications in iOS 12 is grouped notifications. Now, all notifications will be arranged according to an app and topic. You can set the categories yourself to sort notifications and turn a whole group off with one swipe.

Siri will also suggest turning off notifications you’re no longer using, and we now (as long requested!) are getting grouped notifications. Notifications will be grouped by app, topic, and thread. You can tap into a grouped notification, look at the group in more detail, then clear the whole group with a single swipe.

Device usage control

Just like Android with its Dashboard, iOS will provide weekly reports on how much time you spend on your phone in general and in each app in particular. This will give you a complete picture of how you use your device, as usually, people don’t even notice another hour spent in front of the display.

After looking at all this data, you might want to set limits on your smartphone use. You can limit the time you spend in the most time-consuming applications and receive notifications when time’s up.

Final thoughts on changes in iOS 12

Personally, I use an old iPhone model that was released four years ago, and I find it great that Apple still supports my device with new operating systems and plans to make old devices like mine faster.

Though there aren’t many new features in iOS 12, I have high hopes for this next version of iOS, since Apple has promised that its twelfth version will be more stable. Since iOS 7, their operating systems haven’t been flawless. Apps crash and battery life have gotten shorter after updates. Animations also started working slower, and it has taken a long time for Apple to fix all these bugs.

I don’t think of iOS 12 as a revolution, but I really like ARKit 2. I feel enthusiastic about creating applications for AR that will enable several people to interact simultaneously in the same AR environment from different devices.

It’s too early to reach a verdict on the new iOS, so we’ll have to wait till Apple announces the release date of iOS 12. Usually, it is in September when Apple officially releases iOS 12 along with new devices. Then we’ll have a chance to check its stability and see if the devices work as fast as Apple promises.