Apple has taken the wraps off from iOS 12, with almost all the key features of the new version of the iPhone and iPad platform revealed. Apple also said the latest update is all about performance, which should lead to better response times with most apps and activities used on a daily basis.
Here are some of the key features introduced with iOS 12.
Memoji: The new Memoji can be considered to be a further evolution over the basic animoji Apple introduced last year. Now with memoji, users will be able to create animated emojis of themselves, besides having the ability to customize the memoji as well in various ways. That would be in the form of altering the hairstyle, skin color, and so on. The memoji can also be made to wear sunglasses as well and can be shared using iMessage or used in FaceTime.
Augmented Reality: Now this is one segment that holds a lot of potential and iOS 12 offers some amazing new experiences. That includes the new Measure app that will let users measure real world object with their iOS devices. This is pulled off by using the camera which has to be dragged along the edges of the object, which again can be flat or 3D type.
Apple is also enabling users to create AR files using the new AR file format – USDZ. The file will be easy to share and embed and can appear on Apple’s News app or Safari browser.
Also, of course, AR has huge potential in the gaming segment, and it shouldn’t be too far away when several people can engage with the same game in a virtual environment using their own iOS devices.
Screentime: This is going to be the new device usage report that would provide users with a detailed information on the manner they are using the device along with all of its apps. Similarly, the new Screentime app will also let users set time limits to the extent they can use an application, with a notification issued just when the limit is up.
The app will also let parents keep a tab on their ward’s exposure to a particular app. This can be done using their own iOS devices which will let the parent access their kid’s Activity Report. Similarly, Downtime happens to be another feature that will let parents allot a specific set of apps that the kids can use as well as the time the kids can spend with each app at a time.
Photos: The Photos app is now much more improved thanks to a dose of artificial intelligence that the app has been provided with. Among the new abilities, the app is capable of doing include the ability to suggest people that the user might want to share a picture with. Similarly, the act will be reciprocated as those that the user will be sharing pictures with will also be prompted to share their pictures as well. Similarly, people that the app feels is important will be highlighted in a photo or there will be new suggestions to apply effect to a photo.
Grouped notification: Here is something that has long been overdue, the ability to group similar notifications. This way, users can attend to similar notifications at one go, something that has been available on Android for long. Similarly, those notifications that has been classified as ‘Quiet’ won’t make it to the lock screen but will only be shown in the Notification Center.
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Bedtime: With the new Bedtime feature, users will be spared from bothering about new notifications or other disturbances during the specified time. During the time, the iPhone display too gets dimmed out while the time and date gets propped up to act as bedtime alarm clock as well.
New improved Siri: This is something that Apple has been really keen to improve upon, and the new iOS 12 might just prove to be a new beginning for the much-maligned digital assistant. First and foremost, its going to watching over the user’s activities and will come up with suggestions for the most repetitive tasks. Further, if the user is due to visit a place, there is going to be alerts issued to make the user aware of that. Also, of course, Siri will remind users to wish people that matter during important events in their life.
Similarly, there is the new Shortcuts that will let apps to provide some info to Siri. This way, Siri, in turn, can keep the user informed of developments that might of help to the user.
Facetime now includes 32 friends: With Group FaceTime, users will now have the ability to communicate with 32 friends at the same time via audio, video or both means. All those engaged in a group chat will be shown in a tile and users will be able to switch from group chat and group FaceTime effortlessly.
