What’s New on iOS 15 ?
In the 2021 WWDC, Apple introduced the new version of iOS that is built on the following axes :
- Staying connected with one’s contacts
- Finding focus without external distraction
- Using intelligence to discover the information we need
- Exploring the world around us
FaceTime :
Some new improvements have been introduced to make Video Calls more :
- Natural and LifeLike
- Stable
- Comfortable
To do so, here are some of the most important new features on FaceTime :
Spatial Audio :
Spatial Audio is used to make video calls resemble more to reality by spreading out the voices of the speakers depending on their position on the screen.
Voice Isolation :
In case you are surrounded with ambient noises and parasites that make your voice unclear to your speaker, Voice Isolation will make your words crystal clear.
Wide Spectrum :
In case you want your iPhone to detect the surrounding noises like music, you could simply activate Wide Spectrum mode in order to capture a neat sound.
Grid Mode :
Grid Mode allows you to display your speakers on FaceTime in a Grid Layout with the possibility to know who’s speaking while seeing others’ reactions.
Portrait Mode :
With Portrait Mode, iPhone puts the background on blur in order to put the focus on the subject (which is your face 🙎)
FaceTime Links :
FaceTime Links is a new fast way to generate a link for a Video Call and share it anywhere (like whatsapp, messages, calendar …).
The good news about this feature is that FaceTime Links are accessible via non-Apple Operating Systems like Android, Microsoft and even online browsers like Google Chrome.
And calls are still End-To-End Encrypted.
Share Play :
Share Play is a new feature allowing users to connect with other ways other than audio and video like :
- Listen together to music
- Watch together a movie
- Share your screen
For instance, when you are on a call, all there’s to do is “Press Play” and share your tunes into a music queue shared with friends on the call through a control panel that is accessible with one tap (on the left top corner).
The same thing goes with watching a movie or sharing your screen (with the possibility to extend to a bigger screen like AppleTV).
There’s even a SharePlay API for developers so that third party apps could be integrated with FaceTime calls.
Messages :
The Messages App offers a new design for sent pictures in a conversation. And it goes like this :
Shared with you :
The new “Shared with you” feature allows users to consult shared content via the messages Apps through other Apps like : Apple News, Apple Music or Photos …
For instance, I could see on the Photos App who shared with me a certain photo in a “Shared with you” section.
Notifications Summary :
It’s hard to keep focus when receiving a million of notifications a day. Therefore, it’s now possible to have a collection of notifications delivered in a certain time of the day to keep up to date.
To do so, “On Device Intelligence” is combined with the user’s interaction with apps in order to curate the most accurate summary.
Focus Mode :
“Focus” is a new way to match your device to your current mindset.
For example, it’s possible to create a Focus mode dedicated for work where you could only receive notifications from your work colleagues and office apps like Slack or Microsoft Teams.
Other Focus modes could be created depending on what I am doing in a certain time of my day : Whether communicating with friends or playing a video game …
Of course, the chosen Focus Mode is synchronised with other Apple devices.
Live Text :
Now I could say this is one of the coolest features on iOS 15. 🆒 😎
Every content that is identified as a text whether from a picture that you have taken or a photo sent by friend, could be copied and pasted by the clipboard or shared.
The supported languages for this functionality are :
- English
- Chinese
- French
- Italian
- German
- Spanish
- Portuguese
A richer “Spotlight” :
Now searches results are provided with a richer content via Spotlight.
Photos could be included with these results and even texts that are detected within some photos in your library.
Apple Wallet :
Apple Wallet is the digital alternative for our physical wallets which could contain credit cards for safe payments or transit cards that are used to travel.
The wallet is continuing to add keys like :
- Keys to unlock your house door
- Keys that replace corporate badges to access your workplace
- Keys to access your hotel room after confirming your booking
An incredible range of constructors have already started to make their own keys that are compatible with Apple Wallet like :
But to be completely free from your physical wallet, Apple introduces ID cards like driving licences into your digital wallet.
Weather App :
Now the weather is presented with a totally new layout that adapts to the current weather state with richer content to provide you with more details (like wind, rain, unhealthy air quality …)
There are even weather maps available which show temperature, air quality and many other informations to provide a whole new way to see the weather around you.
Apple Maps :
Apple maps presents a new way to interact with places via a globe that remind us of “Google Earth”.
But within cities, Apple Maps provides a whole new level of details like elevation, new colours and labels for commercial districts, marinas, buildings, bridges and so much more.
There’s even a new night mode that turns on depending on current time.
And when users get ready to go somewhere, maps on iOS 15 will make getting there, way more obvious.
Driving experience is now better with more details for drivers like crosswalks, traffic lights, bus/bikes lanes …
The same experience will brought to CarPlay also.
And in case you are lost, Apple Maps introduces a new way to discover how to get to your destination via AR (Augmented Reality) by simply scanning where you are with your camera.
Too bad that these features will be available at end of the year 2021, only for the following cities : 😔
- London
- Los Angeles
- New York
- Philadelphia
- San Diego
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Washington DC
Safari :
Apple designed a whole new User Experience for Safari that makes TabBar at the reach of your thumb, on the bottom of your screen.
In addition to that, you could swipe between tabs with a simple lateral swipe and also access a homepage that is synchronised with your Apple devices’ Safari Home Pages.
And that’s about it for iOS 15 :
Here’s a summary for what you should expect of the new iOS 15.
You could also find other articles about MacOS Monterey and iPadOS 15 via the following links 🔗 :
Finally, here’s the link to the complete 2021 WWDC.
Thanks for reading 🙌 😃
