Apple’s annual developer keynote has just come to a close. Despite not announcing any new hardware, it was a packed presentation, covering a ton of software updates and running well over two hours long!
We’ll bring you more detailed analysis of all the announcements in due course, but for the moment, here are the five most important reveals from this year’s conference.
Device support
iOS 12 will work on all the same devices as iOS 11 – that includes iPhones and iPads released as far back as 2013. Apple is making a huge effort to improve performance this year, especially on older devices.
Memoji
Building on last year’s Animoji, iOS 12 will allow users to create their own 3D likenesses – called “Memoji” – and bring them to life via augmented reality capture from the front camera. You can even replace your own head with its Memoji equivalent and animate it.
Siri shortcuts
A new feature called Shortcuts will give Siri the power to trigger functions in third-party apps using custom commands. These actions will be configurable from a new app and launchable from the lock screen.
Screen Time
If you’re worried about device overuse or app addiction, a new app called Screen Time will detail exactly how you use your device. It will break down time spent in each app and allow you to set limits, with extra restrictions available for parents.
Tracking prevention
Apple is doubling down on tracking prevention in Safari, using new techniques to prevent data companies using “fingerprinting.” These improvements are for both iOS and Macs, and can block comment sections and sharing buttons as well as adverts.
One more thing…
A slick new dark mode was announced for the latest version of macOS (codenamed Mojave) but iOS users are still, excuse the pun, in the dark. No mention of the long-awaited feature for iPhone or iPad. Maybe we’ll finally see dark mode emerge from the shadows in iOS 13?
All these features will become available to the public this Fall, but developers can get their hands on beta versions immediately. We’re going to dig our teeth into iOS 12 and bring you much more detail in the coming days. Stay tuned!