Apple has just released iOS12. And as is usually the case with all of Apple’s major iOS iterations, this release too focuses primarily on improving the overall device performance. Along with a major perf-boost, there are new features to add on as well.
The iOS 12 update applies to all of Apple hardware that can run iOS 11. In more specific environment terms, this includes the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad mini 2 and later, the iPad Air and later as well as the most recent iPod touch.
Coming to the release, the more prominent and immediate improvements that you will witness, almost immediately, are faster camera swipes and and improved keyboard displays. Apple claims that camera swipe will now be faster by a whopping 70%. In terms of making your typing faster and more productive, iOS 12 will now have 50% faster keyboard display.
For those who are still in love with the older generation of iPhones — iPhone 6/7 — you will almost immediately notice a faster response time while launching different apps. Entering text and getting to the camera also gets faster and the change will obviously be more prominently visible in older devices.
Coming to newer features, iOS 12 now lets you monitor your screen time, to help you and the device understand how much time you spend on each of your apps. Notifications get grouped together, and can be hence be silenced on the go. Also, taking cue from Blackberry’s ‘Meeting mode’ feature, the ‘Do not disturb’ mode on your Apple device can now be scheduled for a specific set of hours.
And of course, there is an improved Siri. It can now intelligently pair your daily routines with third-party apps to suggest convenient shortcuts right when you need them. So if you typically pick up a coffee on the way to work, Siri will learn your routine and suggest when to place your order from the Lock screen. You can also run shortcuts with your voice or create your own with the Shortcuts app.
Once again, living up to its repute of being one of the more privacy-driven OS, Safari in iOS 12 has gotten better. It now prevents Share buttons and comment widgets on web pages from tracking you without your permission. Safari also prevents advertisers from collecting your device’s unique characteristics, so they can’t identify your device or retarget ads to you across the web.
Additional aesthetics include re-designed Apple Books and Stocks apps. The designs are now more intuitive and lively. Also, iPhone’s phone recording app is now making a debut on the iPad as well.
iOS 12 is currently rolling out and is available both over-the-air in the Settings app, and by plugging your device into iTunes for a wired update.
