Apple has released iOS 15, the latest version of its software for iPhone, ahead of the arrival of the iPhone 13 in stores on Friday. Previewed back at WWDC 2021, and in public beta for the past few months, iOS 15 brings changes both aesthetic and functional to the iPhone, though not all the features initially promised will be present … Continue reading
Apple has released iOS 15, and the good news is that the free update for iPhone has plenty of new apps, features, and toys to keep you entertained. While it’s tempting to jump straight in, the sensible iPhone owner takes a few steps to make sure their experience of the new iOS version is as smooth as possible. Read on … Continue reading
Best Buy stores are reportedly ready to release PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles in the USA this week. This would be the first time PlayStation 5 (PS5) would be released in a physical store in the USA at a major-label non-club retailer in the year 2021. It’s been a long, weird journey since the two mega-popular gaming consoles … Continue reading
Apple is now rolling out iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15 to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV devices. You might not see the updates right away, but when they’re available, you’ll have access to a bunch more features.
Facetime and Messages have been upgraded on both iPhone and iPad. Facetime supports spatial audio and reduces background noise, while people can join Facetime calls through shareable links on the web and Android. It’ll be easier to keep track of things your friends and family share with you in Messages thanks to dedicated tabs in the News, Music, TV and Podcasts apps.
Notifications have also been overhauled. You’ll have more control over push alerts and you can let only notifications from select apps and people through when you activate one of the new Focus modes. There are profiles for activities including sleeping and working, and the OS can automatically rearrange your home screen apps to bring the ones you’re most likely to use at a certain time to the forefront.
Also new in iOS 15 is the Live Text function, which works in a similar way to Google Lens. The feature can extract written text from photos, screenshots and the world around you. You can edit, translate and share the text. The feature can also identify things like art, landmarks, plants and pets.
Elsewhere, there are new features for the Maps, Photos and Weather apps on iOS. Spotlight searches will have richer results, including your own photos, with Apple using machine learning to figure out what’s in each image.
On iPad, Quick Notes are now a system-wide feature — just swipe in from the lower right corner to jot down some thoughts using the keyboard or Apple Pencil. Expect some multitasking and Safari changes too.
One thing that iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 don’t have at launch is the SharePlay feature. It lets you enjoy movies, shows and music together with friends over Facetime, and you can share your screen with them. Apple will release the feature on those operating systems, tvOS 15 and macOS Monterey later. Apple also put the child safety features it planned to release as part of iOS 15 on the back burner while it makes improvements.
The watchOS 8 update perhaps isn’t quite as extensive. There’s a bigger focus on mindfulness and health, including some new workout categories. Apple Watch now has deeper integration with iPhone, with features including Focus mode support and a Contacts app. You can also expect portrait watch faces and multiple timers.
Apple TV now has spatial audio support, including for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, following the tvOS 15 update. You can also connect multiple HomePod minis to an Apple TV 4K and use those as the default speakers.
If you have an iPhone 6s or later, iPhone SE (either generation) or seventh-gen iPod touch, you’ll be able to install iOS 15. Those with Apple tablets can run iPadOS 15 on fifth-gen and later iPads, iPad mini 4 and later, iPad Air 2 and later and all iPad Pro devices. Meanwhile, watchOS 8 is supported by Apple Watch Series 3 and later devices.
As for macOS Monterey, Apple has yet to announce a firm release date for the next version of its Mac operating system. Monterey should be available sometime this fall.
Apple is rolling out the major annual firmware updates just a few days before the iPhone 13 lineup and new iPads arrive. Apple Watch Series 7 will be released later this fall.
Apple may have only announced its iPhone 13 lineup last week, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is already looking ahead to the company’s 2022 lineup. According to an investor note seen by MacRumors, Kuo claims Apple will release three new iPhones in the second half of the year. The two high-end models will reportedly feature punch-hole display cutouts and a 48-megapixel primary camera. In other words, the expectation is that Apple will start moving away from the notch design that has defined its phones since the release of the iPhone X in 2017.
Moving to a 48-megapixel camera would also represent a significant change for the company. Recent iPhones have exclusively shipped with 12-megapixel primary cameras. By moving to a denser sensor, the company could use pixel binning technology to allow people to take high-resolution shots during the day and less noisy ones when the sun starts to set.
Looking further ahead, Kuo said Apple plans to add an in-display fingerprint sensor to the iPhone in 2023. Previously, the analyst had predicted that would happen next year, but now notes a slower than expected development process has delayed Apple’s rollout of the feature. That’s a significant delay when you consider early reports on the iPhone 13 lineup had suggested those phones would include in-display fingerprint sensors. Similarly, he expects the company will release a foldable iPhone in 2024, where he had previously predicted we would see the device sometime in 2023. As always, take these reports with a grain of salt. Kuo has a decent but not flawless track record when predicting Apple releases.
DoorDash has expanded booze delivery so that more people can drink at home. If this is unfamiliar, you have not known shame until you’ve stood there in your pajamas with the door wide open, fumbling with your ID while a Dasher holds your bag of pre-batched margs. Lockdown was hard on us all.
The only thing scarier than a friend returning from the grave is if they bring you with them. That’s what happens in Multiverse, a new movie from Saban Films. Previously titled Entangled, the new name seems to be banking on fans already excited by Loki, What If, and Spider-Man: No Way Home and their multiverse…
The wait is over: iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and watchOS 8 are out now. The software upgrades pack in a ton of new features, including fun FaceTime additions and Focus modes to better manage notifications. (Plus a whole bunch of other stuff.) If you want the latest, you’ll have to update your devices. But before you do that,…
iOS 15 is now officially available to download as an over-the-air upgrade for iPhones, and it’s got more than just new wallpapers to try out. Once you install the big update, there are a slew of new features to check out, some of which might just change the way you use your iPhone. Here are 19 ways iOS 15 is a huge…
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
