iOS 15 announced: The highlights and availability

The 2021 iOS update will be known as the iOS 15.

It is considered a major Apple update of the iPhone operating system (OS) and it was announced and demonstrated during the opening keynote presentation of Apple’s WWDC 2021 this week.

iPhones that will gets the iOS 15

There’s good news for plenty of iPhone users as owners of iPhone here will see their devices able to install and use the iOS 15:

  • iPhone 6s
  • iPhone 6s Plus
  • iPhone SE (2016)
  • iPhone 7
  • iPhone 7 Plus
  • iPhone 8
  • iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone 11
  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone SE (2020)
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 12iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max

I highly anticipate the new iPhones, which are said to be iPhone 13, to also run on this new OS.

iOS 15 highlights and availability

Highlights of the iOS 15

If you are excited about the iOS 15, here’s some highlights of my choice, as brief as I can possibly explain.

Apple will be improving it’s Apple FaceTime in iOS 15.  There’s plans for new microphone modes to separate the user’s voice from background noise, portrait mode for FaceTime, and ShareTime will not allow users to share songs or movies while using FaceTime.

Apple also said that users will now be able to FaceTime with Android and Windows devices using the web in the new update.

The notification function of the iOS 15 will also be improved with the introduction of Focus.

Focus uses on-device intelligence to suggest which people and apps are allowed to send notifications based on users’ context, like during their work hours or while they’re winding down for bed.

In addition to that, Apple will also redesign its notifications by adding contact photos for people and larger icons for apps.

A new notification summary collects non-time-critical notifications while it’s on-device intelligence will see notifications arranged by priority, with the most relevant notifications rising to the top.

One of my favourite features in the propose iOS 15 would be how Live Text will now feature an on-device intelligence to recognize text in a photo and allow users to take action.
This means users can search for and locate the picture of a handwritten family recipe, or capture a phone number from a storefront with the option to place a call.
Live Text, together with Spotlight, will allow the use of intelligence to search photos by location, people, scenes, or objects
There’s more to the list including:
  • Photos includes the biggest update ever to Memories, with a fresh new look, an interactive interface
  • Apple Wallet will add support for additional types of keys.  This will make it possible to access everyday places with just a tap.
  • Maps will introduce a brand new way to navigate and explore locations in it including three-dimensional city-driving experience with new road details that help users better see and understand important details like turn lanes, medians, bike lanes, and pedestrian crosswalks.
  • Notes adds user-created tags
  • Siri adding Announce Notifications on AirPods
  • Weather includes more graphical displays of weather data, full-screen maps, and dynamic layouts that change based on conditions
  • Shared with You being able to work across the system to find the articles, music, TV shows, photos, and more that are shared in Messages conversations, and conveniently surfaces them in apps like Photos, Safari, Apple News, Music, Podcasts, and the Apple TV app, making it easy to quickly access the information in context.
  • Safari will also get a new design which will make controls easier to reach with one hand and puts content front and center.
  • iCloud+ combines everything users love about iCloud with new premium features
  • The Health app getting a new sharing tab that lets users share their health data with family, caregivers, or a care team
  • HomeKit accessory makers will be able to enable “Hey Siri” in their products
  • Find My will introduces new capabilities to help locate a device that has been turned off or erased
  • Translate to add new Live Translate feature that makes conversation flow naturally across languages,
  • The Apple TV app featuring a new row titled “For All of You”
  • New iPhone setup makes it more seamless than ever to get started with iPhone.
  • Accessibility across iPhone expands with new features for VoiceOver that enable users to explore even more details about the people, text, table data, and other objects within images.

Malaysian iOS 15 availability

For now, the iOS 15 developer preview is available to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com.

The public beta for the operating system will be available next month (July) at beta.apple.com.

The stable version should be released somewhere in September as Apple tends to release it with the new iPhones.

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