iOS 15 - page 7

iOS and iPadOS 15 prioritize 5G over Wi-Fi for better connectivity

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save battery life when using 5G on iPhone 12
Giving you the best possible download and upload speeds.
Photo: Apple

If you’re lucky enough to get strong and speedy 5G coverage where you live, you’ll be pleased that it gets prioritized over Wi-Fi in iOS and iPadOS 15 when your usual network is slow.

The new feature expands your 5G capabilities on iPhone 12 and M1 iPad Pro and could make certain tasks — like downloading high-resolution movies and music or uploading data to iCloud — significantly faster.

iOS 15 gives you temporary iCloud storage boost for device upgrades

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iCloud
All the storage you need, free of charge.
Photo: Apple

Apple is making iPhone and iPad upgrades easier by giving users a temporary boost in iCloud storage free of charge.

The change, which comes with iOS and iPadOS 15 this fall, will allow you to backup the entire contents of your device and transfer it all to a new one — even if you’re using the free 5GB storage plan.

9 things that blew us away at WWDC 2021

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Apple CEO Tim Cook wraps the WWDC21 keynote on June 7, 2021.
Apple CEO Tim Cook wraps the WWDC21 keynote on June 7, 2021.
Photo: Apple

Some new features really stood out when Apple revealed the next versions of all its operating systems during Monday’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. Users of iPhone, Mac and iPad, and Apple Watch, too, can look forward to welcome improvements this fall.

We picked out the best of these to make sure they don’t get overlooked.

Apple Maps gets fancy new features for drivers, transit riders and tourists

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Certain launch cities will get highly detailed views in the iOS 15's updated Apple Maps
Certain launch cities will get highly detailed views in the iOS 15's updated Apple Maps
Photo: Apple

In iOS 15, Apple Maps will gain new features that make life easier for anybody using the app to navigate the world. An interactive globe will give users a new way to dive into Apple Maps. Enhanced details will make driving safer and less confusing. And new features will make exploring certain cities simpler than ever.

“Our goal has always been to build the world’s best map,” said Meg Frost, product design director of Apple Maps, during Monday’s WWDC keynote. “So we looked at everything we’ve done so far and asked ourselves, ‘How can we push things even further?'”

Siri will work offline and come to third-party devices this year

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Apple’s AI-driven voice-controlled digital assistant Siri
Siri is finally expanding its reach.
Photo: Apple

Siri will soon be able to handle many of your questions and requests offline. When Apple’s next-generation software updates roll out this fall, on-device speech recognition will negate the need for a data connection.

Apple is also opening Siri up to third parties, paving the way for its virtual assistant to be integrated into all manner of smart devices in the future.

iOS 15 brings welcome enhancements to FaceTime, notifications, more

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iOS 15 brings welcome enhancements to FaceTime, Notifications, more
Apple took the wraps off iOS 15 on the opening day of its WWDC conference.
Screenshot: Apple

iOS 15 just made the jump from rumor to reality. Apple is bringing major new features to FaceTime, Messages, notifications, and more. Many of the applications that come bundled with iPhone are getting updates, like Apple Maps and Weather.

However, some features people had been hoping for didn’t make the cut, like interactive widgets.

iPadOS 15 to MacBooks: Everything we’re looking forward to at WWDC 2021

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What to expect at WWDC 2021: iOS 15, macOS 12, new MacBook models, and more.
Get ready for updates to five operating systems. And maybe a pair of new MacBooks.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

June 7 will be the single most important day of 2021 for Apple. It’s the start of the annual Worldwide Developers Conference where the company will ceremoniously unveil fresh operating system updates for iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and more.

Big changes are anticipated for iPadOS 15, and some nice enhancements are also predicted for iOS 15. The improvements in macOS 12, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15 are likely to be more modest.

But the show won’t stop there. While WWDC is supposed to be about software, there’s a good chance we will see new MacBooks announced Monday as well.

Why interactive widgets might be the best improvement in iOS 15 [Updated]

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iOS 15 widgets concept
The single best change Apple could make in iOS 15 is interactive widgets.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Update:  iOS 15 was unveiled at WWDC 2021 and there was no mention of interactive widgets. Maybe in 2022…


It’s high time iPhone Home screen widgets grew up. They were one of the best additions to iOS last year, but they are still too limited. Fortunately, iOS 15 will reportedly make widgets much more interactive.

There are a few other changes expected in the new iPhone system software update, but none are as important as this one.

Apple details plans for WWDC 2021

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Apple’s all-online Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off June 7 with keynote address at 10 a.m. PST.
Set your alarms! The WWDC 2021 keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. PST.
Image: Apple

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference is scheduled for June 7, and on Monday the iPhone-maker revealed that the all-important keynote address for WWDC 2021 will be held at 10 a.m. PDT on that day. This is almost certainly when they wraps will come off the next major upgrades for iOS, macOS and the company’s other operating systems.

New hardware is possible but far from certain.

iOS 15 will feature updated Lock Screen, notifications, more privacy features

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iPadOS 14 is good but iPadOS 15 just needs some new features to even better.
What to expect from iOS 15.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iOS 15 will include tweaked user notifications, an updated Lock Screen, an iMessage overhaul, additional privacy features and a redesigned iPad Home Screen, according to Bloomberg.

Until now, little has been reported about iOS/iPadOS 15 ahead of its likely debut at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference this June. Thursday’s report says Apple refers to the upcoming upgrade internally as “Sky.”

We don’t know anything about iOS 15 yet. And that’s great, because Apple spoilers suck.

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iPadOS 14 is good but iPadOS 15 just needs some new features to even better.
Things have been reassuringly quiet on the iOS 15 front.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

We don’t know anything about iOS 15 yet. And I’m totally OK with that. By comparison, this time last year we already knew plenty about iOS 14. This year, Apple’s somehow managed to keep leaks to virtually zero — despite the fact that many Apple engineers are working from home right now.

Here’s why I’m not shedding any tears over the lack of leaks. And why, frankly, I’d be happy if that same secrecy extended to other Apple products, too.

An iPhone running macOS apps could be all the computer you need [Opinion]

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An iPhone running Mac apps could replace a Mac mini
An iPhone capable of running macOS software on an external display would be a game changer.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Macs will soon use Apple Silicon, the same type of proprietary processors found in iPhones. And an unconfirmed report indicates that Apple is exploring ways to let iPhones run Mac apps on an external display.

If true, an iOS handset could be all the computer many consumers need. They’d never have to buy a Mac again.

iOS 15 concept goes minimalist with the Home screen

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iOS concept thinks simple, not more complex.
An iOS 15 concept design simplifies the Home screen... and looks familiar.
Concept: Roland Mészáros

When concept designers imagine the future of iOS, they often pack in new features. A new design goes the opposite route, simplifying the look of the iPhone to “keep you focused,” in the words of the artist.

Still, it finds space for some Home screen widgets, which are supposed to debut in iOS 14.

COVID-19 might mean no new emoji in 2021

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2020 emoji
No new emoji might appear in 2021, so these 2020 additions might be the last for a while.
Photo: Emojipedia

The group that’ll determine which emojis would have been added next year said Wednesday that it’s delaying its decision by six months, until September 2021. This raises the possibility that there’ll be no new emoji characters in next year’s iPhone operating system update.

The new 2020 emoji list has already been unveiled by the Unicode Consortium.