Apple iOS 15: Key features you should know

Apple showcased several new features coming in the next-generation major software to all its products from iPhone to iPad and to Homepod at the ongoing virtual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2021 (June 7-11) event in Cupertino HQ.

Apple is bringing a truckload of new features and security upgrades with the upcoming iOS 15 for iPhone.

Apple iOS 15: Key features you should know
Focus: This new feature will let users set modes such as working, sleeping, do not disturb, and driving on the phone. Users can set the pre-written message to reply to friends according to the mode set on the iPhone.

Furthermore, users can create Home Screen pages with apps and widgets that apply to moments of focus to only display relevant apps and reduce temptation.

For instance, if the user is on work mode, only the related apps such as slack, official email messages gets notified on the iPhone's screen while others if they message on personal messenger app, the sender see the receiver's Focus status, reflecting that a user is not currently reachable.

There is also a custom option to name the mode too and enable/disable apps during that period.

Big upgrades come to FaceTime: The new iOS 15 will bring added support for spatial audio. This means voice will be more natural on video group chat on Apple devices than ever before. It will be enabled by the new microphone mode, which can separate the user’s voice from background noise.

Also, with advancements in selfie cameras in the iPhones, FaceTime will make good use of it to offer Portrait mode. It is specifically for video calls, so users can blur their background and put themselves in focus.

Another notable aspect of FaceTime is that for the first time ever, it will extend beyond Apple devices. With the new schedule FaceTime feature, users can create schedules and send invite links not just to other iPhones, iPad, or Mac, and share them through Messages, Calendar, Mail, but also to third-party apps including Android and Windows devices. But, the people with the latter two can join FaceTime via browser apps Chrome or Edge only.

SharePlay: This option will be visible on the FaceTime app. Users on the video call can share songs together with Apple Music, watch a TV show or movie in sync. And, even share their screen to view apps or browse the web together. There is also a 'Shared' playback control feature that allows anyone play, pause, or jump ahead. Users can extend playback to Apple TV, and watch it on their TV while sharing the moment with friends and family connected over FaceTime.

Redesigned Notifications: The new iOS update will come with a reimagined and better visual interface. To help reduce distraction, Apple says that a new notification summary collects non-time-critical notifications for delivery at a more opportune time, such as in the morning and evening.

With the on-device intelligence, notifications are arranged by priority, with the most relevant notifications rising to the top, and based on a user’s interactions with apps. Urgent messages will be delivered immediately. Users can temporarily mute any app or messaging thread for the next hour or for the day.

Live Text: This is similar to Google Lens. With Live Text, iPhone users will be able to copy-paste text, numbers on a photo or banner to either search on Safari or call the mobile number.

Also, the new Live Translate feature will make conversation flow naturally across languages. Systemwide translation allows users to translate text anywhere on iPhone.

Privacy: Apple is bringing Mail Privacy Protection, where-in it stops senders, particularly business companies from learning whether an email (containing ads) has been opened, and also hides IP addresses so senders can’t learn a user’s location or use it to build a profile on them.

The new iOS 15 will bring the new App Privacy Report, which offers an overview of how apps use the access that has been granted to location, photos, camera, microphone, and contacts in the last seven days, and which other domains are contacted.

Apple ID: The new iOS 15 is bringing Account Recovery Contacts. This will make resetting the password and maintaining access to account easier than ever. And a new Digital Legacy program lets users designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access the account in the event of your death.

Key new features of iOS 15. Credit: Apple

Apple Wallet gets better: Currently, Apple iPhone users can walk-in theaters or college campuses with digital tickets or ID cards stored in the Wallet app. And with Apple Pay, users can also make retail purchases or travel on mass transit vehicles in select countries. Now, Wallet is getting more features. Firstly, digital car keys, first announced in 2020, will finally be ready for use with compatible cars rolling out this year.

Apple Wallet will support digital keys including state ID for the airport security check-in, and also integrate with third-party hotels and home security apps to unlock hotel room, home, and even securely pass-through office security door.

Redesigned Safari: With iOS 15, Safari will get an upgrade in terms of visual appeal. It will be able to blend into the colour of the webpage and also, it can combine tab, the toolbar, and the search field into a single, compact display mode. It will come with new Tab Groups that offer a new way to easily save and manage tabs separately for planning trips, shopping, or storing frequently visited tabs.

Health gets Walking Steadiness feature: With iOS 15, iPhones with A12 Bionic and newer versions will make full use of the sensors to calculate Walking Steadiness to tell the owner if they are walking properly and also can be able to predict if he/she is prone to suffer a fall in near future.

Also, the Health app gets a new sharing tab that lets users share their health data with family, caregivers, or a care team. And Trends gives users a way to focus attention on meaningful changes in personal health metrics.

Find My network improvements: It now supports AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Also, the new Find My widget offers an at-a-glance view directly from the Home Screen.

Enhancements to Siri: For the first time ever, Siri will work without an internet connection. Except for browsing the web, users can ask Siri to perform tasks faster such as setting multiple timers, open an app, call a person, or do other stuff.

Also, Siri also adds Announce Notifications on AirPods, the ability for users to share what’s on their screen just by asking, and more.

The new iOS 15 brings new capabilities to Siri, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max. Credit: Apple

New features for Photos app: Once iOS 15 is installed, the Photos app will use on-device intelligence to help users identify objects within a photo, such as a type of flower or dog breed.

Also, Spotlight now adds the ability to search the Photos app and web images and has all-new rich results for contacts with context like recent conversations, shared photos, and their location if shared through Find My.

Leveraging Live Text, Spotlight makes it easy to look up a photo of a public transit map, receipt, or a screenshot of a cooking recipe, the company said.

Accessibility: The new iOS 15 is bringing VoiceOver screen-reader app. It uses on-device intelligence to explore objects within images, enabling users to discover more details about the people, text, table data, and other objects within images. Support for third-party eye-tracking hardware enables users to control iPad using only their eyes.

Redesigned Weather app: It comes fresh new look in terms of graphical displays of weather data and beautifully redesigned animated backgrounds — along with precipitation, air quality, and temperature maps.

Apple Maps: It will offer a better view of the roads in 3D in select cities around the world.

Notes app: The new iOS 15 brings productivity updates in Notes enable users to organise with tags and collaborate in new ways with mentions and an Activity view.

Apple iCloud Plus: It offers premium services such as Hide My Email, expanded HomeKit Secure Video support (CCTV recording stored to iCloud), and an innovative new internet privacy service, iCloud Private Relay. It is similar to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) feature that hides the identity of the user and even the device, by diverting internet traffic through two relay systems, obscuring your information even from Apple.

In India, iCloud+ plans start with Rs 75 per month. It offers 50GB with one HomeKit Secure Video camera. With Rs 219/month and offers 200GB with up to five HomeKit Secure Video cameras. There is another plan that costs Rs 749 per month and it offers 2TB with an unlimited number of HomeKit Secure Video cameras.

List of Apple iPod Touch and iPhone models eligible for the new iOS 15:
Apple iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE (1st gen), iPhone SE (2nd gen) and iPod Touch (7th gen).

The new iOS 15 will be released as a free software update to all eligible devices later this year in September.

Interested software developers can download iOS 15 beta to experience the new features (here).

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