Apple has a well earned reputation for innovation, and the new iOS 15 software only supports this – so what are some of our favourite new bells and whistles?
When Apple founder and visionary Steve Jobs began designing the world’s first iPhone all the way back in 2005, he had two choices – shrink the Macbook, or enlarge the iPod. By purposefully pitting both of those design teams against each other in an internal competition at Apple HQ, the result was iPhone Operating System, or iOS.
The humble iPhone has a user interface built around a multi-touch screen. They connect to both cellular networks and Wi-Fi, and can make calls, browse the internet, take pictures and videos, play music, and send and receive text messages and emails. Since its initial release in 2007, the iPhone’s features have certainly come a long way. Improvements have been made to keep up with consumer demand, such as larger screen sizes, waterproofing, the ability to install third party apps, and many more accessibility features.
However, 2007 was a long time ago in the world of tech. As a result, iOS receives regular updates to ensure that Apple remains at the forefront of innovation, and its worldwide team of loyal users receive software refreshes, updates and new features even without purchasing a new device.
The arrival of the new iOS 15 software doesn’t necessarily offer huge changes to iPhone users but instead introduces a range of smaller tweaks designed to make using the technology more efficient and streamlined in our day to day lives. Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, seemingly agrees.
“For many customers, the iPhone has become indispensable, and this year we’ve created even more ways it can enhance our daily lives. iOS 15 helps users stay connected while sharing experiences in real time, gives them new tools to help reduce distraction and find focus, uses intelligence to enhance the photos experience, and, with huge upgrades to Maps, brings new ways to explore the world. We can’t wait for customers to experience it.”
For users in Australia who are eager to get their hands on the update, just some of the more notable new features include the following.
SharePlay – If you’re quite social and like to share music, videos, and your phone’s screen, SharePlay is a new way to communicate in lieu of screenshots. As an example, users can listen to an album on Apple Music together, or watch a Netflix show together while chatting in iMessage with the picture-in-picture mode. SharePlay will work across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Disney+, TikTok, Twitch and many others are integrating SharePlay into their apps, creating entirely new ways to digitally connect.
Notifications And Focus – On top of improvements to notifications to encourage a more modern and categorised interface, iOS 15 will also introduce changes to the ‘Do Not Disturb’ function and add the new ‘Focus’ mode. The former simply lets you set a DND status in Messages and iMessage will auto-reply to say that you’re busy or otherwise engaged. Focus lets you set up profiles like work and personal, that change depending on how you use the phone, letting you eliminate distractions while you’re working or taking some time for yourself.
Live Text – As we live in an increasingly visual world, it would seem that Apple has done the work to accommodate this. Similar to Google Lens, Apple will introduce Live Text to iOS 15. Users will be able to copy text from within a photo, screenshot, or web image. Apple has also added Lookup, which allows users to point the camera at something and look it up. It can recognise animals, nature, landmarks, art, and much more, and is designed to function in a similar fashion to using Google to search for an image instead of a text based search term.
Maps – Apple has gone for the jugular in relation to maps and navigation superiority with Maps in iOS 15. It’ll now offer a globe similar to Google Earth, and add new details such as elevation, turn lanes, and bike lanes. It’ll also show you new road details and traffic conditions. Transit users will be able to pin their favourite public transport lines, with the new Maps even letting you know when it’s time to disembark. As Apple continues to head towards augmented reality, the new features are a means to take on Google Maps.
Wallet – Wallet is getting some improvements, letting you add car keys (with supported car manufacturers such as BMW), corporate badges, hotel keys at participating venues, and even state IDs in participating regions in the United States. While the latter is unlikely to happen in Australia anytime soon, it’s an indication that the technology giant is acutely aware that the world is becoming increasingly digital. When the time comes for the rollout of digital identity cards, Apple already has the privacy and security technology ready to go.
With new Apple products generally released every year, such as the rumoured Apple 13 allegedly hitting the shelves in September, it’s important for the Silicon Valley tech giants to provide users with the best possible software in order to make the most of the new models. However, navigating them by yourself isn’t always easy, so who can you turn to for assistance?
SOS Phone Repairs are specialists in high-quality, cost-effective phone repairs, tablet repairs, and PC repairs, all backed with a six month warranty. Founded in 2015 in Coffs Harbour and now with over sixteen outlets located all over Australia, our primary driving factors remained the same: people and phones.
Whether it’s to get a few more years out of your trusted iPhone, to fix one up to sell, or to repurpose an old one as a gift, repairing a smartphone might just be easier and cheaper than you think. It’s also a great way to upcycle and keep electronics out of Australian landfills.
If you are on the hunt for a quote, diagnostic, or even just some good old fashioned, friendly advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call today at SOS Phone Repairs.
