The iOS 12 release date is next month, at least in beta form, giving the initial developers and testers the first crack in Apple's next big update for their iPhone and iPad.
We expect iOS 12 to debut on on June 4 at WWDC 2018. And, for now, that should not surprise you: Apple releases its new iOS update at the same time every year.
However, its new software features are always full of unexpected and exciting news. We anticipate revolutionary ideas, but also a healthy dose correction given our many, many continuous problems of iOS 11.
With the launch of the iPhone X last year, the theoretical release date of the iPhone X2 and iPhone 9 will occur later in 2018 and, in the middle, the new iPad 2018 compatible with Pencil is thrown into more hands, Apple seems ready to make more important changes.
Here is our list of what we expect from iOS 12 beta, given the leaks and rumors about the next big update of the mobile operating system for the iPhone and iPad.
Cut to the hunt
- What is iOS 12? The next software update for Apple iPhone and iPad
- When is the release date of iOS 12? Announcement on June 4 with a later beta version, September release
- How much will iOS 12 cost? Nothing. iOS 12 will remain free.
iOS 12 release date
The iOS 12 release date is June 4, 2018 . At least, that's when we expect to see the changes that Apple is making in its mobile software during its inaugural address to WWDC 2018.
That's next month. Usually, Apple announces its new iOS update during its WorldWide Developers Conference and issues the first developer beta within the next week. It also issues a public beta, also released previously in June, for every non-developer willing to try it.
Apple needs these beta versions more than ever for iOS 12, since it has been plagued by problems with iOS 11. It is likely that the company will continue with the same beta implementation schedule, since it values this feedback and diagnostic analysis of so many users.
The final release date of iOS 12 real is September for all others, if we do it & # 39; following the history of Apple's release dates. And it may be just along with an iPhone X2 and an iPhone 9 that is supposed to be a more economical version of the iPhone X with LCD.
iOS 12 focuses on the reliability of big changes
"iOS 12 simply works " may be Apple's big message about its upcoming iPhone update, as it is reportedly focusing on reliability and archiving many interesting features.
These are good news and bad news if you were expecting iOS 12 with a new design. There may be fewer front functions, but your iPhone can reset less. It's hard to argue with that.
The redesign of the home screen and the updates of the Camera, Mail and Photos application may have to wait until iOS 13, if you believe in the rumors about the new mission of the Apple team. Everything is in an effort to make the stabilization of iOS 12 impeccable.
Will the iOS 12 and macOS cross-platform applications be carried out?
It was thought that Apple was bringing first and third-party iOS apps to your Mac, making one of the biggest features of iOS 12 for your computer instead of your phone.
It's a long-awaited update. We have always asked: Why can not you control your smart home with the Home application through that omnipotent iMac Pro? It is a ridiculous notion.
It is rumored that Apple will allow developers to expand their application ecosystem to the next update of macOS 10.14. It is said that Apple's own applications, such as Home, are finally making the leap, according to recent reports.
Do not get too excited. This feature can also be saved for iOS 13 and macOS 11.5 in 2019, says a new report. Supposedly you are working, but how quickly you get to the table can leave you waiting for a while.
More animojis in more places (like iPad)
Whether you demanded it or vehemently opposed it, Apple should bring more Animojis to iOS 12 to use with the Face ID iPhone X camera. IOS 11.3 only gave us four Animoji's new faces to play, but why stop there?
The navigation of these animated character masks should also be easier, according to Bloomberg. That's important, because to get a better use, they have to leave their confines of Apple Messages, where Animoji is currently buried.
Apple's Animoji character can do two jumps in 2018. First, the natural jump to FaceTime for video chats behind a virtual panda, robot and poop mask. Second, what could be a new iPad Pro 2018 with a Face ID camera. We have seen some evidence of an iPad updated recently, beyond the new and cheap iPad 2018.
Better autocorrection
Maybe we could have grouped this change of iOS 12 in corrections, but it deserves its own mention. Everyone wants a better autocorrection of the built-in iOS keyboard.
Currently, it can be downright terrible. Why? It may be due to Apple's commendable position on privacy, with all the improvements that occur on the device itself
or masked so that people are not identifiable.
Apple says it is not extracting its data as it can find on some Android phones. But we also want a smarter keyboard that does not have auto-capture or random autocorrection. iOS 12 is the perfect opportunity for Apple to balance differential privacy with our typing needs. With the focus on reliability this should be near the top of the list.
More features of iOS 12 we want to see
Although nothing is known about iOS 12, we have a clear idea of some of the things we want to see, like the following.
Password Manager for the whole system
We would also like to see a password manager for the entire system integrated in iOS 12, not just the username and password saved in Safari. That's not useful if you have apps on iOS.
With Face Unlock and Touch ID protect our phones, there is little fear of relying on a password manager on mobile devices. And remembering the passwords of so many different applications seems like a second layer of wasteful security.
Display indications always activated?
Keep in mind the suggestions of the small screen always on iOS 12, since Apple could easily squeeze this useful feature on the iPhone X2 OLED screen in September. The software may have hidden hooks for an always active screen in the iOS 12 beta code.
OLED essentially "off" & # 39; the black parts of the screen in an effort to not show the bare minimum without exhausting the battery life. The phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9, the Google Pixel 2 and even the rumored LG G7 have shown this idea with great effect.
Apple has an immediate activation feature that has been a big hit among the new iPhones. But a true screen always active would help differentiate the OLED from the iPhone X2 from the rumored iPhone 9 LCD.
New iOS 12 wallpaper
Each new version of iOS seems to have a new wallpaper, and we hope that iOS 12 will not be different in 2018. It should allow Apple to display its iPhone X OLED screen. [19659002]
Specifically, we could see more dynamic Apple wallpapers. iOS 12 needs more moving backgrounds in addition to a lot of moving bubbles in various colors.
The new iOS 12 conceptual videos show the iconic wallpaper of the Earth spinning, for example. At this time, it is a flat image, and that does not mean that OLEDs are fully used.
Grouped notifications
iOS 12 can finally bring a solution to have as many notifications in chronological order. Every morning, our iPhone is riddled with so many ungrouped alerts.
Group notifications together would make life easier, as long as it is not different from what we had in iOS 9 with many spaces between important alerts. Android Oreo does this well, and iOS 12 could easily raise this feature.
We've seen that iOS 12 concepts include grouped notifications and also small notification icons on the lock screen for things like weather and activity ring progress. That would take up less space and provide data at a glance just below the time and date.
Group FaceTime
Speaking of grouped things, we are interested in opening the FaceTime party to more than 1: 1 chats. iOS 12 should welcome the group FaceTime on iPhones and iPads.
We had 1: 1 video chats long enough
Conference software, from Hangouts to Skype, you can already do this, so it's only natural to expect that Apple will eventually open FaceTime to groups. iOS 12 can be.
Sound familiar? This was supposed to be a feature of the current version of iOS, but it did not really happen last year. Either that rumor was incorrect or it was archived until iOS 12. We will discover more in June.
Camera controls in the camera application
File this in: Why is this still a problem? The application of the Apple camera is very simple compared to its competitions, to the point that it can not change the video resolutions within the camera application. It has to be done through Settings> Photo and camera> Record video. All this requires leaving the camera application. That is very useless.
We would also like to see other configurations easier to use. Android phones do a good job of allowing you to switch between the front and rear camera by sliding up or down on the screen, and white timer numbers (3s, 10s) can be difficult to see in landscape mode when & # 39; We are focusing on a subject that is white.
While some redesigned applications have been archived for iOS 13, we expect these small adjustments to enter the iOS 12 beta in a few weeks.