[imagesource: Apple]

Yesterday, Apple debuted iOS 15 at the company’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference.

With each new operating system, the Apple experience improves, and there are some exciting new features coming our way when the update is released to the public, which looks be some time around September.

Rather than run you through everything the update will cover, we’ll pick a few of the more exciting features, starting with the updates planned for FaceTime.

This from CNET:

FaceTime will offer spatial audio to make people’s voices appear to come from their position on screen, making your video chats feel more natural and lifelike.

FaceTime will also start to look more like Zoom, allowing users to see all participants in a grid view, schedule calls, and share links to calls that can be accessed via browser on Google Android and Microsoft Windows devices.

There will also be a voice isolation feature, aimed at blocking out ambient noise and placing the focus on the user’s voice, which will come through “crystal clear,” according to Craig Federighi, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering.

Great for those who have noisy children (or adults) running around in the background

For those who value their security and privacy, there are some very welcome features, as covered by TechCrunch:

Mail app will now automatically obscure your IP address/location from those invisible tracking pixels marketers love to tuck into emails.

An “App Privacy Report” option in settings will now summarize how often any given app accesses your location, photos, etc. to hopefully flag any unexpected behaviors…

You’ll be able to add recovery contacts to your iCloud account, allowing you to select friends who can help you get back into your iCloud account if you get locked out.

Digicape, South Africa’s largest independent Apple retailer, has touted the new health features, which include your iPhone being able to analyse your gait, step timing, and more, to calculate a “walking steadiness” which can be flagged if your risk of falling increases.

You’ll also find a Trends summary in the health app, which highlight patterns in your step counts, heart rate, and more.

That data can be securely shared with family or caregivers,

If you’re tired of being bothered by your phone pinging, there’s an overhaul to how notifications are presented:

The notifications on your iPhone get revamped to help you deal with all of your phone’s alerts. Notification Summary is a new feature that lets you schedule when unimportant notifications get delivered. It can prioritize which ones are most important and bundle the rest for a delivery in the morning…

You can also use the new Focus tool in iOS 15 to help you concentrate on certain things when you’re using your phone. For example, if you’re at work, you can choose to only be notified by coworkers for apps like Mail, Calendar or Slack.

The focus tool also comes with Do Not Disturb, Personal, and Sleep settings, which you can schedule so that notifications don’t interfere with those times.

For the nostalgic out there, changes to photo settings should lead to numerous ‘Throwback Thursdays’. This via Business Insider:

You can search your photos by location, scenes, people, and even text.

You’ll also be able to add songs from Apple Music to videos showcasing your photo memories. Apple Music will recommend songs to you to add based on your listening habits.

Just give in and accept that you’re going to get sappy videos sent your way.

Both Maps and the Weather app will get makeovers:

The weather app will get a new design, layout, and graphics that reflect the weather, Apple said. And maps will feature a new interactive globe for users to tap and explore. It’ll also display 3D landmarks, elevation levels, road signs, and a new nighttime mode.

In certain locations, like London, New York, and San Francisco, maps will also render overpasses, traffic conditions, and exits, which could in time be a feature more widely available.

Changes are also being made to Safari, reports WIRED:

Safari is now easier to use with one hand. The URL bar is now situated on the bottom, and it hides away when you scroll to maximize your screen’s real estate…

You can swipe through tabs easily and group them together. And finally, for the first time, Safari extensions are coming to iOS. These will be available through the App Store.

iOS 15 will run on the iPhone 6S and any other more recent model, including the iPhone SE (original).

You won’t be able to fully experience the streamlined speed the system operates, though, so perhaps it’s time you traded in your older devices with Digicape for a discount on a newer model.

They also have Virtual Shopping Assistants who can help you figure out which device best suits your needs, so that you don’t get overwhelmed by the array of choices on offer.

We’ll finish with those who want a deeper dive, and Engadget’s ‘iOS 15 in under 10 minutes’ video:

[sources:cnet&businsider&wired&techcrunch]