Apple recently launched its new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR handsets, and they all sound amazing. But guess what? You don’t have to get a new iPhone to enjoy the latest features. The latest iOS 12 update is available for iPhone 5s models and above to make your iPhone feel brand new again. Here’s why you should be excited.
Faster performance
Using your iPhone just got better. Why? Because the latest iOS 12 update makes everything faster and more responsive, like launching the camera app, which Apple says will now be up to 70% faster. Typing with the keyboard will also be up to 50% quicker, and apps will launch twice as speedy as before. Nice.
Neater notifications
Notifications are great – they let you know when someone’s got in touch at a glance. However, they can be a distraction. That’s why iOS 12 has a more discreet way of hiding them away if that’s what you want.
For example, texts from the same person will now be collapsed into a short preview until you open the message, and the entire conversation won’t be splashed all over your lock screen. On the lock screen itself, you can also adjust your notification settings, so that they won’t appear on the lock screen at all.
Memoji
Remember Animoji? Well, now there’s Memoji. It’s a new way to send fun messages using an animated caricature of yourself. This feature is exclusive to iPhone X and above, so if you own one, you can have fun customising your cartoon self to send in messages and show to others during FaceTime video calls.
Group FaceTime
Speaking of video calls, you can now FaceTime up to 32 people at once thanks to the new Group FaceTime feature. The tile of the person speaking gets larger automatically, so you won’t ever get lost in a big group chat. Group FaceTime can be started straight from a group thread in Messages, or you can join an active chat at any time.
Fantastic photo features
One of the coolest new iOS 12 features is the For You tab. It shows you special moments from your photo library, and suggests sharing photos with the people in them. It’s seriously clever, and great for helping you remember to share memories of days and nights out with your friends or family.
Better augmented reality apps
Augmented Reality games have already proved they can deliver fun experiences that everyone loves – just look at Pokémon Go, which caught the world by storm. However, the technology is still new. With iOS you can expect to see even more AR apps with better object tracking for increased reliability, and a more seamless gaming experience free from crashes.
It’s not all about games, there will also be new apps, such as the new Measure app that lets you draw straight lines to measure objects using your iPhone or iPad camera. You’ll soon discover your phone is capable of so much more.
And that rounds up our favourite new iOS 12 features. Have you downloaded the latest update yet? If so, do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.