Apple’s highly-anticipated iOS 13, which the company claims is ‘on a whole new level’ is finally available.
iOS 13 will be available for the iPhone 6S and later handsets, and is packed with an array of changes – such as picture editing, menstrual tracking and improved privacy features.
The release of iOS 13 comes shortly after Apple unveiled its new iPhone 11 smartphones, which are set to hit stores on Friday this week.
New privacy features
Apple is going big on privacy this time around with a host of new features designed to give users more control over their data.
The update will enable you to control your location data by granting or denying certain apps access to your location.
A pop-up notification will appear when an app is using your location in the background.
The notification also shows a map of the location data the app has tracked and you can choose to let it follow you at all times or only when you are using the app.
There are controls that will block apps from accessing your location without your permission while the smartphone is connected to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Late last year, Apple CEO, Tim Cook, endorsed tough privacy laws for both Europe and the U.S., and renewed the technology giant’s commitment to protecting personal data, which he warned was being ‘weaponized’ against users.
‘Our own information, from the everyday to the deeply personal, is being weaponized against us with military efficiency,’ Cook said at the 40th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners in 2018.
Apple has also made it easier and safer to sign in to apps and websites.
You can now use your Apple ID instead of filling out forms or creating new passwords.
Just tap ‘Sign in with Apple,’ use Face ID or Touch ID, and you’re all set.
New camera features
Although privacy is important to the masses, many iPhone users will say that they want a better camera features – and Apple has listened and delivered.
Users can adjust portrait lighting to create more dramatic and professional looking pictures.
There is also a new Portrait Lighting effect that is designed to ‘create a beautiful, classic look with a monochromatic subject on a white background’, Apple’s feature website states.
New health features
Apple is also helping its users stay healthy with the new operating system – specifically its female consumers.
The system now includes a cycle tracking feature that lets users track important data about their menstrual cycle, in addition to a period prediction, allowing them to know when they are likely to get their period over the next three cycles.
And iOS 13’s new health feature will notify users when their next fertility window is.
For the majority of iPhone owners, there is an Oral Health feature that lets you track your tooth brushing time and Activity Trends, which highlights long-term workout progress with key activity metrics, comparing the last 90 days with the last 365 days.
The feature will also help you get back on track if you start to slip with a personalized virtual coach.
New look and feel
Apple had previously teased that iOS 13 would give the iPhone ‘a whole new look’ and it will not disappoint with its new Dark Mode feature, which allows users to switch on a version of iOS that’s colored black and grey.
This version is much easier on the eyes when a user is browsing their phone at night.
There are also new wallpapers specifically designed for the new feature that you can switch between light and dark.
In addition to new features, the iOS 13 operating system is said to be ‘even faster than iOS 12’.
Apple shared that the Face ID now unlocks up to 30 percent faster and apps will launch up to 2x faster than before and be smaller in download size.
New Gaming Feature
Apple had released its new Arcade early for beta users, but can now be accessed by the masses.
The new addition already boasts 100 titles from popular game-makers, including Konami, Capcom, and Annapurna, who are offering titles like arcade classic Frogger, underwater adventure game Shinsekai into the Depths, and Sayonara Wild Hearts, an arcade-style game that developer, Simogo, has described as a ‘euphoric music video dream.’
New games are also expected to be added in the coming weeks, the firm said during a major event this month.
From the tab, users can now either choose to begin a free one-month trial of the service or take the plunge into a subscription which starts at a very competitive $4.99 (R73.76) per month.
Games will be playable on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Apple TV, and they can be played offline.
The service will also allow up to six family members to access one subscription using Family Sharing.
-Daily Mail
