While early reports suggest that iOS 13 as you can download it now is buggy and likely to result in a few apps crashing, it does bring a few features that qualify this as an incremental upgrade from iOS 13.
If you do not want to take the risk of installing this update, you could wait until September 24 for iOS 13.1 (which is also the date it will release iPadOS). But, here are the features available so far for iOS 13.
Chief among them is the new Dark Mode, which will ease the strain on your eyes when you use your device at night and before sleep. All default apps will support dark mode, which can be triggered by a toggle or an automatic feature that turns it on between and after sunrise and sunset.
Apple’s iOS 13 will also feature the ArKit 3, promising to make augmented reality better with the ability to “integrate human movement” into apps using motion capture, a new People Occlusion feature that “let’s AR content realistically pass behind and in front of people in the real world” by using both the front and back cameras and the possibility for live collaborative sessions that allowed shared AR experiences.
In addition, the Photos app gets a major update, with enhancements to make it easier to find old photos including an ‘on this day’ feature. New ways of organising and visualising your photos have been introduced including a birthday mode that highlights photos of your friends when it is their birthday.
The camera app gets a few boosts to the Portrait mode, allowing users to adjust the lighting intensity. iPhone XR users get a new ‘high key light mono’ filter.
‘Sign in with Apple’ is a new login method that lets Apple join the likes of Facebook, Google and LinkedIn in offering a unified signing-in experience for multiple websites, sparing one of the need to create and remember multiple user names and passwords.
iOS 13 adds a feature to Messages that allows you to decide whether you want to automatically share your name and photo with whoever you message.
Apple Health adds the ability to visualise statistics if you cycle, as well as a new Oral Health feature that helps you “track your toothbrushing time”.
Apple Maps is claimed to have been ‘rebuilt from the ground up’ with ‘more realistic details for roads, beaches, parks, buildings and more’, a 3D 36-degree view of places, collections nad favourites. In addition, iOS 13.1 will add the ability to share an ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) to your family, friends and co-workers.
Siri gets an Indian English voice and can now offer personalised suggestions in Apple Podcasts, Safari and Maps, and can also now tune in to your favourite radio station.
The Apple keyboard finally gets slide-to-type (gesture typing) functionality with Quickpath.
There are many other small updates as well. Apple claims that the update will let apps now load ‘two times faster’ and FaceTime unlock faster. The Apps from the App store will also be ‘packaged in a new way’ that makes them up to 50 per cent smaller.
How to install iOS 13
iOS 13 will be available on the following devices:
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone Xs, iPhone Max, iPhone Xr, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPod touch (7th generation).
To install it, go to Settings > General > Software update. Make sure you are connected to the WiFi as it will only work over WiFi, and hit Download and Install. Once complete, tap Install, Agree to the Terms and Conditions, and the device will restart and reawaken with iOS 13.
You can also install it via iTunes, by connecting your device to an Apple computer, opening iTunes, clicking on the device icon, then Summary > Check for Update and then Download and update.
