Today was WWDC and it still is this week! The keynote has finished and it is time to unpack all the new features of the next big version of iOS for iPhone and iPod touch. iPad now has its own OS called iPadOS, which we will cover in a separate post.

iOS 13 has dark mode, new swipe-able keyboard, new apps, redesigned Messages app, Maps has new features and more!


iOS 13 – as quick as possible

  • What is it? – This is Apple’s brand new operating system for iPhone and iPod touch, iPad has its own new OS called iPadOS which you can learn more about on A&T Tech.
  • When is it being released? – As usual with Apple’s recent software releases, they get announced in June at WWDC and then released in September. This year could be different, but Apple has said iOS 13 will be out ‘in the fall’.
  • Will my device work with iOS 13? You can get the full list of supported devices at the end of this post, but in brief, iPhone SE is supported and iPhone 6s and later will work as well as the iPod touch 7th generation.

What’s new?

Dark Mode

After years and years of waiting, Apple has finally added in a full system wide dark mode to iOS 13 and iPadOS too, which feels like a full revamp of the operating system.

All the default system apps support dark mode and at present, there isn’t a word on how developers integrate this into their own apps.

Performance

Like every year for the past few, Apple is committed to providing solid performance for older devices and iOS 13 is no exception. Apple has made a number of optimisations to App file sizes, reducing app launch times and also now, Face ID unlock is up to 2x faster!

With iOS 13, apps from the App Store will be packaged in a new way that makes them up to 50 percent smaller the first time you download them, up to 60 percent smaller on average when apps are updated, and up to twice as fast to launch.

Apple

Keyboard

The keyboard in iOS 13 is now more swipey, following the trend from iOS 8 when Apple added in support for third party keyboards. Apple’s new swipe based keyboard is called QuickPath Typing and you still get access to QuickType, the suggestions up top.

 

Messages

The Messages app now behaves more like WhatsApp, with profile names and pictures. But, as Apple is focused on privacy – other users can only see your name and photo if you have messaged them.

New apps

Reminders

The new Reminders app, has an all new design and it can now remind you when you make plans in Messages.

Maps

Apple Maps has been redesigned in certain areas, you will now see roads, beaches and parks in much more detail. Favourite places are now right at the top of the list for easy access.

Notes

Notes app now has a new gallery view

Mail

Mail gets a small update, it now supports rich fonts.

AirPods, CarPlay, HomePod & Siri

HomePod

HomePod is getting some love with iOS 13, it can now tell who is who as it can recognise different voices to offer up a different users accounts such as phone calls, messages, music and more.

HomePod also works with Handoff now, so you can go from listening to that awesome song on your iPhone to your HomePod in the kitchen with ease. HomePod now also supports Live Radio.

CarPlay

CarPlay now has an all new dashboard view, for split screen viewing.

CarPlay also has an all new Calendar app and Music app.

Siri

Siri has an all new voice, which according to Apple sounds much more realistic and the way it says certain phrases is more natural.

AirPods

With AirPods do you miss the ability to plug in a pair of headphones and share your music with someone? No more with AirPods, with iOS 13 your device can connect to two pairs of AirPods at once, so you can share what you are listening too.

Find My

Find my iPhone is gone and so is Find My Friends, well only the apps have gone as Apple has combined both services into one separate app called Find My. The new streamlined app still lets you find out where your own Apple devices are as well as your friends and family.

But now, it’ll help find a missing device even if it is offline. Apple is now collecting encrypted and anonymous data from crowd sourcing information from iOS devices which happen to be nearby. Apple is also saying this new network traffic will piggy back on existing traffic so there is no performance or battery life hit.

What devices does iOS 13 work on?

iOS 13 works on all the latest iOS models

  • iPhone 6s and later
  • iPhone SE
  • iPod touch 7th generation

When can I get iOS 13?

As usual with Apple’s recent software releases, they get announced in June at WWDC and then released in September. This year could be different, but Apple has said iOS 13 will be out ‘in the fall’.