The Apple iOS 12 Public Beta is Available Now: First Thoughts



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Just weeks after announcing it, Apple has already delivered its first public beta iOS 12. Any iPhone user can sign up for the beta. I thought of dropping some first impressions.

An update of the old iPhones will thank you

iOS 12 is good for older device owners (iPhone 5s and later). Apple has kept its promises of improved performance when running the operating system on older devices. This is important and means that if you need a year or two more on the iPhone than you already have, you can expect it with iOS 12.

Group notifications

iOS 12 is smart enough to collect all your notifications in logical collections, sorted by application and message thread. This makes it a lot easier to stay on top of things. This seems to be a useful adjustment that will make a small, but noticeable, difference in my day. Another improvement that I did not pay much attention to at the time, but now I think it will become much more important: do not disturb. This has been improved so that you can choose to activate it for an hour while you are doing something, or when you are in a particular place. I am a little distracted and have often left Do not disturb active when I do not need it, which leads me to missed calls and the need to make excuses.

Smarter photos

I am really impressed by the improvements in Photos. The artificial intelligence inside the camera does a great job by surfing images and events that I had forgotten, reminding me of the people, places and times that I would like to keep in memory. It has also become so much easier to find specific event – specific photos because Apple has added a lot of new categories and types of events that help Siri find the things I need. . With hundreds of millions of iPhone users taking pictures everyday, these improvements will make a huge difference to users.

Siri the translator

Used with a set of AirPods, an iPhone under iOS 12 becomes a universal translator – but even without the possibility of translating from English to French, German, Italian, l '. Spanish and Mandarin Chinese (and other languages ​​in some territories) seem efficient, accurate and useful. This is a useful way to show how much Siri International is more than its competitors.

Siri in general

Siri Shortcuts is not supported by the current public beta, but if you install the software, I think you will be very impressed by the many improvements made to Siri. He will answer questions about racing and food, including calorie content. It can organize and find passwords for you, warning if you are using duplicates. It will even suggest how to enhance your images by editing them in a certain way or by recommending notifications to turn on or off the silence. I am convinced that there are other improvements to Siri hidden in there, but my experience confirms that Apple has made many improvements to its voice assistant.

What about other new features?

iOS 12 includes ARKit 2, Memojis, Screen Time, FaceTime Group and a range of other enhancements.

I've seen all these features in action and everything works fine. I think Screen Time will be a particularly effective tool for allowing iPhone users to control how they use their device.

Group FaceTime works well – even when you reach the maximum number of people you talk to, you should not experience slowness or delays (if any) because of the way Apple implements this feature on its servers. ARKit 2 promises a lot of goodness, but we will not really have an idea of ​​its implications until developers have started shipping applications designed to exploit its new features. Business users should definitely take a look.

First thoughts

Intelligent, stable and more efficient, iOS 12 seems to be a promising development.

One of the best things about the iOS 12 beta is its familiarity. This does not change much the way you work with your device, but its improvements – especially in terms of stability and performance – mean that the user experience is smoother than before. .

I am particularly impressed by all the improvements of Siri and the many user interface settings (Notifications, Screen Time and others) that seem to reflect a commitment to put iPhone users in control of their digital experience .

This commitment to controlling users is in line with Apple's desire to ensure that the artificial intelligence of its devices does not spy on customers and offers useful features that make life easier.

Apple seems to have found a philosophy that puts some of the world's most advanced technologies available to users in a way that brings tangible benefits to their digital lives. This is a commitment that fits well with the guidelines of the Apple user interface, providing what the user needs with minimal friction.

Should you upgrade? Not if you count on your device – wait for the final version in the fall.

This is a beta software, so you should expect problems. Some applications do not work and the data may be lost, so do not use it for critical work. Not only that, but future beta versions may introduce new bugs or break existing features while Apple brings iOS 12 out of its status.

I think people who use an older iPhone may find the performance improvements of the beta too tempting to wait.

How to install the public beta of Apple iOS 12?

If you decide to test iOS 12 on any of your iPhones, follow these steps:

  • Back up your device: It makes sense to back up your iPhone up to iCloud and iTunes, in case something goes wrong.
  • Clean your iPhone: Delete all applications and other items you do not need.
  • Join the Apple Public Beta Program: Visit the Apple Public Beta website and press the Sign Up button (or sign in if you are already a member). You will need to enter your Apple ID, your password and accept the system rules.
  • Register your device: Once you join the scheme, go to the iOS section and choose the registration of your iOS device in the Getting Started section. You will be asked to download and install a profile on your iPhone.
  • Restart and install: Once the profile is installed, you must restart your iPhone. When you do, you can open Settings> General> Software Update and install the beta operating system.

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