The estimated reading time for this post is 7 minutes
This week is Apple’s annual World Wide Developers’ Conference (WWDC) where the company announces what’s in the future for its products and services. At the Keynote address, Apple announced significant updates for iPhone, iPad, Mac computers and Apple Watch that may make your existing devices feel like new.
These updates will be arriving in the fall. Stay tuned to The Wonder of Tech for more information when these updates are released.
iOS 13
Apple announced its annual software update to its operating system for iPhones, iOS 13. This release in the fall will give existing iPhones new features to extend battery life and improve their capabilities. With iOS 13, apps will launch up to twice as fast and Face ID will unlock your phone up to 30 percent faster.
iOS 13 introduces a true Dark Mode for iPhones that will make staring at a screen easier on the eyes. You’ll be able to set Dark Mode to turn on automatically at night or you can turn it on from Control Center.
Find out more about using Dark Mode at => Going Dark — How to Get Dark Mode on Your Devices and Apps
The Photos app will be updated too, with a new format that helps you find photos more easily by year, month and day. Screen recordings, screenshots, duplicate photos, and documents will be separated so you can browse through your photos more efficiently.
You’ll be able to edit photos and videos more precisely with new filters and controls. Videos can be cropped and rotated to landscape view.
iOS 13 also has new controls for your privacy. You’ll be able to sign into accounts using your Apple ID without any personal information being shared. Sign in with Apple works not only on apps on iPhone but also on iPad apps and on the Internet with Safari.
With iOS 13 you’ll be able to grant location permission to apps just once. You can receive a notice any time an app is using your location in the background so you know when you’re being tracked.
Don’t miss => How to Know Which Apps Are Tracking Your Location
Apple Maps is new in iOS 13 with Look Around, similar to Street View in Google Maps. Mapping has been completely redone by Apple, with improved navigation and guidance. Maps will look different too, with more realistic images for roads, beaches, parks, and more.
You’ll be able to share your estimated time of arrival with your friends using the new Apple Maps. Your ETA will update in real time if traffic conditions should change.
Find My iPhone is being combined with Find My Friends so you’ll be able to see where your friends and your devices are in one app. You’ll be able to locate a missing device using Bluetooth, even if that device isn’t connected to the Internet.
Siri will have a new voice with “advanced neural text-to-speech” technology. You’ll be able to teach Siri your voice so it will know who you are when you ask it to read text messages, reminders and calendar appointments from a HomePod.
Siri Shortcuts will become more powerful as Siri will be able to do more things with more third-party apps.
In iOS 13 two sets of AirPods can be paired to one iPhone at the same time, so that two people can listen to a song or video together.
Memojis are getting new features so you can make your Memoji look more like you, or more like someone you wish you could be.
After you’ve perfected your Memoji, you can set it as your profile picture so others will see your Memoji in their contacts list (if they also have iOS 13 on their iPhones). Don’t want to use a Memoji as your profile pic? You can choose a photo instead and use that as your profile picture.
Swipe typing arrives in iOS 13. An updated keyboard will let your fingers swipe across the keys to type words with a new feature Apple calls QuickPath. iOS 13 has QuickPath available for English, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, German, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
The Reminders app gets a significant update in iOS 13, allowing you to group your reminders by Flagged, Scheduled and Today. You’ll also be able to add photos, times, dates, locations, and scanned documents to your reminders.
Apple CarPlay gets overhauled in iOS 13 with a new split screen, allowing multiple apps to be shown. The Calendar app will be added to CarPlay so you can check your upcoming appointments. HomeKit lets you control your connected smart home devices from CarPlay and can suggest controls when you’re nearing home.
Siri will only take up a small part of the screen on CarPlay instead of the entire screen when you summon it. CarPlay will be able to display a different app on the screen than what is shown on the iPhone, so a passenger choosing a song on the connected iPhone won’t affect a navigation screen that’s displayed on CarPlay.
iOS 13 will be available in the fall for:
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone SE
- iPod touch (7th generation)
iPadOS
iPads are getting a brand new operating system, separate from iOS that controls iPhones. iPadOS adds new features allowing you to be more productive on your iPad.
With Slide Over you’ll be able to keep multiple apps open at once on a single screen.
Learn more about Slide Over at => How to Use 2 Apps at the Same Time on Your iPad
The iPad home screen will have a new look in iPadOS. You’ll be able to pin widgets to your home screen for easy access.
Apple has redesigned the keyboard in iPadOS, allowing you to shrink it for one-handed typing. QuickPath typing will also be available in iPadOS so you can swipe to type.
You’ll be able to connect an external hard drive, SD card reader and/or a USB drive to your iPad and have it read and transfer files.
Safari on the iPad will be able to access the desktop version of websites, just as if you were using a computer.
Dark Mode is also coming to the iPad to reduce eyestrain.
iPadOS will be available for these devices:
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro
- 11-inch iPad Pro
- 10.5-inch iPad Pro
- 9.7-inch iPad Pro
- iPad (6th generation)
- iPad (5th generation)
- iPad mini (5th generation)
- iPad mini 4
- iPad Air (3rd generation)
- iPad Air 2
MacOS Catalina
Mac computers will also be getting an updated operating system, Catalina, that adds useful features. With Catalina you’ll be able to use iPad apps on your Mac computer.
Sidecar, a new feature in Catalina, lets you use your iPad as a second display for your Mac. With Sidecar you can use your iPad as an extension of your Mac screen or mirror it.
iTunes ending in the fall. Its functions are splitting into three different apps: Music, Apple TV and Apple Podcasts. Your content will be synced across your devices using iCloud, so you’ll be able to pick up where you left off watching or listening from one device to another.
Your Apple Watch and your Mac will become even more connected with Catalina. You can already use your Apple Watch to unlock your Mac. With Catalina you’ll be able to double-click the side button of your Apple Watch to authenticate apps and sign in to accounts using passwords on Safari.
Catalina will be available for
- MacBook 2015 and later
- MacBook Air 2012 and later
- MacBook Pro 2012 and later
- Mac mini 2012 and later
- iMac 2012 and later
- iMac Pro 2017 and later
- Mac Pro 2013 and later
WatchOS 6
Apple Watches will be getting an update with WatchOS 6 that adds new fun and functional watch faces. New complications will also be added, letting you see information such as the chance of rain, decibel level and cellular signal strength from your watch face.
Your Watch can alert you at the beginning of every new hour with a tap on the wrist or a chime. Press the watch face with two fingers and your Watch can announce the time.
With Watch OS 6 your Watch can tell you what song is playing. Raise your wrist and ask Siri “What song is this?” If you have a cellular Apple Watch, Siri can identify the song even if you don’t have your iPhone nearby.
WatchOS 6 brings the Watch App Store to your wrist. No longer do you have to use the Watch app on your iPhone to add an app to your Watch. You can shop for thousands of Watch apps directly from your Watch in WatchOS 6.
The Activity app on your Watch will keep track of trends. You’ll be able to see these trends both on your Watch and using the Activity app on your iPhone.
WatchOS 6 will work with Apple Watch Series 1 and later, connected to iPhones running iOS 13.
Your Thoughts
Which of the new features Apple announced at WWDC 2019 are you most excited about? Will you use Dark Mode on your iPhone? Will you use swipe typing with QuickPath in iOS 13? Are you looking forward to using iPadOS on your iPad?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
What a comprehensive article! So much goodness coming soon. Thanks so much.
Hi Lois, Yes, much to get excited about with all of this news from Apple. I hope that you enjoy using all of these updates when they become available, Lois.
Great news. Apple is coming up with new features which is good for consumers.
Thanks for sharing, have a good day.
H Sajid, Yes, these new features coming to our devices can make them feel like new, and we don’t have to spend money to get them. How great is that?
Thanks for sharing the new features of ipad, iphone and mac computers.see The best featues in iphone is to see where your friends and your devices.
These features are good or beneficial for consumers.
Hi Bupita, Yes, it would be very handy to see Find My iPhone and Find My Friends on one screen. I also look forward to that new feature in iOS 13.
I’m more excited about iPad new OS, eager to get one soon. Thank you for the info.
Hi Bethany, Yes, it will be interesting to see how iPadOS works for Apple. Will it make more work for app developers who would then have to develop for two separate operating systems? Or will the two OS’s be compatible enough that developers can submit one app to the App Store and have it be available for both iPhone and iPad?
I do hope iPadOS helps make the most of iPad’s capabilities which would be helpful to many people.