After months of speculations and anticipations, Apple Inc. introduced the latest beta version of their iOS operating system – iOS 12, on June 4, 2018, at the Worldwide Developers Conference. However, it was just for registered developers, for the public it was released on 25 June 2018.

The final launch of the iOS 12.0 (for everyone) is expected to happen between the first week to mid of September 2018.

So, let us see what we can expect to witness in terms of performance improvements and changes in the iOS 12.

Just like any new iOS version the iOS 12 is going to be faster and more responsive. Also, the operating system has been revamped in a way to make it perform better on devices as far back as the iPhone 5s and iPad Air.

• The performance improvements will enable more fluid animations and response while swiping, switching between apps, scrolling, etc.
• Opening the camera from the lock screen will be up to 70 percent faster.
• Launching the apps will be faster by up to 40 percent, and in the case of multitasking, they can be pushed to launch up to 2 times faster.
• The keyboard will be more responsive and will load quicker.
• iOS 12 solved the problem of accidental screenshots (in the previous iOS) by requiring your phone to be both unlocked and the display turned on to grab a screenshot.

FaceTime

With iOS 12, you will be able to make audio and video chats using FaceTime with up to 32 people at the same time.

It is now integrated with the iMessage, which means you can start Group FaceTime directly from a group messages conversation.

Memoji

Apple has introduced a new feature which lets you customize an Animoji and create an augmented reality character that resembles you and then you have a personalized ‘Memoji’.

You can share these Animojis and Memojis (and other fun things) using messages and FaceTime.

Camera

 The new iOS 12 camera can now detect a person and then it intelligently and elegantly separates the person from the scene. Also, it can now separate the background from the foreground in a photo.

Apple has added some real fun effects to the iMessage camera this time. You can now take photos and add effects to them and can also use third-party sticker packs.

Additionally, scanning a QR code is now much faster and easier.

Siri

Siri has grown a little smarter with the iOS 12. Siri now learns your routines and suggests shortcuts for what you need, at the right time. The suggestions will now show up on the lock screen and in the search.

For example, if you are running late for a meeting then Siri will suggest you text the meeting organizer or remind you to greet your girlfriend on her birthday and other such stuff.

With the New Shortcuts app, you can create or customize your own shortcuts to automate actions using first- and third-party apps, which you can then activate using Siri voice commands.

Also, you can now use Siri to quickly pull up photos and memories based on people, places, events, time and keywords of objects and scenes in the photos.

One more thing, you will now be able to use Siri on your iPad or Apple Watch.

Screen Time

iOS 12 is comprised of a comprehensive set of time management and focus tools. One of them is the Screen Time feature.

The Screen Time feature provides weekly reports which tell you in detail on how actively are you using your iOS device, including how much time you spent on every app, how often you pick up your phone, how much time on an average you spend on your device, and which apps are sending the most notifications.

It also comprises of a feature called ‘App Limits’ which lets you set a time limit for using the apps and they remind you when you are overusing them.

Using Parental Controls in the App Limits you can keep an eye on how much time your kids are spending on apps and websites.

Do Not Disturb

 You can lower your display brightness and silence the overnight notifications until you unlock your phone when you wake up.

You can also enable Do Not Disturb mode for a time duration, say when you are going to be in a one-hour meeting or when you are at a specific location.

Notifications

 In iOS 12, you get message threads and notification topics grouped together. This makes it easy for you to see what’s important with just a glance.

There is also an Instant Tuning feature for tweaking notifications as they come in and this doesn’t require you to leave what you are doing. You can press on a notification to turn them off for an app or choose to receive notifications silently, which means you will not get the notification on the lock screen.

Also, Siri suggests you turn off notifications for apps you don’t use often. This in total, will make the notifications in iOS 12 pretty less meddlesome.

Augmented Reality

 ARKit 2.0 in iOS 12 delivers improved face tracking, realistic rendering, and support for 3D object detection.

The Augmented Reality experiences can now be shared across time and can be associated with real-world locations. This lets you create a piece of AR art that can be viewed later in the same place by some other person.

And yes, you’ll be able to play AR games against other users in the same virtual environment.

Privacy and Security

One of the most talked about feature of iOS 12 is the ‘Advanced Location Data for 911’. So what it does?

This feature automatically provides secure location data to first responders when you call 911 (in the United States). It makes it easier to locate the iPhone users in an emergency.

Enhanced tracking prevention is another cool feature of the iOS 12. Apple has upgraded their intelligent tracking prevention technology to make it harder for web pages to track you without your permission in Safari.

The new Safari also prevents advertisers from collecting your device’s unique settings, so they can’t retarget ads to you across the web.

You can now automatically create, autofill and store strong passwords in Safari and iOS apps. Also, you can ask Siri to open up your list of passwords, which are synced across all your devices.

iOS 12 also lets you know if you’ve used a password across multiple sites with the password auditing features so that you can quickly navigate to the app or website and replace it with an automatically generated strong password.

You can download the beta version yourself and check these features out. However, keep in mind that iOS 12 beta is only compatible with 64-bit devices, 32-bit devices like the iPhone 5 won’t be able to run the update.

Well, this is not really the end of the list as iOS 12 is packed with many more such features and improvements.

So, which one did you like the most?