Every year, tech enthusiasts and general consumers alike anticipate the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). And this year, the company announced that its iPhones are about to become more intelligent than ever before.
For iOS 15, set for release in September-October 2021, Apple will use intelligence to change how you use your device. But in what ways will this be the case? Let’s take a deeper look at the most exciting features to look out for.
Live Text
Have you ever sent someone a picture of words written onto a piece of paper because you didn’t want to type them out? Good news—you soon won’t need to do that. After downloading iOS 15, Apple users will have access to a feature called Live Text.
With Live Text, you can turn the words in images into text. If you need to send a lengthy message, convert a letter to an email, or transfer your to-do list from the whiteboard to your phone, all of these are possible.
Live Text will initially support seven languages:
- English
- French
- Simplified and Traditional Chinese
- German
- Italian
- Spanish
- Portuguese
“Focus” Notifications
Over the years, Apple has given users more options to control annoying iPhone notifications and avoid distractions. Now, however, the company is taking this even further with a feature called Focus.
Using Focus, your device will use artificial intelligence (AI) to determine what you’re doing at a specific time. If you usually drive in the morning, for example, Apple may ask for permission to turn off your notifications for that period.
With Focus, you can also choose the platforms where you want to receive notifications from certain people. For example, you might opt to stop receiving notifications if someone sends you a message on Instagram, but still receive these for the same person on WhatsApp.
Object and Scene Recognition
Apple has put significant work into improving photo discovery through intelligence for iOS 15. One big way it's done this is through machine learning-based image object recognition. This feature is called Visual Look Up.
With Visual Look Up, you can find information related to images that might have previously required asking about. A photo of a particular city, for example, would be a gateway to finding similar pictures on the web, as well as related information about the location.
Another way that the iPhone is about to become smarter is in its walking directions. By scanning the buildings and streets in your surrounding area, your phone will use augmented reality (AR) to provide a more accurate way to get to your destination.
If you’re not driving, you can also pin public transportation stops in your local area. When you approach these, your iPhone will send an automatic notification to let you know.
Photo Memories
With recent versions of iOS, Apple has done more to segment photos from past experiences in different albums and memories. And with the soon-to-launch 15th version, the company is about to step this up even further.
Apple’s Memories update is about capturing the mood even more. Your Camera Roll will be integrated with Apple Music, allowing you to add a song that fits the mood for each memory (if you’re a subscriber).
Besides being able to add your own tracks, your phone will also offer song suggestions that factor in both your own tastes and general recommendations.
The Smartest Smartphones Yet?
iPhones get smarter every year, and iOS 15 looks like it will be the most significant jump yet. Even more than before, it seems like Apple has thought about how it can use intelligence to help everyone get more out of their devices.
The intelligence-oriented, soon-to-come updates will help people get to their destination with fewer issues and better capture the emotions of a particular experience. Sharing text from images will also become much more straightforward.
Now that you know what’s soon coming to iOS, why not make the most out of your iPhone’s existing features while you wait?