(especially with accents), and use some intelligence
to improve word choices. If I say, “you have a
funny accent” and the dictation thinks I said, “you
have a runny axe meant,” it should recognize that
its interpretation produces a nonsense phrase
and that other similar-sounding words produce a
reasonable sentence.
The beefed-up speech-to-text engine should be
used all over iOS, from Siri to voice mail transcriptions
(which are awful) to the Voice Memos app.- A better Camera for all iPhones
With the iPhone 11, Apple made a few sensible
improvements to the Camera app interface. The
smooth-scrolling zoom wheel, for example, is a
delightful experience that makes controlling zoom
level easier than pinch-to-zoom.
Then, of course, there’s Night Mode, where several
seconds of exposure are combined to produce
stunning shots in dark environments.
And in iOS 13.2, Apple added the ability to change
video resolution and frame rate right in the Camera
app instead of jumping into Settings – but only on
the iPhone 11.
There’s really no need for any of these
improvements to be restricted to Apple’s latest phone.
Night Mode may not be possible on the oldest iPhone
hardware, but it’s certainly something an iPhone XS
and XR can pull off. And the interface changes have no
business being restricted to just the new phones.
I’d love to see iOS 14 brings these and other camera
improvements to older phones. Unify the interface
(especiallywithaccents),andusesomeintelligence
toimprovewordchoices.IfIsay,“youhavea
funnyaccent”andthedictationthinksIsaid,“you
havearunnyaxemeant,”itshouldrecognizethat
itsinterpretationproducesa nonsensephrase
andthat othersimilar-soundingwordsproducea
reasonablesentence.
Thebeefed-upspeech-to-textengineshouldbe
usedalloveriOS,fromSiritovoicemailtranscriptions
(whichareawful)totheVoiceMemosapp.
4.A betterCameraforalliPhones
WiththeiPhone11,Applemadeafewsensible
improvementstotheCameraappinterface.The
smooth-scrollingzoomwheel,forexample,isa
delightfulexperiencethatmakescontrollingzoom
level easierthanpinch-to-zoom.
Then,ofcourse,there’sNightMode,whereseveral
secondsofexposurearecombinedtoproduce
stunningshotsindarkenvironments.
AndiniOS13.2,Appleaddedtheabilitytochange
videoresolutionandframeraterightintheCamera
appinsteadofjumpingintoSettings–butonlyon
the iPhone11.
There’sreallynoneedforanyofthese
improvementstoberestrictedtoApple’slatestphone.
NightModemaynotbepossibleontheoldestiPhone
hardware,butit’scertainlysomethinganiPhoneXS
andXRcanpulloff.Andtheinterfacechangeshaveno
businessbeingrestrictedtojustthenewphones.
I’dlovetoseeiOS 14 bringstheseandothercamera
improvementstoolderphones.Unifytheinterface