QuickPath Keyboard
The keyboard is getting a boost with one-handed typing.
Instead of tapping individual letters on the keyboard, users
will be able to swipe through the letters in a word to make
writing easier.
Improved Photos Gallery
The Photos
app has been re-
organized, and I
can’t wait to view
pictures in the im-
proved gallery that
Apple demoed at
WWDC. Photos
and videos are
organized by year,
month, and day,
and those catego-
ries are accessible
in a menu at the
bottom of the
screen.
New editing
tools are coming
for videos, photos,
and Portrait Lighting
(for iPhones that
support Portrait
Mode). If you don’t
like the orientation
of a video, you’ll be
able to rotate the
video (fi nally!). Fil-
ters are also com-
ing to video editing, so you can employ the same vignettes
that have been available for photos since iOS 12. Portrait
Lighting is getting a new mode, High-Key Mono, affording
users more control with the ability to increase or decrease
saturation levels, mimicking the effect of moving lights closer
or farther away from the subject.
New Notes Tools
A new gallery view makes it easier to view and locate your
notes. New search tools make it easier to fi nd a specifi c note
as well. Apple promised improvements to checklists, although
we didn’t get many details on what this will look like. On top
of all that, you’ll also be able to share note folders with con-
tacts.
CarPlay Dashboard
If you have a CarPlay-enabled vehicle, then this iOS 13
update is an exciting development. The CarPlay dashboard
is getting a new look with a split-view feature that will place
apps like Apple Music next to your map for ease of use. Siri
integration with third-party apps will once again be improved,
allowing users to access third-party music apps that are SiriKit
enabled.iPadOS
Finally, Apple announced that the iPad is getting its own
operating system called iPadOS. Like with watchOS, iPadOS
makes it easier for developers to tailor apps and features spe-
cifi cally for the iPad. For iOS users, this doesn’t mean a big
change, but it does mean that Apple is moving closer to the
iPad-is-just-a-crappy-MacBook territory.What Does This All Mean?
Compared to previous updates, the changes coming with
iOS 13 feel relatively minor. Apple hasn’t been making as much
money from iPhone sales in recent years, and seems to there-
fore be shifting its focus from iOS to new services it can sell.
There’s also only so far Apple can push the iPhone, and the
age of the system is beginning to show. Adding too many bells
and whistles to iOS would make the system unwieldy, and
operating an iPhone is already complicated enough. Making
small quality-of-life improvements to native apps, like the new
approach to organization in Photos, is a smart move, at least
for now. Apple needs to focus on improving the services and
apps that are already offered, like making Shortcuts accessible
to the average consumer, before adding the next big innova-
tion to an already comprehensive and broad ecosystem.Tamlin Day is a feature web writer and advertising specialist for iPhone Life. He holds
degrees in graphic design and professional writing and has been previously published
in Breathe Easy Press.(Continued from page 14)