iOS 13 and watchOS 6 Officially Launched by Apple
The 19’th of September was sure a busy day. Not only Huawei was the middle of attention with their Mate 30 series lauch, but Apple officially launched iOS 13 as well as the watchOS 6 for the Apple Watch. So if you own an apple device, an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch it is now time to update them.
What’s new in the iOS 13
Apple has released iOS 13, the new improved version of its mobile operating system. This update is exclusively for phones in the iPhone range and the latest iPod Touch (7th generation). For tablets, Apple has separated the software and promises to launch iPad OS very soon.
Even though the release date of the iPad OS was originally set for September 30, it was moved to September 24, that is, only a few days later. It also looks like iOS 13.1 will be released next week as well. It seems that iOS 13 has some usage bugs, which will be fixed in version 13.1.
Both iOS 13.1 and iPad OS will come bundled with a few new features that could not be integrated into the original release of iOS 13 last night.
However, what brings iOS 13 new? On the surface, we don't have much news. Apple has integrated a "dark" theme for the operating system interface and its proprietary applications. App makers will be able to use Apple APIs to detect if the phone is set to dark mode to display a black background version. But for this we will have to wait for updates from the AppStore.
Probably the biggest news, besides various minor interface changes and enhancements, is the Apple Arcade, the subscription-based games service. It costs $5/month and provides access to a library of 100 games. The entire selection of games will be available in the coming weeks, with the service currently being launched with "only" a few dozen available. The games are compatible with iOS, iPad OS, TV OS and Mac OS, so they can be played on multiple Apple platforms, regardless of the screen chosen, and are compatible with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One controllers.
iOS 13 compatible devices:
iPhone 6S
iPhone 6S Plus
iPhone SE
iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 8
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone X
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPod Touch gen 7
If you have one of the compatible devices in the list above, all you have to do is access the Configuration application, navigate to the General menu and then press the Software Update button. The update is around 2 GB so make sure you have enough free space on your device before updating.
What’s new in watchOS 6
Apple has released watchOS 6, but only for the latest watches in the Apple Watch range. Thus, only Apple Watch Series 3 and 4 models can now upgrade to watchOS, while the new Series 5 comes with the pre-installed operating system. However, the Series 1 and Series 2 models are on the watchOS 6 compatibility list, but will receive the update lter. Apple did not mention the exact release date on these devices.
The news is not major, however. Apple Watch is now getting the opportunity to install applications directly from its interface without starting the process from the iPhone. Watches also receive a noise indicator, which monitors ambient noise and can alert you when the level is above normal limits. Apple has also integrated some new applications, much wanted by users: calculator, recorder and reminders. Many application developers who were selling such applications will certainly not be happy after this update.
For women, Apple also integrates a menstrual cycle monitoring app that syncs with Apple Health.
Those who have Apple Watch Series 3 or 4 can start the update from the Clock app on the iPhone, under the General> Software Update menu. The only watches that cannot install watchOS 6 are the first-generation Apple Watch, popularly called "series 0".
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