Apple shows off iOS 12 with shared AR, new communications features and more

Apple announced iOS 12 with emphasis on making daily tasks faster and more responsive. iOS 12 introduces new features such as new ways to experience AR, as well as improvements to make communications fun and Memoji and Group FaceTime. iOS 12 introduces Siri Shortcuts, enabling Siri to work with any app, enabling a faster way to get things done.

Apple claims that iOS 12 is designed to make everyday tasks on iPhone and iPad faster and more responsive to performance improvements across the system. They state that now, the camera launches up to 70 percent faster, the keyboard appears up to 50 percent faster and typing is more responsive. Even when there is a lot going on across the system, apps can launch up to twice as fast.

iOS 12 will be made available for Apple’s 2013 flagship, the iPhone 5s right up to iPhone X.

ARKit 2 enables developers to create innovative AR apps for the Apple’s AR platform, with new tools to integrate shared experiences, persistent AR experiences tied to a specific location, object detection and image tracking. Designed in collaboration with Pixar, a new open file format, usdz, makes it possible to experience AR nearly anywhere in iOS, including apps like Messages, Safari, Mail, Files and News, thereby delivering powerful graphics and animation features.

Apple has introduced a new Animoji and Memoji that allows users to communicate with friends and family in a more expressive manner. Create a Memoji right within Messages by choosing from a set of inclusive and diverse characteristics to form a unique personality. The existing set of Animoji also expands with ghost, koala, tiger and T. rex. All Animoji and Memoji now feature winks and tongue detection.

New camera effects bring Animoji, Filters, Text and Stickers to Messages and FaceTime. Filters like comic book and watercolour add personality to photos and videos, new labels and shapes let users add captions and titles to highlight parts of an image, and stickers can be placed using iMessage sticker packs.

With Group FaceTime, it’s easy to chat with multiple people at the same time. Participants can be added at any time, join later if the conversation is still active and choose to join using video or audio from an iPhone, iPad or Mac — or even participate using FaceTime audio from Apple Watch.

Siri Shortcuts deliver a new, faster way to get things done with the ability for any app to work with Siri. Siri intelligence can suggest an action at just the right time — whether it’s to order a coffee in the morning or start an afternoon workout. Users can customize Shortcuts by creating a voice command to kick off the task or download the new Shortcuts app to create a series of actions from different apps that can be carried out with a tap or customized voice command. It’s easy for developers to take advantage of this new capability using Shortcut APIs.

A new For You tab surfaces favourite moments in one place, combining Memories and iCloud Shared Albums. A new sharing suggestions feature makes it easier to share photos with friends, and friends who receive photos are prompted to share back any photos and videos they have from the same trip or event. Search suggestions surface the most relevant Events, People, Places, Groups, Categories and recent searches, and new search functionality lets users combine multiple search terms to find just the right photos.

Enhanced privacy and security remain a top priority in iOS 12. In Safari, enhanced Intelligent Tracking Prevention helps block social media “Like” or “Share” buttons and comment widgets from tracking users without permission. Safari now also presents simplified system information when users browse the web, preventing them from being tracked based on their system configuration. Safari now also automatically creates, autofills and stores strong passwords when users create new online accounts and flags reused passwords so users can change them.

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