Apple Announces iOS 15: First Look at New Features

Apple today previewed iOS 15, the company’s next major update for the iPhone, featuring new video calling capabilities, improvements to Messages, user statuses, a notification summary, and more.

FaceTime

In ‌iOS 15‌, FaceTime features a grid view and portrait mode for video. For audio, ‌FaceTime‌ calls now offer Spatial Audio and adaptive voice isolation for a more natural experience. In addition, users can now generate a shareable link to a scheduled video call.

“SharePlay” in ‌FaceTime‌ allows users to bring music, videos, and movies into calls, as well as share screens. SharePlay is also available as an API to be integrated into third-party apps.

Messages

Messages in ‌iOS 15‌ features new ways to share content such as images, music, podcasts, Apple News articles, and more. Users can pin shared content to surface it more readily.

Notifications

Notifications in ‌iOS 15‌ have been overhauled. There is now a notification summary that presents notifications based on how users interact with their apps.

Users’ Do Not Disturb status will now display to contacts in Messages. There are also alternative status options, such as “Focus,” which works as a user-configurable status for notifications. Statuses sync across devices.

Photos

Photos features “Live Text,” allowing users to highlight and select text in images. Live Text also works in other apps such as ‌Apple News‌.

In ‌iOS 15‌, ‌Photos‌ will also be presented in Spotlight searches and Apple Music songs can be integrated into ‌Photos‌ memories. Memory mixes are synchronized with the video and images, and user-configurable with intelligently chosen songs from ‌Apple Music‌.

Wallet

‌iOS 15‌ brings keys to Wallet, including corporate badges, hotel room keys, and keys for home smart locks.

Wallet now also supports identity cards. Users simply can their ID to add it to the Wallet app.

Weather

Weather now features a completely new design, an in-app map, and new background animations.

Maps

Maps features a globe view and a much more detailed 3D view in cities. There are new road details to assist drivers in cities and more information in the Transit view.

Maps now automatically follows you during a transit route and can alert you when to disembark, as well as offer more detailed directional information.