The official version of Apple's iOS 13 is coming: the dark mode is refreshing, and photo editing is more convenient and close to ins.

The official version of iOS 13 is here. This is also the first time that Apple has advanced the release date of major updates: both iOS 13. 1 and iPadOS will be released on September 24th instead of September 30th as originally announced.

Apple launched a completely different update on last year's iOS 12 system, which is based on the improvement of performance and rethinking the degree of our use of mobile phones. IOS 13 is big and gorgeous. It hopes to surprise users with a smooth "dark" mode; Apple maps, photos and even reminders have been surprisingly updated. And long-awaited new features, such as sliding keyboard and user interface improvement.

However, these changes are largely in terms of iteration or appearance. At this point, iOS feels that it has begun to take shape. For better or worse, what we have now is Apple's vision for the smartphone operating system. (Now, the iPad has been split into its own iPadOS, which means that the future version of iOS should be more suitable for the iPhone. )

This vision clearly shows that most of iOS 13 is used to improve Apple's own applications and services, so that they can restore the standards set by other third parties long ago, such as writing a dark mode on the system, instead of letting the application die; "Sherlock" basic photo editor, reminding the application and menstrual tracker are all in an update; Even recently, I tried to challenge Google Map Navigation. In short, Apple is improving its application to make full use of iOS 13.

The end result is more minor updates and improvements, not comprehensive overhaul. Just like iOS 12S. For example, if iOS 12 is a plate full of healthy vegetables, then iOS 13 is a colorful candy bar. But it's like eating a junk food, and I'm a little dissatisfied after my mouth addiction.

perform

IOS 13 has some new main functions, which will be introduced one by one. But before we go any further, the most important thing we need to know is that, at least for now, iOS 13 has not reached Apple's usual quality standards. There may be no harm in installing it immediately, but it may be better to wait until the update of iOS 13. 1 is released on September 24th.

The version of iOS 13 pushed to users today makes people feel a little hasty. When testing at The Verge, we encountered many major errors: the application crashed randomly when it was opened, the cellular signal was lost, the camera application might be slow, the picture was randomly marked with a new date, there was something wrong with the airdrop, and the text box in iMessages sometimes flipped, and so on. You may not encounter all these problems, but it is very likely that you will encounter some of them.

Apple almost admits that the 13.0 version of iOS has not been completed. The company has announced that iOS 13 will be released within a few days after the release of iOS 13, along with the tablet version of the software iPadOS. It should introduce some other functions announced at its global developer conference into iOS 13 and fix some bugs. The update is planned for later this fall, and it will bring features like AirPod audio * * * enjoyment and HomeKit video camera.

Historically, Apple has been very good at solving problems quickly in the iOS version.

You underestimate the power of the dark mode.

Dark mode may be the biggest feature for users: it is the visual effect of almost every application on the platform and has been publicized for a long time. With the development of the dark mode, Apple will be one of the best modes. The background is really black, not very dark gray, which looks great on the OLED panel of iPhone X or XS devices. Unlike Google, Google has not released the dark mode of all its first-party applications, although the dark mode of Android 10 was released a few weeks ago, and Apple has successfully supported the dark mode of iOS 13 and all its major applications.

Basically, there are two options: the automatic function of switching between two modes and the intelligent switching back and forth based on sunrise and sunset. Some people prefer sunset switching. The main attraction of dark mode is not to darken the screen at night, but fans of dark mode will be satisfied with this permanent switch.

It would be better if there were finer-grained control. For people who don't like to read a lot of black and white text, it is a good thing to be able to disable automatic switching for certain applications (such as Slack). Another function I want to see is to customize the wallpaper to switch between light and dark modes, just like Apple's default setting, instead of darkening the user's existing background when dark mode is turned on.

There are still some simple or non-existent places, such as Apple's iWork application suite or its iTunes remote application, which the company has not updated. It is speculated that these will be sorted out soon. Third-party applications also need to be updated to support switching, but these updates should be released with the release of iOS 13.

draw

Dark mode may be Apple's coolest feature on iOS 13, but the new "photo" application may be the best part. Apple has made two major changes: it has completely changed the design of photo applications, making it easier for you to browse photos accumulated over the years, and added a set of strict photo and video editing tools, which may make third-party applications idle.

The simpler change is the design of the application. Instead of just displaying thumbnails of all photos in a day, a month or a year, Apple uses a more effective view to organize the best photos in that time period. Theoretically, in a given time, you see less information, but it is more useful than tiny thumbnails. Everything's fine. Select the given year in the Year tab, and then jump to the exact location of the Month tab. Tap the desired month, and you will switch to the selected "Day" mode, where you can choose the best pictures and videos. Click on it for a few days, and you will see the view of every photo taken that day (including duplicate photos and screenshots). The whole process is very fast, even in years, which is a better way to browse pictures.

Editing tools are another important supplement. If you have ever used Instagram tools, you will find that Apple's tools are very similar. You can edit a picture with a single click and get a scrolling list of various adjustments, including exposure, highlights, shadows, contrast, black spots and so on. Each value can be adjusted from-100 to+100, which can fundamentally change the way your photos are displayed in extreme situations, but finer adjustment may be the key difference between a good shot and a good composition.

By clicking the photo preview, you can compare the adjusted version with the original version anywhere during editing. You can also turn any adjustment on or off to see the effect of adjusting the overall lens performance. Video editing is also the first time. Although it is slightly more limited than photo editing tools, you can perform basic tasks, such as rotating or cropping videos, which was impossible in previous photo applications.

However, these tools will not replace mature photo editing tools, such as Adobe's Lightroom. For example, there is no good scheme to adjust the white balance, and all editing tools are suitable for the whole picture without any selective application. There is also no preset for editing pictures of the same style in batches.

However, if you just want to adjust the photos before sending them to a group chat or uploading them to social media, then the editing function here should be more than enough. Best of all, it is built into the default photo application, which means you don't have to leave Apple's own application to make these adjustments. You can browse, edit and enjoy everything in one place.

apple map

Apple Maps may not be as good as Google Maps, but since it is the default mapping application on iOS, it is good to see that Apple is still trying to meet Google's standards.

There is a new function similar to Google Street View, which allows you to look around the real world, although it is not as perfect as Google's version. Apple's basic map has new standards and is more accurate, which can provide better data for roads, beaches, parks, buildings and so on. But so far, it will take some time for popularization.

There are also some practical functions to supplement. The new favorites and favorites function is very practical for saving your favorite places, and real-time traffic information (assuming your city is available) is very important to make Apple Maps a feasible tool to achieve this. But all this helps Apple to be on an equal footing with Google, although it has not actually surpassed Google in this respect.

Considering the update made by Apple to the in-vehicle software of iOS 13, these changes may be more important for CarPlay users. There is a brand-new UI, which finally allows you to check the direction of the map and the music currently playing. This is a function that sounds unremarkable and should have been introduced long ago.

The disadvantage is that Apple doesn't seem to open the new multi-function dashboard view to third-party map applications such as Waze or Google Maps. This means that if you want to use one of the best features of iOS 13, you can only use Apple Maps.

remind

Since the launch of iOS 7, Apple has provided the biggest update for reminders, including new design, new sorting options and Siri-driven smart toolbar for entering reminders, so that it is easier to add photos, dates and locations to reminders.

These are things that to-do apps haven't done for many years, but these changes are important for the simple reason that Apple apps are the default. Its mixture ratio with Siri is good for any third-party application, and it is the main option for pre-installation of every iPhone. These new features are great, but there are many better productivity applications that still make Apple's efforts seem insignificant. It's a good thing that Apple finally updated it and added functions, but it only highlights the slow progress of Apple's default application due to the lack of meaningful competition.

location

The location function in iOS 13 is a big problem. There are two main changes: due to the new permission settings, it is more difficult for developers and companies to track your location, and it is also easier for you to find the equipment you lost or couldn't find (or just pay attention to friends and family).

Permission changes are provided in the form of new options to grant application permissions to your location: you can now restrict it to use only when the application is open or only once. If the app tries to ask your location in the background, iOS will also remind you.

There is also a new "Find My" application, which combines the "Find My iPhone" and "Find My Friends" applications into one application, allowing you to track these two applications. This application is very easy to use. You can easily find devices in your account or any devices with which you * * * share locations, such as friends or family members you can add in Find My Friends, which is part of Apple's family sharing program.

Other sporadic improvements

As usual, iOS 13 has many minor improvements. In fact, considering that the scope of this update is relatively mild, such improvements seem to be more than before.

In terms of quality of life, there will eventually be a new volume indicator, which will no longer block the whole screen when you adjust the volume of your mobile phone. The inventory table has also been updated; There are few horizontal scrolling lists, and the vertical list can be customized according to the application context. Siri's voice is smoother, but unless you have a long conversation with Siri, it's hard to notice this.

The message gets some new functions, and the biggest function is actually the new function search. No matter what efforts Apple has made in this regard, search can really work now, allowing you to find old information.

In addition, users will be able to set a profile picture, which will be displayed when you send a message to someone, similar to WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. (Apple seems to realize that unlike its marketing videos, people don't take the time to set custom images for all their contacts. Memoji gets more functions, more customization options and automatically generated iMessage stickers, which can basically turn them into customized characters.

Apple also added a sliding gesture to the keyboard, and now it is too late. But it doesn't matter. As a first attempt, it's ok, but it's not as good as Gboard or something like that.

There is a new health application that will automatically remind you of your fitness data. For example, it will tell you that if you take more or less steps than average, and a late menstrual cycle tracker, it will also synchronize with similar new features on Apple Watch.

In terms of privacy, Apple has introduced a new feature designed to provide more secure login options for social media users. Applications that support this feature have not yet been launched, but Joanna Stern of The Wall Street Journal had previously doubted whether more mainstream applications such as Facebook or Twitter would support this feature. It is reported that Apple will enforce this function next year.

Apple Arcade is provided as a part of iOS 13, but the biggest impact here is that the app store has shifted some space to adapt to it and diverted the "update" section under account settings.

Also, Apple TV Plus will be released on June 5438+065438+ 10/,although Apple has not announced what changes will be made to TV applications when it is launched.

IOS 12 is considered to represent Apple's new vision, which has laid a stable and solid foundation and paved the way for revolutionary mobile software versions. However, iOS 13 did not fulfill these promises. Some new privacy and security features are really interesting and are expected to continue Apple's promise of more responsible software made last year. But in most cases, this is just a small update. If the dark mode is the biggest feature of this update, then this year can be described as an ordinary year.

If all goes well, even the slightly boring iOS 13 is not a big problem! But this is not the case, leaving an update that will not have much impact (at least when it is released) may bring you more problems.

But iOS 13 highlights the double-edged sword of Apple's connected application ecosystem. At this point, it is obvious that the company thinks that the best way to use its hardware is to use as much software as possible: the new reminder application is closely connected with iMessage, but if you use WhatsApp or other applications, you will not see these functions.

This means that Apple must take the time to ensure that all its applications are good, and there may be more iterative updates similar to iOS 13 in the future, not less.