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

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

Apple introduced 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 new features that are long overdue, 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 the content 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, rather than letting the applications die; "Sherlock" basic photo editor, reminding the application and menstrual tracker that they are all being updated; Even recently, I tried to challenge Google Map Navigation. In short, Apple is improving its applications to make full use of iOS 13.

The end result is more minor updates and improvements, rather than 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 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 cell phone signal was lost, the camera application might be slow, the photos were randomly marked as new dates, there was a problem with airdrops, and the text boxes 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 yet been completed. The company has announced that iOS 13. 1 will be released within a few days after the release of iOS 13, along with the tablet version of iPadOS software. It should introduce some other functions announced at its global developer conference into iOS 13 and fix some bugs. The update is scheduled for later this fall, and will bring functions such as 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.

For users, dark mode may be the biggest function: it is the visual effect of almost every application on the platform, and it 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 choices: the automatic function of switching between two modes and the intelligent switching back and forth according to 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 those who don't like reading a lot of black-and-white text, it is a good thing to be able to disable automatic switching in 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 the 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 "Photos" app may be the best part. Apple has made two major changes: it 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 editing tools for photos and videos, 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, you will see less information in a given time, 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 month you want, and you will switch to the selected "Day" mode, which can select the best pictures and videos. Click for a few days, and you will see a view of every photo taken on that date (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 good shooting and 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 provided for the first time. Although it is slightly more limited than the photo editing tool, you can perform basic tasks, such as rotating or cropping videos, which was not possible 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 no preset for editing pictures of the same style in batches.

However, if you just want to adjust 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 working hard 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 complete as Google's version. Apple's basic map has a new standard, which is more accurate and can provide better data for roads, beaches, parks, buildings and so on. But so far, it will take some time for popularization.

There are some practical functions that need to be supplemented. The new favorites and favorites functions for saving your favorite locations are very practical, and real-time traffic information (assuming your city is available) is essential to make Apple Maps a feasible tool to achieve this goal. But all this helps Apple keep pace with Google, although it doesn't actually surpass Google in this respect.

Considering that Apple has updated the in-vehicle software of iOS 13, these changes may be more important for CarPlay users. There is a brand-new user interface, and you can finally check the map direction and the current music playback. This is a function that sounds unremarkable and should have been introduced a long time ago.

The downside 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, making it easier to add photos, dates and locations to reminders.

These are things that to-do apps haven't done for years, but these changes are important for the simple reason that Apple's 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, which still makes 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

Location function is a big problem in iOS 13. There are two main changes: because of the new permission settings, it makes it more difficult for developers and companies to track your location, and it also makes it easier for you to find the devices you lost or couldn't find (or just focus on 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 application 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 the devices in your account or any devices in your * * * sharing location, 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, there are many minor improvements in iOS 13. 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 fewer horizontal scrolling lists and vertical lists can be customized according to the application context. Siri's voice is smoother, but it's hard to notice this unless you have a long conversation with Siri.

The message has gained 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 has gained more functions, more customization options and automatically generated iMessage stickers, which can basically be turned into customized characters.

Apple also added a sliding gesture to the keyboard, and now it's too late. But it doesn't matter. As a first attempt, it's ok, but 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 menstrual cycle tracker, it will also synchronize with similar new features on Apple Watch.

In terms of privacy, Apple has launched a new feature aimed at providing social media users with safer login options. 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. According to reports, 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 accommodate it and moved the "Update" section under account settings.

In addition, Apple TV Plus will be released on June 5438 +065438+10/October 65438 +0, although Apple has not announced what changes will be made to the TV application when it is launched.

IOS 12 is considered as representing Apple's new vision, laying a stable and solid foundation and paving the way for revolutionary mobile software versions. However, iOS 13 did not live up to these promises. Some new privacy and security features are very interesting, and it is expected that they will continue the promise of more responsible software made by Apple last year. But in most cases, this is just a small update. If Diablo 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.

However, iOS 13 highlights the double-edged sword role of Apple's interconnected 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.