Apple released the first beta versions of iOS 18 to developers last night. They can be installed fairly easily on any compatible iPhone, although the company does not recommend doing this on your personal mobile phone. As a tip, I’m selling it, but I don’t have it, I have the latest version of iOS installed on my iPhone. And there is a lot to tell, a lot.
What Apple announced yesterday on a design level goes far beyond the aesthetic changes that could be seen: it’s a change in philosophy that I have mixed feelings about. Let’s be clear: when Apple starts running out of ideas, it has no choice but to fall back on the old reliable: watch on Android.
In the case of iOS 18, they may have looked too hard. One of the main new features of this version is that we can change the color of the icons. In this first beta the result was disastrous. “But it’s beta!” This. And thematic icons (exactly the same feature, but on Android) are also in beta.
Difference? Google’s approach is to create color palettes that are associated with wallpapers and theme icons accordingly. The iOS implementation, without palliatives, is (at this point this is important) the worst I’ve seen in years from a thematic point of view. The concept is similar: we can automatically adjust the background color of the icons or even choose the color ourselves.
But icons and widgets are painted in the color of the wallpaper without much meaning; this is not a spoiled adaptation of icons. Be careful, the idea is not bad and Google is proof of this, so I am convinced that the version will be much better than what we see. Despite this, I’m surprised Apple released something in this condition.even being the first beta.
As for the icons, it is possible to place them where we want. There are no more blocks that force us to place them at the top of the screen. We can also change the size of the icons on the desktop itself. If we select the maximum size, the labels will be hidden. This is mainly due to the fact that the large size is not suitable for these shortcuts, and not because of the exclusive feature of hiding them.
We also have dark theme for icons, great ideaAgain, not entirely well executed. I’m not holding out much hope in this case: it’s pretty clear that the colored icons have issues, but the dark mode implementation does show the icon layout by icon. If you had sent me a screenshot of these icons a few days ago, I would have stuck my hand in the fire, guaranteeing that it was a free icon pack from the Play Store.
This is not so much a matter of subjective taste as, again, request for consistency at the user interface level. Icons in dark mode have a slightly different design language than when we use them in light mode.
For example, the Mail app has a blue background and a white icon. When we switch it to dark mode, the icon does not change from white to black, but becomes blue (also blue with a color gradient). Because? However, the camera app has a black icon and a gray background. In dark mode, it has a gray icon and a black background. As it should be, following the pattern of dark fading from white to black.
The same goes for your phone and Safari. On the phone, the green background changes to an icon. in Safari the icon remains unchanged and the background changes from white to black (as it should technically be). This may seem like a minor detail, but the fact that the icons change color without following a fixed pattern, while the dark mode is designed specifically to convert white to black and keep everything else consistent, really shocks me.
The control center has undergone major changes. In this case I am pleased with the result. There have been important changes at the design level: Some icons have been recolored, animations are cleaner than ever (it’s disgusting how Apple takes care of this in iOS 18), and we have new features like the flashlight. Now we can not only regulate the intensity of the flash, but also more or less concentrate its direction. Last.
It’s no longer just one page, we can scroll down to access three others: Music (focused on AirPlay deliveries), Home and Communications. We also have the ability to create a completely custom sub-page, as well as the ability to completely resize the widgets.
Is the best Control Center we’ve ever had on an iPhone, both in terms of functionality and customization. A little detail to finish: now when we access the control center we have the option to turn off the iPhone in the top right corner.
Another feature introduced in the first beta of iOS 18 is related to hidden apps and Face ID as an additional security measure. From now on, simply long press on any app to lock it with Face ID. This is an option identical to what was already available in some applications such as WhatsApp, but integrated at the system level. This option is great for securing any application in seconds.
If we want to go further, we can hide the icon of any application and send it to the “hidden” section of the library. We can only access them through Face ID. In short, an alternative to Android 15 Secure Folder.
Also, regarding system security, we have a new Passwords app. At the presentation I was very shocked that they separated the basic function from the settings in the application: after trying it, I understand everything.
It’s a faster and more affordable way to control all of our passwords. It is divided into six sections.
Additionally, from here we can create shared passwords and access keys.
The main change in apps is related to photos. It’s been completely redesignedalthough it still lags behind alternatives like Google Photos in terms of order volume.
When we open the photos we will see a gallery at the top and new collections at the bottom. Last days, people and pets, set collections (we can create whatever we want), memories, trips, albums, favorite photos…
As much as Apple would like to group content better, scrolling is still quite long. The photo preview has changed aesthetically to appear in a slightly smaller square with rounded corners. It looks very good from an aesthetic point of view, but the images appear smaller until we click on them.
Yes, on a visual level I really liked how the search goes on for years and months, with highlighted memories as the cover. Don’t expect options to delete photos or search for AI: Apple Intelligence is not yet active.
I was also very surprised How well solved is the Fitness app now?. The interface for the number of steps has changed, separating both the steps themselves and the distance traveled. Additionally, by combining the Health app’s new “vital signs” variable, we can determine the training load associated with these constants.
The Apple Watch, when we finish a workout, will ask us what our post-workout effort was, and by combining its sensor data with our feedback and measurements from the Health app, it will provide us with training load information.
The Settings app has also seen some important changes. Finally, they are no longer an endless list, as the Applications settings are now grouped into one category. Important options such as battery have also been moved to the top of the settings. It has an important option that Apple didn’t include in its presentation: we can finally limit the charging percentage of the iPhone. If we want to protect the battery, charging it to 100% is not the most useful solution. In the settings we can select the desired value and the iPhone will only charge up to this point.
iOS 18 This will be the before and after at Apple. While there are major inconsistencies at the user interface level and many of the announced new features are not yet available, this system will lay the foundation for artificial intelligence for Apple. As I review this beta, Siri is still as limited as ever. Next year it will have integration with GPT-4o to handle those queries where OpenAI can contribute more than Apple.
AI notification summaries, contextual analysis of the phone screen, integration of generative models… The best thing about iOS 18 is not what it is now, but what it will be a year from now. And I say 2025 because Apple Intelligence will start rolling out in 2024, but Spanish-language features will have to wait a little longer.
Image | Hataka
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