Apple has released iOS 12 beta 3 for developers. The software update arrives two weeks after the second beta was released. Developers can get the update from Apple’s site or over-the-air (OTA).
As far as what’s new, here are the major bullet points:
- Better Performance: Apple is working to improve the overall performance of iOS 12 on all the devices it can be installed on, including the older handsets. That includes boosted performance for opening the Share Sheet, for instance, or seeing up to 70 percent better performance in certain scenarios on devices like the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple says these performance boosts will be present on all devices that iOS 12 can be installed on, and the company is “doubling down†on performance with this latest iOS release.
- Animoji and Memoji: Apple is introducing four new Animoji characters, including a T-Rex, ghost, and tiger. The biggest new addition is what the company calls Memoji, allowing users to quickly turn themselves into an Animoji with a variety of customization options as well.
- ARKit 2.0: Apple is also introducing an update to ARKit, which will bring new features for the augmented reality framework. It brings with it more dynamic range for tracking items in the camera, as well as being able to play multiplayer games with up to four people. Support for 3D object detection and persistent.
- Starting a game built around a physical toy, or a physical classroom serving as a starting and continuation point for lessons. Shared experiences in ARKit 2.0, allowing for real-time multiplayer games.
- Photos: Apple is improving the Photos experience in iOS 12, making search better and faster, with the ability to search for places and much more. The new app is also getting a faster way to share content, with the app recommending people to share the photos or videos with based on facial recognition. And, after those images are shared, Photos will work with the receiver to find if they have photos of the same event to share back.
- Siri: Apple’s digital personal assistant is getting some improvements, including Shortcuts. This will give automation workflow to users, allowing for simple statements like “Heading home†to serve up a variety of different commands, including starting a podcast or Apple Music playlist, offering up directions, notifying a contact, and much more.
- Apple Books: Apple is changing iBooks to Apple Books, and tweaking the overall experience as well
- Apple News, Stocks, and Voice Memos: These apps are finally making the jump over to the Mac
- Grouped Notifications: iOS 12 is finally adding support for grouped notifications, so multiple notifications from a single app would be merged into one for better usability. Notifications are also getting other improvements. You can now send notifications from the lock screen to the notification center, with Siri now recommending you to disable notifications from apps that you don’t use.
Screen Time will help you keep track of how much time you and your kids are spending on iOS devices.
