iOS 15 & friends - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

[Pumbaa]

Back in the old days I usually held off upgrading my devices for a while after a new software release. The updates provided drastic changes (supposedly improvements), but it also seemed like the changes were usually accompanied by show-stopping bugs. Ah, well, times change; Nowadays an iOS upgrades feels mostly incremental to me, without huge problems. On the plus side, that makes me feel better about upgrading early. On the minus side, I’m rarely excited by even a handful of new features so the urge to upgrade early just isn’t there. Or maybe it’s just me getting old(er) and the updates are as hip as ever, who knows?

I’ll probably upgrade soon this time anyway due to expecting an iPhone 13 Pro Max soonish, to keep all devices in sync, even though the touted features are not impressing me much…

iOS 16 - New Features

See all the latest features, enhancements, app updates, and more in iOS 16 for iPhone.

www.apple.com

While I don‘t spot anything warranting an instant upgrade, the upcoming iOS does contain a couple of features I think I will enjoy in the long run. Focus mode is something I absolutely can see me using and later taking for granted. Live Text in photos and Visual Look Up, provided they work well, are also features that could make assorted tasks easier for me a couple of times a month or so.

iPadOS 16 - New Features

View the latest features, enhancements, app updates, and more in iPadOS 16 for iPad.

www.apple.com

For iPadOS I am cautiously optimistic about the multitasking updates. Universal Control sounds interesting, but is “coming later this fall”. Bah. Meh. Grumble.

watchOS 9

watchOS 9 brings a Workout app packed with new features, a new Medications app, greater insights for sleep and heart health, and much more.

www.apple.com

For watchOS I’m mostly hopeful about the Home upgrades. And portrait mode photos on the watch face looks cool, I have to admit that. Not sure I’d actually use that, feels like it gets in the way. But again, looking cool!


In any case, despite the lukewarm feature sets, I’m actually looking forward to try out all the new releases. Will report back if I discover something good, bad or ugly in the process. What about you? Anyone excited by anything? Appalled by anything? Completely oblivious? Annoyed by bugs? Happy about something unexpected?

 

[Herdfan]

Back in the old days I usually held off upgrading my devices for a while after a new software release. The updates provided drastic changes (supposedly improvements), but it also seemed like the changes were usually accompanied by show-stopping bugs.

That is what my daughter was for. She never could wait and had to install on release day. So I knew pretty quickly if I wanted to upgrade or wait for the .1 or even .2.

But now she is away at college, I don't have my instant review.

 

[Pumbaa]

That is what my daughter was for. She never could wait and had to install on release day. So I knew pretty quickly if I wanted to upgrade or wait for the .1 or even .2.

But now she is away at college, I don't have my instant review.

If she isn’t keeping in touch, just assume it is a .0 issue preventing her.

 

[Eric]

Back in the old days I usually held off upgrading my devices for a while after a new software release. The updates provided drastic changes (supposedly improvements), but it also seemed like the changes were usually accompanied by show-stopping bugs. Ah, well, times change; Nowadays an iOS upgrades feels mostly incremental to me, without huge problems. On the plus side, that makes me feel better about upgrading early. On the minus side, I’m rarely excited by even a handful of new features so the urge to upgrade early just isn’t there. Or maybe it’s just me getting old(er) and the updates are as hip as ever, who knows?

I’ll probably upgrade soon this time anyway due to expecting an iPhone 13 Pro Max soonish, to keep all devices in sync, even though the touted features are not impressing me much…

iOS 16 - New Features

See all the latest features, enhancements, app updates, and more in iOS 16 for iPhone.

www.apple.com

While I don‘t spot anything warranting an instant upgrade, the upcoming iOS does contain a couple of features I think I will enjoy in the long run. Focus mode is something I absolutely can see me using and later taking for granted. Live Text in photos and Visual Look Up, provided they work well, are also features that could make assorted tasks easier for me a couple of times a month or so.

iPadOS 16 - New Features

View the latest features, enhancements, app updates, and more in iPadOS 16 for iPad.

www.apple.com

For iPadOS I am cautiously optimistic about the multitasking updates. Universal Control sounds interesting, but is “coming later this fall”. Bah. Meh. Grumble.

watchOS 9

watchOS 9 brings a Workout app packed with new features, a new Medications app, greater insights for sleep and heart health, and much more.

www.apple.com

For watchOS I’m mostly hopeful about the Home upgrades. And portrait mode photos on the watch face looks cool, I have to admit that. Not sure I’d actually use that, feels like it gets in the way. But again, looking cool!


In any case, despite the lukewarm feature sets, I’m actually looking forward to try out all the new releases. Will report back if I discover something good, bad or ugly in the process. What about you? Anyone excited by anything? Appalled by anything? Completely oblivious? Annoyed by bugs? Happy about something unexpected?

First, thanks for starting this thread, stickied it up. Looks like an incremental update to me, too but I don't mind because it doesn't cost anything. For me, the iOS updates are always the best thing to come out of the annual refresh. I'll get it installed with a smile.

 

[Alli]

I’m gonna wait until early afternoon to give it a try (rather than starting as it’s released at noon).

I’m just hoping the multitasking is fixed on the iPad. At some point I used fly over (or whatever it’s called) and now any time I click a link from another app, Safari shows up in slim mode on the right so I have to exit both apps to go to Safari to see it full page. Drives me nuts.

 

[Clix Pix]

I"ll probably wait until tomorrow to install it in my various devices......not in any big rush for it and that way if there ARE any issues and people start reporting them promptly I'll know either to hold off longer until there's a fix or to be wary of whatever the issues are and how to adjust for them if I can do that myself.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I pretty much stopped watching the keynotes several years ago. So for the most part I'm not really all that aware of what the new features are. I'll probably wait until they've done at least 1 revision.

For MacOS I wait a minimum of 6 - 9 months because I have way too much third-party software that an OS upgrade could break. The main issue with that is by the time I upgrade all the buzz has died down and I have no idea what the new features are until I just run into them.

 

[DT]

The multi-tasking features and global notes system are super slick in iPadOS 15, that may be more substantial vs. anything on the iPhone iOS 15 release. The other major thing I saw - which is a HUGE thing for me - is opening an iPhone app, oriented correctly, when the iPad is in landscape mode. iPhone apps open oriented portrait, and while it's only a couple of apps, I use them pretty frequently.

 

[lizkat]

Anyone excited by anything?

Yeah, the Live Text feature for sure. So excited about it that i screenshot some reviewer's note...

 

[DT]

Yeah, the Live Text feature for sure. So excited about it that i screenshot some reviewer's note...

OMG, yes, I totally forgot about that, and it's the thing I geeked out the most over.

 

[lizkat]

OMG, yes, I totally forgot about that, and it's the thing I geeked out the most over.

Heh, I'm still going to wait just a little while before I go to iOS 15. I'm an occasional early adopter of certain Apple gear now and then, but those occasional tales of people running an iOS upgrade that bricked their less than absolutely current model of iPhone etc. have always given me pause. Still I've been favorably impressed by the last bunch of iOS releases so I don't wait for weeks on end any more.

 

[Runs For Fun]

First, thanks for starting this thread, stickied it up. Looks like an incremental update to me, too but I don't mind because it doesn't cost anything. For me, the iOS updates are always the best thing to come out of the annual refresh. I'll get it installed with a smile.

Same here. Aside from new phones the new OSes are exciting too. I’ll get all my stuff updated later today.

 

[DT]

iPad restarting ... exciting ...

 

[Runs For Fun]

I forgot we’re getting widgets anywhere on iPadOS! Can’t wait to get my Air updated.

 

[DT]

Wow, it's super nice, loving the aforementioned multi talking/notes, and yes, the sounds stupid, but awesome iPhone app correctly oriented on my landscape iPad. It still zooms but now the larger size isn't wacked out scale-wise, it looks great!

 

[DT]

Holy hell, the OCR-ing tech is slick. I opened up a few pics with text, it shows the little "Smart Text" icon, tap, major text on the screen becomes selectable, and you can lookup words, and has a call out panel that smartly displays content (like Chobani creamer shows the Wiki article, their Twitter account, all that opens the proper app).

 

[JayMysteri0]

Wow, it's super nice, loving the aforementioned multi talking/notes, and yes, the sounds stupid, but awesome iPhone app correctly oriented on my landscape iPad. It still zooms but now the larger size isn't wacked out scale-wise, it looks great!

Unfortunately for me it doesn’t seem to work with Instagram,

Instagram will open oriented correctly, but when it loads your content, it then re orients itself back to portrait ( default iPhone mode ) even when you are viewing your iPad horizontally.

Seems Facebook / Instagram really wants you to look at it on your iPhone, since they still refuse to make an iPad app.

 

[SuperMatt]

Seems Facebook / Instagram really wants you to look at it on your iPhone, since they still refuse to make an iPad app.

It's all about greed at Facebook. They probably have a team that figured out the cost of making an iPad app wouldn't give them increased revenue, so they are happy to give iPad users a crappy experience.

Once the drug dealer has you hooked, they don't need to sell you on fancy packaging, or ease of administering it. You just want the drugs, any way you can get them.

 

[JamesMike]

Updated my iPads and phone, so far everything is good to go, was disappointed with the translate app, no comparison to Google translate.

 

[JayMysteri0]

It's all about greed at Facebook. They probably have a team that figured out the cost of making an iPad app wouldn't give them increased revenue, so they are happy to give iPad users a crappy experience.

Once the drug dealer has you hooked, they don't need to sell you on fancy packaging, or ease of administering it. You just want the drugs, any way you can get them.

It’s a very non sensical thing to do. As much as FB pulls in, having & maintaining an iPad version costs relatively nothing. The amount of creatives & influencers who will enjoy being able to use the larger format as a native choice shouldn’t be underestimated. Instead it’s an app that gets tolerated until something better ( like the embrace of Tik Tok shows ) comes along.

If Tumblr hadn’t shot themselves in both feet and their next store neighbor’s feet, it would still be the first choice of creatives I believe.