During its keynote today, Apple announced it would release the next batch of major software updates for its devices this month. For iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV users, you’ll get upgraded on September 17th in the forms of iOS 12, watchOS 5, and tvOS 12. Meanwhile, those waiting for macOS Mojave to hit their Macs will need to wait until September 24th. GM seeds of each new upgrade are beginning to roll out to registered beta testers of all four software versions.
iOS 12 will provide much better performance for devices stretching back to the iPhone 5s, offer better notification management, let you know how much time you’re spending on your device, enable Siri Shortcuts, and more. iOS 12 is focusing more on refinement over a bunch of new features, but that isn’t exactly bad all things considered.
watchOS 5 includes a handful of improvements and new features that will make the Apple Watch a better overall companion to your iPhone. It includes new workout modes and automatic workout detection, a fun little walkie-talkie app, Siri Shortcuts support, an Apple Podcasts app, grouped notifications, and more. The update is essentially a bucket full of refinements, similar to iOS 12, that aim to make your experience better.
While it isn’t the biggest update to hit the Apple TV, tvOS 12 does provide users will some nifty new features. It enables Dolby Atmos surround sound, ships with new aerial screensavers, packs Zero Sign-In for even faster log-ins, and comes with AutoFill that works with your iPhone and iPad to punch in passwords faster. Nothing exactly ground-breaking, but definitely welcome.
macOS Mojave packs lots of features that are friendly to both casual and professional users. It includes a system-wide dark mode, Stacks for organizing your files on your desktop, improvements to the built-in Finder, improvements to screenshots, group FaceTime calls, Metal 2, and more.
