Apple's newest version of its mobile software iOS becomes
available today for a public test drive. Is the beta for iOS 10 worth
it? I've been using it for a long weekend, with a preloaded version on
an iPhone 6S provided by Apple. As always, going with a beta OS is a bit of a risky journey on your everyday phone -- if you're curious, read Apple's FAQ and sign up, but I recommend you do it on a secondary device.
iOS 10 does have a handful of things that make it worth trying. That
being said, it feels largely familiar at first, or second, or third
use. I'd say it's a pretty subtle set of updates: call it the Service
Pack for iOS 9.
And some things -- like the more advanced Siri that works with
third-party apps -- can't even be tested yet because no apps exist that
fold into it. So I came away feeling a little less than excited about
iOS 10. But hey, as a free update, it has a lot to offer.
f you do decide to download iOS 10's public beta, here's what you should check out.
Raise to Wake: Yes, it's been on Android
phones for years, but it's really nice to have on an iPhone. I pick up
the 6S and my messages are there. No button-pressing. It also means,
since I'm not pressing Touch ID, that I don't just zip past the
on-screen notifications. I linger there a bit longer. Now, however, you
have to press the Home button to get past the lock screen, which
sometimes feels like one step too many (or I've become truly lazy).
Gentle wake-ups: Did you know that iOS 10 has a new bedtime and wakeup reminder system in the Clock app? It's pretty great. Similar to what Fitbit just added,
it recommends a bedtime schedule to stick to. In the mornings, it'll
wake you up with gentle, rising music. New tones are available: "Early
Riser," "First Light," "Helios" and "Birdsong." My morning music test
was a lot more comforting than the stock set of Apple alarms. I slept
through a few minutes of music, but I still woke up on time.
Apple Music:
The beta shows off Apple Music's touted new redesign. It's really just a
fresh coat of paint, but it does make finding things seem a little
simpler. Menus are cleaner. I still think there are too many features
and alleys in the Apple Music labyrinth. Apple hasn't claimed the new
Apple Music will be any more or less harsh to your iCloud Music library
(mine has been mutated over time the more I've used Apple Music, as
downloads have weirdly merged with my own files). So far, I've noticed
it's easier to search for things.
Messages get funky:
You've probably heard, but Messages can now do all sorts of wacky
things. Open the app and try it with someone else who has iOS 10 beta.
Invisible ink. Slamming. Super-large emoji. Balloons, lasers, stickers.
You can type something and have the emoji-translating keyboard convert
words for you. Scribbling on video clips, sending simulated heartbeats
like Apple Watch:
it's all there, but scattershot. I found it hard to locate where all
the parts were. Messages will support third-party apps, but right now
all you can play with are four sticker packs that just feel like more
emoji.
Delete Stocks, or iTunes, or nearly anything:
You can remove Apple's core nonremovable apps...or most of them. No,
they're not really erased, but they do disappear from your phone. They
can be restored via the App Store like a regular app. Be careful,
because you might forget which apps you've removed! It's a welcome thing
for Stocks and News (or Apple Watch if you don't want to buy one), but
some apps still can't be removed: Health, Photos, Wallet. Or the App
Store.
Photos gets Memories: All
your photos in Apple's iCloud Photo Library are now scanned using
machine learning to collect into moments, or are organized by faces and
places like Google Photos. This worked with my photo library, splitting
things up in various discoverable categories. It took a day to get
everything scanned, but then I saw Memories such as "Best of the Year
2015," "United Kingdom 2014 Trip," "Best of Last 3 Months" and "Father's
Day 2015." The only problem was, I couldn't play any of the
Apple-generated memory videos that collate your bests into a musical
montage like Google and Facebook already do. Maybe it's a bug.
3D Touch Notifications, app widgets and Control Center:
If you have a 3D Touch iPhone 6S, there's more you can do now. Apps now
have little widgets with extra info, and the control panel has new
settings for things like flashlight or the camera. I'm not wild about
the Control Center redesign, which shifts music playback to a second
pane and doesn't add anything new to the first pane. Home appliances
will appear in a third pane if you add things to Apple's Home app. But
the extra use of 3D Touch could mean a lot less app opening down the road.
Yes, a Home app: Confused about Smart Home? Apple's new app is here, and it lets you connect HomeKit-ready
appliances in one convenient place. Unfortunately, I have no
HomeKit-ready appliances. And the app didn't start me off in a way that
helped me understand what I needed to buy next. So I couldn't test it.
Predictive text:
You can type something like "I'm free at," or "Where are you," or "What
is Jane's phone number?" and iOS 10 will fill in the missing pieces for
you. In theory. For me, it didn't work. I have no idea why. Maybe
you'll be luckier.
Redesigned Maps: I actually
tried driving using the new design, and the clean look made it easier to
see on a dashboard. But the third-party apps that can hook into Maps
aren't here yet.
Redesigned News app: I'd say
the redesign here is so subtle you might not even notice it. And, you
may or may not have even used Apple's News app in the first place. It's a
fine news aggregator, but nothing great.
I'd say iOS 10's
first beta on the iPhone adds up to some useful additions, but nothing
that's hugely groundbreaking. And I started to find all the various
sub-features and functions confusing to keep track of, or even to
manage.
The biggest improvement it could bring still isn't here:
third-party apps that can hook into these new, more open features like
Messages, Siri and Maps. Whether apps will step up and make the most of
it remains to be seen. There's more to come with iOS 10, of course: this
is just the first dip in the pond. The full feature set is still not fully available to use.