Review of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, which are now available: focus modes are great, Safari update is an acquired taste, and iOS' Dark Sky-style Weather is excellent
Apple's latest updates lay good groundwork, but don't add many big new features — iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 are strange updates.
The Verge Chaim Gartenberg
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Discussion
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@jonporty
Jon.Porter
on x
I have to say, I love Safari's changes in iOS 15. Swiping between tabs? An address bar that actually sits where my thumbs are? All great changes, if a little disorientating at first.
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@cgartenberg
Chaim Gartenberg
on x
iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 are here! My review is up over @verge! But in short, they're *very* incremental updates; there's no big flashy feature here (other than SharePlay, which is delayed), but the stuff that is here works nicely. https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
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@om
@om
on x
Having the tabs at the bottom of the browser on iOS 15 is simply stupid. Especially when you try and use DM on @Twitter you can't see what you are typing. Seriously @Apple has lost the plot here.
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@viticci
Federico Viticci
on x
Hundreds of features. 23 pages. 9 chapters. Two OSes. One review. Here we go 🚀 iOS and iPadOS 15: The MacStories Review https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter.com/...
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
iOS and iPadOS 15: MacStories Review // Worthwhile read for a lot of details about releases. If you've been looking at Apple software releases for any time then you know “major”, “minor”, or “incremental” are all the wrong descriptors and upset me! 🙀 1/ https://www.macstories.net…
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
8/ And also along the way they released a tablet, a TV set top box, and a watch. All built from the same OS. So that's what they've been doing.
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@woldezzy
@woldezzy
on x
Another amazing feature I've tested on IOS 15; “copy text from image”...you no longer need an app for that, no hassle! #iOS15 https://twitter.com/...
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
6/ Look at that timeline from 2001. Even if all they ever did was Mac, then that would be an insane accomplishment. The fact that they also replumbed the OS for Intel along the way and built the hardware was a bonus.
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
10/ The benefit of “incremental” innovation COMBINED with a long-term view means that some features get added that sort of sneak up on customers. What looks small and weird early on can compound over time with more “incremental” and become big.
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
12/ There are plenty of projects that do ongoing small adjustments. And of course there have been products that have fits and starts (or perhaps “odd/even") approaches. But looking at those reviews you see the same thing—incremental releases!
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
4/ At the same time, Jobs (and much of the Mac team, particularly people like Scott Forstall and years later Craig Federighi) delivered releases of this new OS on more of a schedule than most anyone else in the OS biz. All while Apple was struggling with System 7.x and later.
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
9/ Power users and people that look to features struggle with this because they want a “big bang” every year. But that turns out to not be a good way to run a long-term software project or even what customers want.
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
PS/ It is easy to say “yeah but what about the power users or fans” and just remember a) those aren't the largest base of customers and b) the biggest feature they get is a yearly release!!
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
7/ THEN (by the way!) they took the OS and scaled it back and ported it to ARM to build...a phone. And they still released updates to the Mac.
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@viticci
Federico Viticci
on x
I've gone in and pretty much bought all the Safari extensions I could find on the App Store. As I suspected, feels like day 1 of share extensions and widgets again. Read the section of my review, and stay tuned for a roundup on @macstoriesnet soon: https://www.macstories.net/... …
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@novallswift
Novall Swift
on x
Congrats to everyone who worked on iOS 15 🎉 Really incredible release, and I'm especially proud of the weather team 🌦☺️ https://www.apple.com/...
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
14/ So to review products using terms like incremental misses the huge leaps that happen right under our collective noses. And true to the reality, the number of “upgrade the hardware every year” customers isn't the goal. Economically it can't be.
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
2/ What Apple does is “relentless execution” coupled with a “long-term and focused point of view”. And they do that by releasing Every. Single. Year. At. The. Same. Time. I guess after all this time, this fact is so taken for granted that we sometimes fail to appreciate it.
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
11/ Features like Face ID, Wallet, even iCloud itself, or maybe that little thing called the M1. all had “just a toy” or “incremental” or “not sure” reviews. The problem is s/w projects that try to solve for the long term all at once can (and do) often fail to even launch.
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
15/ @jensenharris send me this video last night reminding us both of the incredible amount of cumulative change that “little incremental” updates bring. It is worth a watch. This only goes to 15. https://www.youtube.com/...
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
13/ What matters more than anything to software is shipping AND having a long term view. You can't just ship. You can't just have a big vision. You have to know how to break your long term goals down and ship reliable “incremental” steps.
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@tapbot_paul
Paul Haddad
on x
Another major iOS version out and Universal Links are still terrible. I wonder why Apple is so reluctant to make it not suck? 1. Prompt on first launch of any universal link 2. Provide a system wide place to manage links 3. Allow any app to register links for any URL
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
16/ I too love features. But what I love more than features is when a company executes at the scale of 1 billion devices over more than 20 years. That's learning by shipping. I wrote about this whole topic once before. More here. ♻️ // END https://medium.learningbyshipping.com/ .…
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
3/ This goes back to Apple history and failure to delivery the OS releases reliably. Of course everyone was failing to release software on time back then (even on mainframes). But Apple, much like Microsoft, teetered between betting too big and scrambling something out the door.
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@rendersbyian
Ian Zelbo
on x
Anyone having a weird ios 15 bug where alerts and system sounds are like 10x their normal volume? My text tone was deafening to the entire subway. My typing sounds raised heads It's like it's going louder than the speaker is supposed to be able to go😂
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@stevesi
Steven Sinofsky
on x
5/ Once NeXT joined Apple and OS “merger” happened, not only did Apple have a modern OS, but release cadence was put in place. Key point: the cadence was set by a calendar (a conference!) not by a feature list. Whole process oriented around gaining and maintaining momentum. https…
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@markgurman
Mark Gurman
on x
Most comprehensive new iOS review — as always https://twitter.com/...
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@viticci
Federico Viticci
on x
In the review, you'll also find a long chapter about iPadOS 15 and all its new features: - New multitasking menu - The Shelf (!) - Center windows - New keyboard commands + navigation And lots more. But is it enough....? Read it here: https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter…
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@viticci
Federico Viticci
on x
The most challenging section for me this year was the Safari one. In the end, I *really* like what Apple has done on the iPhone. However, I consider the iPad UI a regression from iPadOS 14. And then we have Extensions. Read it here: https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter.…
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@viticci
Federico Viticci
on x
My favorite iPadOS 15 feature? Quick Note. I love this feature, and I wrote about it in detail - including the many uses I've found for it. If you're an iPad and Apple Notes user, you have to look into this. https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter.com/...
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@jamesthomson
James Thomson
on x
As always, @viticci's iOS 15 review is definitely worth your time - I found out a lot of little details I didn't know. https://twitter.com/...
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@viticci
Federico Viticci
on x
My goal for the iOS review this year was simple: Make it shorter, more reader-friendly, and still packed with details. I hope you'll like the more ‘approachable’ style of the story. I'm also trying something else: new sections labeled ‘The Details’ throughout the review. https://…
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@johnvoorhees
John Voorhees
on x
I'm pleased to share @viticci's iOS and iPadOS 15 review. It's such a good read and excellent evaluation of updates that touch so many different aspects of iOS and iPadOS. Enjoy: iOS and iPadOS 15: The MacStories Review https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter.com/...
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@viticci
Federico Viticci
on x
This year, we have an even larger collection of @ClubMacStories perks for my review: - eBook - Second eBook - iOS 15: The Details - Shortcuts - Making Of For Plus members: - Three @obsdmd plugins (!!!) - A Safari extension - AppStories live, tonight! https://www.macstories.net/..…