Apple iOS 14 review: full test and reviews 2021 - MAG mirror

With iOS 14, Apple finally exceeds the rigid design of the rows interface and columns of icons, for a refreshing and attractive effect.Real widgets like those available for a long time in Android finally make their way on iOS.This version also makes Siri and calls less invasive, improves messaging and offers you new ways to do several things at a time, such as image mode in the image.Safari, the reception order and maps are improved, and a translation application makes its debut.The iOS intermediate updates have added new functionalities in terms of confidentiality, Siri and Podcast, as well as links with other Apple services and products such as Airpods, Fitness+, Apple Watch (to unlock your phone while wearingA mask) and Artags.

Apple has already unveiled iOS 15 at its annual event (this time only virtual) wwdc.Among the strengths, let us quote a largely updated facetime function which even allows users of Android and Windows to participate, even greater confidentiality, reworked notifications, a more configurable focus mode than DO not disturb, andup to date with maps, notes, safari and weather applications.The version should be posted next fall;In the meantime, you can know more about this by reading the best new features of iOS 15.

Meanwhile, in iOS 14, one of our favorite updates is the possibility of changing the web browser and default messaging applications.The iOS 14 version also allows users of the iPhone 12 PRO to take advantage of the Proraw photo format which combines the magic of Apple digital photo with more raw image data for lighting and color more color adjustmentspowerful post-processing.Among the other less important, but just as interesting updates, quote the possibility of defining the Ecosia ecological search engine as a default engine in Safari, to indicate the pregnancy, breastfeeding or the use of contraceptives in monitoringthe health application cycle and obtain recommendations on air quality in the weather application.

What are the new features of iOS 14?

The last versions, 14.7 and the next 14.7.1, are largely bugs and safety corrections.Updates add the management of the Magsafe Battery Pack for the iPhone 12, allow you to manage the timer on the HomePods, and solve problems with Podcasts, Apple Music, and more.It is important that you update your iPhone as soon as possible, as Apple's assistance indicates for vulnerability corrected in version 14.7.1: "An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the nucleus.Apple is aware of a report that this problem could have been actively exploited.»»

The previous update of version 14.6 added the care of the Apple Card Family, allowing parents to limit and follow the expenses incurred by their offspring.It also adds the support for the podcasts subscription for channels and individual emissions, as well as new Airtag features-you can now use an e-mail address for lost mode and make a number ofpartially masked phone is displayed when the tag is affected with an NFC compatible device.Of course, the update also includes a large number of bugs and security updates corrections.Some points of sale have noted that it corrects a major problem with Carplay.

Less obvious for users, update 14.6 brought the care of several advertising networks to its skadnetwork.This strengthens Apple's stranglehold on advertising on its platform after its opt-in requirement for third-party applications.According to Apple's documentation, "devices can now send installation validation returns to several advertising networks that sign their ads using Skadnetwork version 3.0.»»

Previously, update 14.5 offered new options for the Siri voice assistant (see section on Siri below) and the support of Apple Airtags, Tile clones at 29 euros.As part of a double link with the product, the new version of the operating system will allow you to disseminate the courses to which you have subscribed as part of the Apple Fitness+ on your Apple TV (or on a Smart TV takingAirplay 2 load).Apple Maps has a system of accident reports and information on points of interest from the crowd, like Waze.On a more technological level, iOS 14.5 Supports the double SIM 5G card and the autonomous 5G, which does not require LTE.

IOS has had widgets for a moment, accessible by sliding from left to right on the home page, but the home page itself could only contain icons.With iOS 14, this changes: you can now place large widgets for a clock, weather, cards or scholarship lessons directly on the home pages.These widgets are similar to the versatile and informative widgets available on Android for years.However, in some respects, the new widgets of iOS are more elegant, coherent and intelligent than those of Android.

A new very cool widget feature that arrives with iOS 14 is Smart Stacks.It allows you to stack the widgets on each other and to run them throughout the day to present you the most relevant.Siri's suggestions are an extremely useful type of widgets.These are suggestions for applications and shortcut suggestions.As its name suggests, the first type displays a range of applications according to your use habits.In my case, it did not seem to include that recently used applications, rather than the most used applications over a long period.

Siri shortcut suggestions are even cooler: it offers to send, for example, a WhatsApp message to particular contact or call a person you have often called in the past.One of the suggestions I received was to open the Garmin Connect application this morning, which I have been opening every morning for two months to record my weight.Widget suggestion to avoid having to look for the application as usual.

The previous page reserved for widgets is always present behind a finger shift to the left, but the new widgets have the new redesigned forms, with rounded corners.Only the widgets of the new style appear in the upper section, which, at this stage, mainly means Apple widgets.This is less a problem now than many application developers have updated widgets for the new system.Welcome behavior for widgets is that the page remains at the same position the next time you slide it laterally.

It is still not possible to completely modify the design of the home page as you can do with the launch applications of Android, some of which offer fully personalized icons forms.For fun personalization of icons in iOS 14, users have turned to the shortcut application which allows you to use any image for the icon of an application.To find out how to proceed, see the section How to add personalized icons and widgets to the home screen of your iPhone.

The application library is cleaning up

Apart from the first reception screen, my iPhone reception screens consist of pages and pages of disorder impossible to navigate, which forces me to search for all the applications I want to perform.Apple knows that I am not the only one in this case, and part of the design objectives of iOS 14 aims to mitigate this problem.The application library is responsible for a large part of this improvement.This is a home page with icon groups automatically organized by category, the most used applications being placed in good place.One of the disappointments is that you must scroll the screen to the last page of your icons to access it.Fortunately, a highly appreciated update allows you to drag the page change points to access it quickly.Just keep a finger pressed on the dots and slide them to the right or left.

Another excellent organizational option that allows you to access the library more quickly is to hide all these unnecessary screens filled with icons.To do this, tackle anywhere on the home screen, then type on the points scrolling bar, or as Apple calls it in the screen tip above, the scroll barpoints.DOTS PAGE.You get the screen above right, where you can simply uncheck the icons pages you prefer not to see.What is good is that they are not deleted: you can reactivate them later.

Less intrusive and siri calls

Apple is inspired by Android on this point: incoming calls no longer occupy the whole screen of the iPhone (unlike outgoing calls).The new compact calls apply to calls from Facetime and even third -party call applications, such as Facebook Messenger, Skype and Whatsapp, as well as conventional mobile calls.

The other action that occupied the whole screen and has been reduced is Siri.You now see a ball at the bottom of the screen, animated by bright internal colors.It’s much less embarrassing.To find out more about Siri's new features, see the section dedicated to the Vocal Assistant IA below.

Apple has a lot of courier competition, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger seizing a large part of the market and bringing a lot of innovations.iOS 14 aims to change this, with new group messaging features, some of which are inspired by work applications like Slack and Teams.You can finally respond to an individual message as you did in competing applications.Apple is a little different from other applications, opening a new discussion wire.Once you have finished the answer during the discussion, it appears at the bottom of the conversation with a mini-cost of the message to which you answer.It's beautiful and it works well.

If you use Imessage for group discussions, some new features will delight you.If you type the name of a person in the group discussion, the text becomes gray.Press it and you see the icon of the contact in a small bubble.Press it, and the name of the contact is becoming blue and is a little agitated.You can cut the sound of a conversation while being notified when your name is mentioned.This feature is close to that of Slack.You can also name a group and assign it a personalized image.The best of everyone may be the possibility of pinning a conversation icon at the top of your messages list.

Like all recent mobile bone updates, iOS 14 brings even more Memoji options.You can now enhance your cat messages with 20 new styles of hair and hairstyles, and-essential element in the world of today-of headgear.Version 14.5 Add more than 200 additional standard emoji, those representing women with a beard caused a lot of ink before the launch of the bone.

Mini apps: App Clips

Although it is rather a feature for developers, App Clips represents a revolutionary concept: obtaining application features without the need to install an application.How to get them?Through links in emails, Maps or in Safari web pages and scanning a QR or NFC code.The iOS 14 update.3 Add the possibility of scanning special Apple codes with the phone camera.Clips seem to be a good solution for cases where it is not very wise to install an entire application and for contactless payments.(Note that the App Clips should not be confused with the Apple Clips video application).

Apps Clips have potential for scenarios such as configuring a new smart device or ordering take-out dishes-why should you install an entire application just to order a mushroom burger at Shake Shack?Another ideal scenario is that of a bicycle sharing program: it is enough that the budding cyclist scan a QR code to carry out the transaction, and it's gone.Application clips avoid downloading and installing an application.Part of the application functionality.You can install the full application later if you wish.If you have already installed the complete application, the clip system still works: the link refers to the corresponding section of the application.Clips can take advantage of Apple Pay and the option to identify with Apple, although the latter is less widespread than identification with Facebook or Google.

There are very few apps available at the moment, but I was able to find one for the Unwind breathing application.Unfortunately, they do not appear in browsers other than Safari, which is boring if you have benefited from the possibility of changing your default browser.This breathing application worked quickly and without problem.(I consider that breathing exercises are one of the best things you can do for your health, by the way).I was in the midst of a breathing exercise long before I can capable if I had to install an application.

As with many iOS features, it follows a similar feature on Android-Instant Apps-which appeared in 2017.One of the advantages of the similar functionality of Google is that you can activate it and deactivate it in the settings and decide if the web pages can automatically open the mini-applies.This capacity was not super publicized, but the site of Google developers continues to display victories for this technology.

Stricter confidentiality for applications

Closer to what Android does, iOS now requires that application developers have acceptance messages for monitoring.You have the choice between authorizing and asking the application not to follow up, and the prospect that a large part of the users choose this last option makes Facebook tremble. L’App Store propose désormais un onglet « Confidentialité»» pour chaque application, qui indique le type d’informations que l’application utilise pour vous suivre, comme les contacts, la localisation et les identifiants uniques des appareils.

One of the possible problems is that the system requires application developers they declare these follow-up activities themselves.However, as a user of Android and iPhone, I met as much, even more, of privacy prompts from applications on my Android phone as on my iPhone, since the arrival of confidentiality optionsIncreased from Android 11.

Cards with guides and bicycle routes

Google has the card on all platforms, it seems, but there is no reason not to check the alternatives.Apple Maps has constantly improved after its disastrous launch with iOS 6 in 2012.If you use an iPhone, you may find that Apple Maps is now preferable to that of the advertising research giant.For me, one of the biggest drawbacks of previous versions has been corrected in iOS 14: cycle paths.The update also brings local guides, the management of app clip and planning of travel by electric vehicle, which indicates to the drivers of the distance at which the charging stations are located.

Bike maps.At the launch of iOS 14, I tried the bicycle cards by asking for a route to a park via a bridge from my home.There are three possible bridges, and the best (Kosciusko) received a new cycle band a few months ago.Apple Maps and Here Maps did not offer the new bridge as an option, while Google Maps, the Android standard, has demonstrated that the search giant keeps its cards more up to date.During later tests, several months later, the best route for the bridge was available.In any case, bicycle cards are a welcome addition.A useful parameter for full -time cyclists allows you to make cycle paths your favorite steering type.

Guides.The guides are only available for a few cities at the moment, but they are pretty well made.Center Maps on one of the covered cities (I found for Chicago, San Francisco, New York, London, Houston and Los Angeles), type in the search field, sweep up in the lower part of thescreen, and you will see guides tiles from sources such as Timeout, Lonely Planet and local publications appear.

Tap on one of the tiles, and you will get a set of places of interest, marked on the map above.You can click on a more sign to save the joints in your My Places inputs.You can even create your own personalized guides, although it is only sets of places, with the images and texts of the official guides.Food entrances are now focusing on the best restaurants to take away and deliver.

Crowdsourcing at the Waze.With the iOS 14 update.5, Apple Maps now allows users to report vehicle accidents and radars.Version 14 vous alertait déjà sur les radars connus, mais la nouvelle fonctionnalité utilise le crowdsourcing pour fournir encore plus d’informations.The reporting of a danger, a speed trap or an accident is fast and easy thanks to Siri, or you can choose the Pay in the Direction panel.However, I did not find a way to ... an incident.

Translate on your iPhone

Although another application is better known, I have always been a fan of the Microsoft Translator application, which is available for desktop, mobile and web platforms.Apple's new translate application does the main job of its more established competitors: translating the written and spoken language.You can also download a language for offline use.

The Apple Translate application only offers 12 languages for the moment, against 30 audio translation languages and 70 text translation languages for Microsoft Translator and 70 spoken languages and 108 text languages for Google Translate.If, however, the Apple application has the language you need, this is not a problem.Google and Microsoft translation applications have skills that are lacking in Apple's initial effort: they can use a shared screen view for conversations and interpret foreign text on photos.On Android, Google Translate can also appear in other applications if you highlight foreign text.

The Microsoft application can detect the spoken language, which the Apple application also allows (but not in the context of a conversation), while the display of Google's conversation requires that participants press the icon oftheir microphone in turn.During quick Mandarin Chinese tests, Apple's application offers at least clear voices, and I like the way it pronounces the sentence in the other language just after you have pronounced it in yours.Google Translate forces you to press a small reading button, but not in conversation mode.

Image videos in the image

Apple praised the image functionality in the image in iOS 14, but it is difficult to see it in action, especially when the most popular video sharing application, youtube does not take care of it (althoughYou can watch YouTube Pip via Safari).Android has a functional PIP for YouTube, and Vimeo and other applications have already implemented the image in the image without this new feature.As you can expect, Apple TV+ supports this feature.Due to content protection, screenshots are blocked for Apple TV+emissions, which gives a black rectangle, which is why I did not bother to include a screenshot here.

It is perhaps during the Appacetime calls that the new feature is the most useful;You may need to look for something during a Call Facetime.I'm not a fan of image modes in the image on a phone - the screen is quite small like that, and I think we can't really pay attention to two things at the same time.

Podcasts application update

One of the most visually different updates of iOS 14.5 is the overhaul of the podcast application.There are now display pages, and you can follow, rather than subscribing to podcasts - we think that semantic change has been done because the word subscribe it looks like it is for somethingthat.In any case, most other podcast applications use the Follow function already.And in fact, Apple announced paid subscriptions to the podcasts during its event of April 20, 2021.Sources like The Athletic, the Los Angeles Timeset Sony Music Entertainment are the first to have joined the paid podcast system.

The new application also allows you to pause and take up with a clearer interface, and your listening history is synchronized with your other Apple devices.An updated search tab offers faster access to top charts and categories, and the new Smart Play button automatically launches episodic programs from the last episode or series from the first episode of the series.

Home control

Apple HomePod is talling Amazon Echo and Google Home devices in terms of controlling smart speakers and smart devices.But you do not need such a device to control the smart home: you can perform the relevant tasks on homekit devices from the Apple Home application on your iPhone.The new features of iOS 14 are automation suggestions - remember to automatically turn on the lights and heating when you arrive at home.A new state page reveals devices that require special attention and adaptive lighting modifies the color temperature of your smart bulbs during the day.

Two new security functions arrive with iOS 14.The activity zones now alert you if an intruder enters an area that you delimit in the field of vision of the camera and the recognition of the faces arrives for smart bells.It's pretty cool to be warned that the cousin ed is at the door without moving a muscle.I don't have a security camera, so I couldn't test this feature, but I was satisfied with intelligent lighting controls with my Philips Hue bulbs.

Another intelligent life control feature is the new carkey feature.For the moment, it only works on certain car models.Apple has shown that technology was working with a BMW 5 Series, but it is a bit suspicious of the cars it works with, declaring the following in a footnote: "The management of car keys can beAvailable only on certain car models and only in certain configurations, and all models are not available in all regions.Car keys management is likely to be modified.Consult your dealer for more details.»»

If your car is compatible, Carkey will allow you to unlock it and start it on your phone.You can also share your carkey via messages, and starting even works five hours after your iPhone battery is exhausted, according to Apple Apple.To open the car, you hold your phone near the lock, and to start the vehicle, you keep the phone (or your Apple Watch) near a car key player.

Siri improvements

Siri is lagging behind by its competitors Alexa, Cortana and Google assistant for a few years in terms of intelligence and utility, it is therefore encouraging that Apple makes efforts to improve it.However, these are work in progress, and I sometimes noticed that Alexa understood me badly or was not able to respond to my request when Cortana was, and vice versa.Siri missed the target more often than any of them, according to my experience.

Brenda Stolyar, from Mashable, offers a more brutal assessment: "It is not a secret for anyone that, on the whole, Siri is zero, in particular because he has trouble recognizing with precision what you say and that'It is rarely useful to answer questions.»» Lors de mes tests, aucun des assistants vocaux n’a pu répondre directement, verbalement, à la question « Qui est en tête de la MLB cette saison en moyenne au bâton ?»».Those who had access to a web browser could however tell me the right direction.All this to say that you should not expect any of these assistants to understand and be able to answer all your questions.

That said, what are the new features for Siri?The reduction in the size of the screen mentioned above is perhaps the most appreciated.In terms of intelligence, Apple claims that the service now has 20 times more facts than before and that it can answer more types of questions using web information.To find out if these changes make a real difference, it will take a little time to experiment with updated Siri, so stay attentive.

With the iOS 14 update.5, Siri no longer uses the standard female voice by default, but allows you to choose the voice of your choice during the configuration;You can now choose between four Siri votes, designated by the terms voice 1, voice 2, and so on.You can also make him read music from other continuous music services than Apple Music.When you ask Siri for the first time to listen to a song, an application list is displayed, in which you can choose the one you prefer that Siri opens, but as with Alexa, Siri can choose another service for somerequests.Finally (and above all), you can now call 911 with the digital voice assistant.

Define the default browser

The possibility of changing your default web browser is one of my favorite updates in iOS 14.I use the new Microsoft Edge based on chromium on my PC because it does an excellent job of memorization of passwords, payment information and bookmarks.I was always disconcerted when a link in an application or an email opened Safari, which cannot do these things for me, since my main computers work under Windows 10.(Edge is also available for MacOS; what happened to Safari for Windows 10?).I'm sure there are lots of chrome users who have encountered the same problem.

The possibility of defining the default browser is a bit hidden, although if you update your choice browser, you can see a home screen that returns directly to the corresponding parameter.Microsoft Edge is the only browser I saw with this option, but I expect Chrome, Firefox, Brave and Opera to follow the movement.For more details on the procedure, read how to modify your browser and your default email applications in iOS 14.

Update: Apple has corrected a bug of the initial version of iOS 14 which reset the browser and default messaging applications after restarting the phone.To get the update, version 14.0.1, allez dans Paramètres &gt ; Général &gt ; Mises à jour logicielles.It has not settled automatically for me, even if the automatic update is activated.The update also solves some edge problems, so it is worth obtaining.

Accessibility and back tap

The latest version of Apple's mobile operating system sees the arrival of some interesting accessibility functions, but one of them, in particular, has been widely noticed: the back tap.It allows you to trigger a shortcut by typing two or three times on the back of your iPhone.To this are added impressive features such as AI Voiceover recognition for photos and applications that do not include integrated accessibility options, sound recognition for elements such as fire alarms and door bells, andRecognition of sign language in FaceTime.

A new day for iOS

For the first time in many years, a new version of iOS has brought really new interface possibilities, as well as an abundance of new options and shiny features.I am delighted to be able to change the web browser and the default messaging client.Personalizing the home screen of its choice with widgets of different sizes and even intelligent widgets that anticipate your needs is nothing less than revolutionary in an iPhone world which, until now, has been relegated to icons of the sameSize page after page.And now you can even delete these pages and just use the Application Library Organized Automatically.

But the interface and design of the home screen are only the start of what is new and revolutionary in iOS 14: the app clips allow you to take advantage of the features of an application without even installing it.Many other settings, capacities and improvements are hidden below the surface of iOS 14, including privacy options (such as sharing approximate location with an application), which are simply too numerous to be addressed in a complete work.And Apple adds new features between complete versions, as indicated by version 14 updates.5 mentioned above.

The duopoly of mobile operating systems continues to encourage advances, Android and iOS trading innovations, the other adding them to its platform.Apple and Android iOS of Google are impressive and complete platforms that keep improving and improving.We all reaffirm the designations of the PCMAG writing for both the two.To see an in -depth comparison of the two systems, you can read Android VS.IOS: What is the best mobile operating system?

Pros

See more

Cons

Conclusion de notre avis

IOS 14 was the first major update of the Apple mobile operating system interface for years, and 14.5 Add new links with products and services, especially for fitness+ and Airtags.