new iPhone update is an evolution, not a revolution

We have been using the first test version of iOS 15 for a few days now. It is therefore high time for a first impression. What do we think of the new iPhone update so far? You can read it in this preview of iOS 15.

This is our iOS 15 preview

Pay attention: To create this iOS 15 preview, we installed the developer beta of the update. This is an unfinished version that is (very) unstable at times. We therefore do not recommend that anyone put the iOS 15 beta on an iPhone that you need every day.

In this iOS 15 preview, we discuss our first impressions of the latest update. The software is still very rough and many promised features are not available at all. You have to row with the belts you have, and that is why we will discuss the innovations below that you can get started with.

Notifications are getting more compact

Just to get straight to the point: iOS 15 is a small update. So not much will change for you. You will encounter the most visual change in the notifications.

Notifications appear more compact in iOS 15. The purpose of this change is to give you more overview and control over your apps. This is well-intentioned from Apple, but the execution is still a bit sloppy. Some apps use too much text, losing the whole point of oversight.

Also read: iOS 15: 16 small features and improvements you didn’t know yet

Create your own notification overview

The transcendent stage of more compact notifications are the summaries. It took a while to find this function, but in the settings menu of iOS 15 you come across the button “Scheduled overview”.

If you enable this function, you will not continuously see appointment reminders, emails and apps, but you will only receive the most important notifications at times of your choice. You create, as it were, a kind of personal newsletter that ‘pops on the doormat’ whenever you want.

For example, you can set a scheduled overview at 08:00 and 18:00. In the morning overview you indicate that you want a summary of your favorite news apps and your banking app. At 08:00 your personal overview will arrive through the letterbox and you will be briefly updated about the (for you) most important events.

The new feature should put an end to the continuous stream of notifications you receive. Scheduled View is useful for staying up to date with (perhaps) important notifications – such as a handy offer from your favorite store – that are not time-limited. Fortunately, you will receive notifications that are urgent, such as incoming e-mails or calls.

More Focus with iOS 15

The second major feature of iOS 15 is Focus. The already existing Do Not Disturb mode will be expanded considerably and you will be able to set up profiles yourself. This allows you to create special profiles that your iPhone adheres to when you are working, sitting at home on the couch, or sleeping.

An example clarifies things. When you’re asleep, you probably don’t want to be disturbed by incoming email notifications, an offer for a cheap Uber ride or the latest deals from Thuisbezorgd. But you do want to be available to friends and family in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.

You can arrange this with the profiles in Focus. This option is in the iOS 15 settings menu and lets you make very specific settings based on activities. For example, during office hours you can receive work emails, but as soon as the ‘personal focus’ starts at 5:00 PM, these messages are muted.

Focus needs more attention

The idea of ​​Focus is good. It is important to take time for yourself and not everyone wants to be reachable all the time. In fact, many people get nervous and stressed from all the notifications that flood your iPhone notification center like a waterfall.

That said, Focus still deserves some further development. For example, you can now indicate per app (or person) whether the person is allowed to disturb you, but you cannot make any further distinction. This would be useful for apps where the line between useful and non-useful is close, such as WhatsApp.

Also read: iOS 15 Focus: 6 ways your iPhone will avoid distractions

Privacy becomes accessible

Privacy has gradually become Apple’s middle name. iOS 15 is packed with small improvements to protect your online identity and data. For example, you can choose to hide your IP address (as it were the ‘home address’ of your internet connection) in the Mail app. As a result, companies that email you cannot track your location.

Safari (more on that later) also does more to protect your private data. For example, you can block pixels. Apps and websites hide these small pieces of code to map your online behavior, and then send personalized advertisements.

Unfortunately, the best privacy improvements are not yet available. In the final version of iOS 15, for example, you can view the privacy reports of apps. These show how closely/carelessly apps handle your personal data. iCloud Plus, the next step for iCloud, will also be launched later this year.

Apple’s iPhone apps in a fresh jacket

With iOS 15, Apple’s own apps are also getting some love again. As far as we are concerned, the addition of Livetext is especially nice. The iPhone camera therefore has automatic image recognition, with which you can copy text from the ‘real world’.

This means you no longer have to take notes, but simply point your phone at the screen after a meeting or lecture to save everything. You can also directly translate text, or get the copied data through Google.

The addition of Livetext is nice, but not very spectacular. Google Lens has had the function of recognizing and copying text via the camera for years. Still, you will probably use Apple’s solution in the future, because this function is baked into the standard iPhone camera.

Weather app on the shovel

The iPhone Weather app has also been significantly updated. Last year, Apple bought the team behind the popular Dark Sky, and this weather app goes off the air on July 1. The staff has been busy preparing for iOS 15 in recent months.

The standard Weather app has been given a completely new design. Tastes differ of course, but as far as we are concerned it looks beautiful. Extra cool is that the background is dynamic and depicts the current weather situation. In summer temperatures, a sun shines above the sky-blue sky, while during rainfall the drops patter down.

Safari makes controversial switch

With iOS 15, Apple is also giving its own Safari browser a new look. Whether you like this new design remains to be seen. The browser has become a lot simpler. On the one hand it is nice that you can easily press the address bar at the bottom of the screen, but on the other hand it feels a bit bare.

Maybe it’s just a matter of getting used to it. The minimalist design also has advantages. For example, you can easily jump between open tabs. You do this by placing one finger on the address bar, and then swiping left or right.

And much more

This preview of iOS 15 is anything but complete. The iPhone update adds a lot of small innovations – think of updates for CarPlay and the addition of Drag & Drop – and we don’t get to discuss everything.

Conclusion iOS 15 preview

iOS 15 is an evolution, not a revolution. The 2021 iPhone update mainly puts dots on the i and does not introduce groundbreaking new functions, but improves existing possibilities.

The iOS 15 preview does a lot of good in terms of healthy handling of your phone via the Focus mode and better notifications. Your privacy will also improve and important Apple apps have been given a fresh look.

When can you download iOS 15?

The iPhone 13 will be released this fall and then iOS 15 will also roll out. Anyone who is currently running iOS 14 on her/his iPhone will soon be able to update for free. The public beta of iOS 15 will first appear in July, so that everyone can download it.

In the run-up to the official release, iPhoned the place to follow all Apple news. So sign up for the newsletter, or follow us on social media such as Facebook and Twitter.