As a tech enthusiast, I was thrilled to get my hands on the iOS 18 public beta. Since June, I’ve been using it on my iPhone 12, and I’ve got some thoughts to share. This review will cover the new features, improvements, and any bugs I encountered during my experience.

New Features

One of the most notable features of iOS 18 is the new Home screen. It’s more customizable than ever, allowing users to add widgets directly to their Home screen. This feature was borrowed from Android, but Apple has managed to make it look and feel more polished. I found myself enjoying the ability to have quick access to information like the weather and my calendar.

Another exciting feature is the introduction of App Clips. These are small parts of an app that can be accessed directly from the Home screen without needing to download the full app. For instance, if you want to order food, you can use an App Clip to do so without having to download the entire food delivery app. It’s a convenient feature, but I didn’t find myself using it often.

Improvements

Apple has made significant improvements to the Photos app. The new ‘For You’ tab offers a curated selection of your best photos and videos, making it easier to find your favorite memories. Additionally, the ‘Photos’ tab now includes a new ‘Days’ view, which shows your photos organized by day. These changes make the Photos app more enjoyable to use.

The Messages app has also received a major overhaul. Users can now pin conversations to the top of their list, which is handy for keeping track of important chats. There’s also a new feature called ‘inline replies,’ allowing users to reply to specific messages within a conversation. This makes it easier to keep track of conversations and respond appropriately.

Bugs and Issues

While the iOS 18 public beta offers many exciting features and improvements, it’s not without its bugs. One issue I encountered was with the new Home screen widgets. Sometimes, they wouldn’t update in real-time, which was frustrating. However, this issue seemed to resolve itself after a few days.

Another problem I faced was with the App Clips feature. Occasionally, they would not load properly, leaving me unable to use them. This was disappointing, as I was looking forward to exploring this new feature.

Conclusion

Overall, the iOS 18 public beta offers a plethora of new features and improvements that enhance the user experience. While there are some bugs, they are minor and don’t detract from the overall experience. If you’re considering updating to iOS 18, I would recommend doing so. However, keep in mind that it’s still a beta version, and some issues may arise.

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