The iOS 11 was arguably Apple’s buggiest software in years. It had so many bugs that the tech giant has reportedly decided to delay many new features that were supposed to come with iOS 12 to 2019, and focus on stability, reliability and performance with the iOS 12. So, we do not expect any major design changes in this year’s mobile software. But a new iOS 12 concept created by graphic designer Amir Estefad in collaboration with YouTube channel ConceptsiPhone shows off new features that could help improve the user experience.
Estefad’s iOS 12 concept looks realistic, and fixes many of the problems we encountered in iOS 11. Apple will likely unveil iOS 12 at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) along with the newest versions of software for Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Mac. The iOS 12 would then go through a prolonged beta testing period before its public release with new iPhones in September.
The biggest highlight of the iOS 12 concept is grouped notifications that make it incredibly easy to go through notifications. The notification system in its current form sucks, even though not many iPhone users would want to admit it. Instead of displaying notifications in chronological order, the concept video shows an individual app’s notifications displayed in a group, one on top of another. You can expand any app’s notifications using the 3D Touch functionality.
This iOS 12 concept also reimagines the Pro mode in the iPhone’s camera. The iPhones have a damn good Camera app, but Estefad has changed the Pro mode interface to allow you to adjust multiple settings via on-screen sliders. The designer has also include improved widgets in the iOS 12 concept. Estefad allows developers to create widgets that will be displayed when the user 3D Touches an app icon. It will display key information without requiring users to open the respective app.
The concept also gets a new pull-down menu for apps to create a single location for key features. It also gives you a shortcut to app settings, addressing a major pain point. In iOS 11, you can access app settings within the individual app, while some other third-party app settings are located within the main Settings app. The new iOS 12 concept brings the app settings to a simple and quickly accessible place.
Probably the biggest highlight of this concept is the Dark Mode. Apple fans have been waiting for the Dark Mode for years, which would make it easier on the eyes. Now that Apple has launched an iPhone with OLED display and is planning to release two OLED iPhones this year, it makes a lot of sense to add the system-wide Dark Mode now. It would also help reduce battery consumption on OLED iPhones.
We have seen many other iOS 12 concept videos in the past, but the one created by Amir Estefad looks most realistic and exciting. The actual iOS 12 interface may look different from the concept, though. Users expect the next iOS to offer a Guest Mode because, unlike Touch ID, the new Face ID doesn’t support more than one user on a device. The Guest Mode would address the issue. Among other things, the iOS 12 is expected to offer tighter integration between iOS and macOS.
According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will introduce three iPhones this year. One of them will have a giant 6.5-inch OLED display while the second one will be the iPhone X successor with a 5.8-inch OLED panel. The third handset is said to feature a 6.1-inch LCD screen and a single camera lens on the back. All three smartphones would have a bezel-less design with a notch.
Sources recently told Korean site ETNews that Samsung is preparing to start OLED production for the next-gen iPhones. Samsung will reportedly produce only 2-3 million panels in May, and then double the output in June. However, Apple and Samsung haven’t yet agreed on the price for new panels. “The negotiations are still in flux,” says ETNews.
Ming-Chi Kuo claims both the OLED iPhones will be priced above $1,000 while the LCD iPhone would cost the same as iPhone 8. Many industry experts have blamed the iPhone X’s ridiculously high price tag for its poor sales. However, Apple is unlikely to bring down the prices of OLED iPhones coming this year, claims UBS Securities analyst Steven Milunovich. The analyst noted that “once Apple establishes a price band it typically keeps it.” That’s how it has managed to increase the iPhone’s average selling price (ASP) from roughly $600 to about $800 now.
