We’ve become iOS experts over the years, and since Apple is readying iOS 13 for tomorrow, we’ve got a good idea of what to expect.
Apple is poised to launch iOS 13 beta tomorrow, Monday, June 3, according to every leak we’ve seen, and your iPhone and iPad is going to change in a big way thanks to this software update.
The biggest iOS 13 features rumors start with Dark Mode, the long-overdue way of forcing the UI to use more black and dark gray hue. Your eyes will thank you at night.
We’re also expecting other front-facing interface changes, with a fresh home screen redesign (although we suspect it’ll be reserved for the iPad in 2019, and come to iPhone in 2020). New wallpaper is a given for the WWDC 2019 keynote.
iOS 13 for iPad will almost certainly act more like a laptop, which goes with the claim that the iPad is ‚a computer,‘ according to Apple’s marketing team. It could act as a second screen for Macs, and allow for stackable windows. iOS 13 mouse support is rumored, but as we’ll explain below, it may be a mere tease.
Our live iOS 13 reporting on the official changes starts on Monday at the Apple event and further down we have everything we anticipate tomorrow. When does iOS 13 come out? Will the iOS 13 beta launch at WWDC 2019? We’ll keep you updated.
Monday may also mark the launch of the less-important iOS 12.4, likely to make way for the Apple Card. However, iOS 13 news is going to overshadow everything else tomorrow, although we fully expect a Mac Pro 2019, too.
Here is a comprehensive iOS 13 features list ahead of the beta announcement. It’s shaping up to be only good news for Apple’s sluggish iPhone sales, especially with the iPhone 11 not expected to dramatically change form later in 2019.
We have mapped out an iOS 13 beta timeline, from beta 1 to the final version of the software, and it all begins with a first look at the update tomorrow, Monday, June 3. We had this date pinned down months ago, long before we got our WWDC invite.
We went as far as to make a graphic for the iOS 13 release schedule:
1. iOS 13 developer beta: The first iOS 13 beta will likely arrive at the WWDC keynote tomorrow, but it’s going to be restricted to paid Apple developers at first. You should probably wait for the public beta, which is always more stable.
2. iOS 13 public beta: This is Apple’s way of testing features on a larger scale, and that may happen toward the end of June – last year the iOS public beta release date was June 25. It’s typically a more refined version of the iOS developer beta, although it can still be rough and never includes all of the features implemented in the final version of the software.
3. iOS 13 golden master: This will be the final version of the iOS 13 software one week early, meant for developers and public beta testers. At this point it’s very stable and gives app makers seven days to adapt to the final software.
4. The official iOS 13 release date: We’ll get the new iOS 13 software in its final, stable form about one week after the next iPhone launch event, what we’re calling iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Max and iPhone 11 XR at the moment. The date? Probably mid-September (last year it was September 17).
Apple just served us a strong hint of which devices with be iOS 13 compatible and which will not when it launched a new iPod Touch 7th generation last week.
The working theory has been that the iOS 13 compatibility list will shed the iPhone 5S, iPad Air and iPad mini 2, the oldest devices that are compatible with the last iOS update. If true, iOS 13 would still work with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPad Air 2.
All of these devices have an A8 chipset (A8X for the iPad Air 2) so the base line would be an A8 chipset or newer to upgrade to iOS 13. This happens to be the chip in the HomePod and Apple TV 4th generation, so it brings everything into line very neatly.
Okay, there’s one outlier we hope stays up-to-date: the iPad mini 3, which has an older A7 chipset (the iPad mini 2 was updated with iOS 12, after all). Of course, it’s in Apple’s best interest that you upgrade your hardware, like the iPad mini 4. Hangers-ons don’t help the company’s bottom line, so nothing is truly safe.
There’s a rumor that iOS 13 compatibility list cuts will go even further, axing support for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPad Air 2, and even the iPhone SE. The benefit? Cutting the SE would leave Apple and third-party app developers with fewer screen sizes to deal with when programming for iOS – although the smaller iPod 7th gen dismisses that theory..
One thing’s for sure: whatever happens, don’t expect Apple to make an official announcement at WWDC 2019 if the iPhone 5S isn’t compatible with iOS 13. The iOS 13 compatible phones will just show up on a slide, or they won’t. Also, remember that not every iOS 13 feature will come to all devices on that list. Some new ideas may require the TrueDepth camera, a rear dual-lens system, or 3D Touch.
iOS 13 is where we’re going to see Dark Mode, according to multiple leaks about the forthcoming iPhone and iPad software update. It’s finally going to launch this time.
The reason we think iOS 13 Dark Mode is a sure thing for 2019 is thanks to this very real-looking screenshot (above) that shows three menus suited up in a dark theme.
It’ll turn white-and-light-gray interfaces to a black-and-dark-gray UI, which should be a nice thing to see at nighttime. With Night Sight, TrueTone and now Dark Mode on a growing number of devices, Apple is being very kind to our eyes.
Best of all, this iOS 13 feature should also help your phone if it has an OLED display. The iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max has OLED screens that (essentially) turn off the pixels when display true black, thus consuming less power.
Monday’s keynote is expected to pave the way for fresh iOS 13 wallpaper, as we’ve seen from past iOS updates every year at WWDC.
