iOS 12 official release seems to work well

[MartyTX]

Originally Posted by OtinG

... I'll let you know how iOS 12 works out on the iPad Mini 2. I don't use it much, but it definitely slowed down under iOS 11 and iOS 12 is suppose to boost the performance a bit, so I installed it. I don't have battery issues with either of my iPads, but my iPhone 7 drains fairly fast because it has a smaller battery. I was used to a 6+ previous to it, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with thinking the 7 drains fast as the 6+ had a much bigger battery. So far the iPhone 7 and iPad Pro 9.7" are working well with iOS 12. I haven't noticed any great performance improvements, but at least the performance didn't degrade like it usually does with a newer iOS. Too early to see if the iPhone batter management is any better. But there were no issues with any of the three installs yesterday, and so far it has been all good. ...

Thanks for the info! I appreciate it. Hope iOS 12 turns out to be a real speedster!

In the last few months, a few apps I've tried to install tell me "hey dude, you need to upgrade to iOS 11 before you can get this app". So, it's just a matter of time before I upgrade to iOS 12. I'll probably weaken to the temptation of a great new app that I "must" have!

Marty

[johnnyb]

iOS 12 runs fine here on an iPhone 7 and iPad Pro 10.5" but I too think that the new gestures are a major pita for the home button iPads, a stupid design decision that mainly makes the OS on the iPad feel less well-crafted (which is probably the purpose). All of the changes to input are completely unnecessary and in no way an improvement over the status quo.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by MartyTX

Thanks for the info! I appreciate it. Hope iOS 12 turns out to be a real speedster!

In the last few months, a few apps I've tried to install tell me "hey dude, you need to upgrade to iOS 11 before you can get this app". So, it's just a matter of time before I upgrade to iOS 12. I'll probably weaken to the temptation of a great new app that I "must" have!

Marty

I used my iPad Mini 2 with iOS 12 quite a bit yesterday. Normally I don't use it much other than viewing weather and radar apps and other apps that don't tax the performance very much. I would say that it is a bit better in performance over all in iOS 12 than it was in iOS 11, but only by a little bit. I googled that and found some sites claiming the same thing--that the performance boost for the iPad Mini 2 was marginal. But at least it didn't degrade the performance like most iOS upgrades do. From what I understand, the iOS 12 performance boosting is targeted toward certain Apple apps like Maps rather than at the entire iOS system, so YMMV of course. So in this case, no bad news is good news! Everything seems to be really stable as well.

BTW, I was sitting on my front porch last night looking at the Moon and Mars in near conjunction, very peaceful and contemplative, when I remembered another reason I updated to iOS 11 from iOS 10. In iOS 11 you can add up to 15 apps to the iPad dock, way more than in previous versions. This is one of my favorite upgrades to iOS.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by johnnyb

iOS 12 runs fine here on an iPhone 7 and iPad Pro 10.5" but I too think that the new gestures are a major pita for the home button iPads, a stupid design decision that mainly makes the OS on the iPad feel less well-crafted (which is probably the purpose). All of the changes to input are completely unnecessary and in no way an improvement over the status quo.

I haven't tried out the new gestures yet, but many of the old ones were total crap IMO. I really don't think Apple understands accessibility very well. I'm older at 60, and I have arthritis fairly bad, so many of the gestures are literally a PITHand to me, and some are pretty much impossible. An easy one to accomplish in theory is the swiping up from the bottom of the screen to display the Control Center. On my iPhone 7 it takes me 6 or 7 attempts to get this to work. WTH! In iOS they improved this for the iPads only by allowing a quick swipe down from the top-right of the screen, and that works really well. But you cannot do that on the iPhone, so even in iOS 12 getting the Control Center to display remains a PITA. Heaven forbid I turn on the LED light then accidentally close the CC, it will take me a minute or two to get it to display again so I can turn the light off. Try operating the camera app with one hand...

Apple really needs to talk with real Baby Boomers like me to figure out what they can do to ensure we can operate their devices. We aren't Millennials by any means, not even close, try 40+ years older. A couple of guys from the Baby Boomer generation founded Apple, and the Baby Boomers kept Apple alive for over a quarter of a century while they went through their terrible years. Not until Jobs returned did Apple ever start to be a formidable power in the industry. They owe us a lot because if we had turned our backs on them in the 1980s and 1990s the Millennials would think of Apple as a grocery store item or a type of pie and nothing more.

[OtinG]

What the heck, you can use Siri to open apps, even 3rd party apps by saying, "Hey Siri, open Storm Radar", for example. But you cannot get Siri to open the Control Center or to turn on/off the flashlight! I do like the new Shortcuts app that works with Siri, but even it cannot activate the Control Center or the Flashlight. Sometimes I just want to roll up a large Sunday newspaper and smack the head of iOS development in the nose and say, "Bad boy, really bad boy!"

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by OtinG

What the heck, you can use Siri to open apps, even 3rd party apps by saying, "Hey Siri, open Storm Radar", for example. But you cannot get Siri to open the Control Center or to turn on/off the flashlight! I do like the new Shortcuts app that works with Siri, but even it cannot activate the Control Center or the Flashlight. Sometimes I just want to roll up a large Sunday newspaper and smack the head of iOS development in the nose and say, "Bad boy, really bad boy!"

Umm, I just told Siri to turn on my flashlight and she was able to do so.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by johnnyb

iOS 12 runs fine here on an iPhone 7 and iPad Pro 10.5" but I too think that the new gestures are a major pita for the home button iPads, a stupid design decision that mainly makes the OS on the iPad feel less well-crafted (which is probably the purpose). All of the changes to input are completely unnecessary and in no way an improvement over the status quo.

Maybe it is because I’ve been on beta for awhile but I think it is a clear improvement. I would give it more time.

• makes more sense to have separate gestures and views for App Switcher and Control Center (as iPhone always has had). It mirrors Home-less iPhones so those folks will be ‘at home’ with it, and for those of us who upgrade to a Home-less iPhone, it is ‘training’.
• Before the only way to go Home was Home button press, 4 finger pinch (if enabled), or via Home key (or Command+H shortcut) on external keyboard (if one is connected). Home button has several overtones (long press for Siri, double press for app switcher, triple press for accessibility options) and my intention is not always carried out by my finger or thumb press (sometimes I am holding in my lap, sometimes it is propped up on desk or laying on soft furniture so it can be hard to gauge the required pressure). One finger swipe up from bottom is less finicky for me and more ergonomic than 4 finger pinch most of the time. iPad still has a mechanical Home button, so I worry, perhaps without much justification, that it could wear out.
• note that you can also bring up App Switcher with one finger gesture (swipe up and then off right or left side of screen), or swipe up and then right or left to switch apps — again, much easier than having to use 4 fingers (assuming multitouch gestures are enabled) or (for me at least) attempting double press Home to bring it up

This is a good summary of the changes for iPad:

Redesigned status bar
The status bar now more closely resembles the one on the iPhone X, with a conspicuous gap in the middle. It may be a strong sign that Apple expects to add an iPhone-style "notch" to future iPad models.

Date in iPad Status Bar
Interestingly, iPad owners can not only see the time but the current date. Handy for those who regularly need to double-check.

One finger swipe up to go to home
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen until an app zooms out, and you'll find yourself back at the home screen. Repeat this again and you'll find yourself at the home screen's first page if you were on another one.

Control Center removed from App Switcher
Self-explanatory — no more quick access to media and settings controls by double-tapping the Home button.

Access Control Center from top right corner
Instead, the Control Center is accessed by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen, much like the iPhone X.

Access App Switcher with one finger
Again replicating the iPhone X, iPad owners can simply swipe up from the bottom with a finger then left or right to switch back and forth between apps.

Updated Screen Recording UI for iPad

Trackpad mode using space bar
Tapping and holding on the Spacebar will turn the iOS keyboard into a virtual trackpad for more precise text and object selection. Previously, Apple limited trackpad mode to devices with 3D Touch, namely recent iPhones.

Import and manage RAW photos on your iPhone and iPad and edit on your iPad Pro
RAW files are the preferred format of professional photographers, since they contain unprocessed data with more flexibility in editing. More direct support should reduce dependence on third-party apps.

source: https://appleinsider.com/articles/18...phone-and-ipad

[Dylrob]

The annoying thing about the new home gesture is that it’s very close in tolerance to the gesture for bringing up the dock. You have to be careful with your swipe in order to be able to do the latter without accidentally executing the former...

Also, it just doesn’t make sense why they combined the four finger gestures. You still get distinct functions when you tap or double tap the home button, so there should still be the ability to distinguish a upward swipe from a pinch!

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Maybe it is because I’ve been on beta for awhile but I think it is a clear improvement. I would give it more time.

• makes more sense to have separate gestures and views for App Switcher and Control Center (as iPhone always has had). It mirrors Home-less iPhones so those folks will be ‘at home’ with it, and for those of us who upgrade to a Home-less iPhone, it is ‘training’.
• Before the only way to go Home was Home button press, 4 finger pinch (if enabled), or via Home key (or Command+H shortcut) on external keyboard (if one is connected). Home button has several overtones (long press for Siri, double press for app switcher, triple press for accessibility options) and my intention is not always carried out by my finger or thumb press (sometimes I am holding in my lap, sometimes it is propped up on desk or laying on soft furniture so it can be hard to gauge the required pressure). One finger swipe up from bottom is less finicky for me and more ergonomic than 4 finger pinch most of the time. iPad still has a mechanical Home button, so I worry, perhaps without much justification, that it could wear out.
• note that you can also bring up App Switcher with one finger gesture (swipe up and then off right or left side of screen), or swipe up and then right or left to switch apps — again, much easier than having to use 4 fingers (assuming multitouch gestures are enabled) or (for me at least) attempting double press Home to bring it up

This is a good summary of the changes for iPad:



source: https://appleinsider.com/articles/18...phone-and-ipad

You could also go home by tapping the background in the app switcher.

Also, trackpad functionality has always been possible on the iPad. You just put two fingers on the keyboard.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Umm, I just told Siri to turn on my flashlight and she was able to do so.

It won't work with my iPhone 7. What actual command did you use? I tried, "Hey Siri, turn on flashlight." That doesn't work.

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by OtinG

It won't work with my iPhone 7. What actual command did you use? I tried, "Hey Siri, turn on flashlight." That doesn't work.

The exact same command does work on my 8 plus. Maybe it’s a regional thing?

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

The exact same command does work on my 8 plus. Maybe it’s a regional thing?

Thanks. Maybe it just doesn't work on my older iPhone 7.

[OtinG]

Well what do you know, saying, "Hey Siri, turn on/off flashlight" has started working. When I tried it earlier I got messages like "I cannot do that at this time." Maybe the Apple server was down at the time. I assume Siri requires a server to operate just like Amazon Alexa does.

Siri still won't open Control Center though. She actually says, "I can't open Control Center for you."

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Also, trackpad functionality has always been possible on the iPad. You just put two fingers on the keyboard.

I have never used that for anything as I just touch where I want to type and use magnifying glass for precision, just as it has always worked. Plus that technique works the same when I’m using physical keyboard, which I often am. I doubt I’ll use the one-finger variant, either.

Not sure if it is a bug or a feature, but if I start with two fingers and spread them apart a little bit, selection mode kicks in. Rather hard to control it however, and easy to accidentally delete something.

[MartyTX]

Originally Posted by OtinG

BTW, I was sitting on my front porch last night looking at the Moon and Mars in near conjunction, very peaceful and contemplative, when I remembered another reason I updated to iOS 11 from iOS 10. In iOS 11 you can add up to 15 apps to the iPad dock, way more than in previous versions. This is one of my favorite upgrades to iOS.

11 apps on a Mini's dock; up to 15 apps with a full-sized iPad. After your post I had to do some Googling. You've probably given me a reason to bite the bullet and upgrade to iOS 12.

Advice from an OLD sage (me!) ... when things are peaceful and contemplative ... don't think about iOS!