Apple has released the fifth round of developer betas for its new operating system generation 2018 and provides testers with new versions of iOS 12, macOS 10.14 Mojave, watchOS 5 and tvOS 12.
Apple has released the fifth set of betas since the release of the new operating systems for WWDC 2018 – initially for paying developers only. Builds can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or obtained as an over-the-air update from devices that have been included in the test program.
Apple intends to focus iOS on improving the performance of iPads and iPhones. New tools such as Screen Time allow users to monitor the timing of their apps.
In addition, changes have been made to the included apps, including news, weather, stocks and voice memos, while an app called Measure will measure the dimensions of objects in 3D space using ARKit. Users should also get a better overview through the notification groups. Drivers can look forward to supporting third-party maps in CarPlay. Further innovations are Siri shortcuts for automation, Group FaceTime, and MeMoji, with which own animojis can be built.
macOS 10.14 Mojave
The fifth developer beta for macOS 10.14 Mojave replaces the fourth beta version and is only available for Apple developers who pay 99 Euro per year. MacOS Mojave should clean up the desktop with the new stack function, which can group files and images automatically. Changes have also been made to the Finder, such as a gallery view that displays media and metadata. In addition, context-sensitive quick actions can be used to perform custom Automator tasks for files.
Quick Look allows you to edit videos without using a separate video editing program. The “continuity camera” can be used to insert a photo that has just been taken by the camera of an iOS device into a MacOS-based application. In addition, some iOS apps such as HomeKit are now available on the desktop.
The Mac App Store has a new user interface that uses elements from the iOS App Store like a video preview. The machine learning technologies Create ML and Core ML2, as well as a new Dark Mode, are also used.
tvOS 12
Dolby Atmos Surround Sound is an essential part of tvOS 12, with which you can localize sounds in the room. The cross-device autofill function is designed to make it easier to enter passwords for tvOS applications. The previous single sign-on is converted to zero sign-on, where the provider’s network is detected and Apple TV automatically enters the user into the necessary channel apps.
And this is new in Beta 5:
- Control Center controls are now darker.
- The saturation of the background images has increased.
- New startup screen for the photo application
- New icons for media type albums in photos
- Removed family members from Screen Time (still to be found under Apple ID> Family Sharing)
- Smaller text for deleting all messages
- Battery health no longer bears the beta designation
- Stock widget changed in size
- News app with updated icons
- New haptic feedback on the iPhone X when all apps in App Switcher have been closed
- New AirPods case images that seem to show an upcoming design change may be the new Qi charger.
- FaceTime has new connection / disconnect tones
watchOS 5
New in watchOS 5 is the walkie-talkie app, with which you can perform push-to-talk communication between your contacts. Of course, this only works if everyone uses an Apple Watch. Third-party applications can also be added to the dial of the Siri watch. It is also no longer necessary to say “Hey Siri” to start the wizard, as it can be called with a hand movement instead.
For activities, there are seven-day activity competitions, which you can hold with your contacts. Apple Watch also has automatic training detection.
Mac Life advises against installing beta versions on mission-critical hardware, as this can lead to data loss. Those interested in testing the betas should use other, non-critical devices and keep backups of all important data before installing updates.