iOS 15.0 is the current major version of the iOS mobile operating system (OS) that Apple uses for its iPhone and iPod Touch products. The firm announced this release at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7 and released it to the public on September 20, 2021. Apple also released the beta version of 15.1 the following day. Both versions contain their own set of new features, fixes, enhancements and bugs.
Availability
The official version of iOS 15.0 is publicly available, but general users can also install the beta version of iOS 15.1. In addition, Apple has pushed a pre-release version of iOS 15.1 beta to developers enrolled in its developer program as well as users in its Beta Software Program . A developer account requires an annual fee, but the Beta Software Program only requires an iOS device and a valid Apple ID. Apple is currently on the second beta version of iOS 15.1 and will probably continue testing it for several weeks. The best guess for the official release of iOS 15.1 is late October or early November.
Features
iOS 15.0
The most significant updates in iOS 15.0 include its many security patches, which Apple describes in detail on its security website. Users who have skipped over iOS 14.8 and earlier versions will also receive the security patches from those versions when they install iOS 15.0. In addition to those patches, iOS 15 also makes improvements to Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant for iOS. iOS 15.0 now processes user requests to Siri on the device’s Neural Engine, which is more secure than the previous method of delegating this task to various internet services.
iOS 15.0 users who have an Apple Card will also receive a security code that changes regularly, making their online transactions more secure. In addition, this version of iOS has its own authenticator that’s similar to Google Authenticator, allowing the user to generate verification codes for greater security when signing in. Other changes that are new in iOS 15.0 include a Mail feature that hides the user’s IP address and an App Privacy report that alerts the user when an app accesses sensitive information.
iOS 15.1
iOS 15.1 fixes a bug in iOS 15.0 that prevents some AirPods Pro users from controlling Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency features with Siri. It also fixes a bug that keeps iPhone 13 owners from using Apple Watch’s Unlock feature while wearing a mask. Additional fixes include the restoration of SharePlay, which was dropped from iOS 15 during beta testing. iOS 15.1 will also allow iPhone users to add their COVID-19 vaccination card to their Wallet app.
Concerns
One of the most noticeable bugs in iOS 15 is that it doesn’t estimate storage usage very well. In particular, this OS may report that the device’s storage is nearly full when it still has plenty of room. There isn’t much users can do about this bug except to check their storage usage manually while waiting for a patch.
Many users are also reporting that their battery life is greatly reduced after installing iOS 15, although this may not be an actual bug. iOS is about 2.3GB in size, which requires a lot of power for a mobile device to download. As a result, Apple recommends that the device have at least 50 percent power and be connected to an external power source before upgrading to iOS 15. Installing a new OS also requires a mobile device to perform tasks such as reading permissions, indexing data and recalibrating components, all of which requires substantial battery power.
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