Apple Releases iOS 13.5 with Exposure Notification API and Face ID Enhancements
There is hardly a day when we don’t get a new update from the tech-giant Apple. And today’s also nothing different.
After weeks of alpha, beta, omega versions of 13.5, Apple released the Golden Master version of iOS 13.5 to beta testers earlier last week. And after everything seemed pretty fine, they released it to the general public today (or yesterday, depending on your time-zone). The update brings quite a few changes and new features prompted by COVID-19, including the Exposure Notification API, Face ID enhancements, the general bug fixes, and much more.
Exposure Notification API
In my previous article, I have discussed the new Exposure Notification API developed by Apple and Google together to help in these tough times of COVID-19. Google has released its official blog regarding the same.
Apple and Google say that as of today, a handful of U.S. states and 22 countries across five continents have requested and received access to the Exposure Notification API. The release of iOS 13.5 today means that public health agencies around the world can begin deploying their applications that take advantage of Apple and Google Exposure Notification API. The two companies say they have consulted with and briefed several different public health teams, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC Foundation, the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, and the Public Health Informatics Institute of the Taskforce for Global Health, and have made following changes to the API —
- Public health agencies can define what constitutes an exposure event
- Public health agencies can determine the number of exposure events a person has had
- Public health agencies can contact exposed users based on the combination of the API and data users voluntarily choose to input into the app.
- Transmission risk of positive cases can be factored into the definition of an exposure event
Apple and Google have stated that they have encrypted all the metadata associated with the Bluetooth which makes it near impossible to detect who the user is, other than the health agencies concerned, of course.
Face ID and Passcode
Apple has made a few changes in its face detection algorithm. It now allows people to unlock their iPhones without the need of removing the masks. Passcode field is also now automatically presented after swiping up from the bottom of the Lock screen when you are wearing a face mask. These changes are not limited to the time of unlocking the device, but also extends with the App Store, Apple Books, Apple Pay, iTunes, and other apps that support signing in with Face ID. Now, that is a big change in the way people are used to dealing with these features. Oh, and all the previous stuff works, too. No changes there.
Emergency Services
There is now an option to automatically share health and other essential information from your Medical ID with emergency services and select health agencies (which work with the Exposure Notification API) when you place an emergency call. While this feature is currently limited to the US only, but I don’t see any reason why it will not come to other countries soon enough.
Bug Fixes and Other Improvements
Apple has fixed an issue where users may see a black screen when trying to play streaming videos from some websites. Pretty good fix as even I faced this issue in the previous 13.4.1 update.
It has also addressed an issue in the share sheet where suggestions and actions may not load. I don’t know for which application this fix is, but it is good that even this bug is now ironed out. Good days coming soon, I guess!
Improvements to iPhone SE 2020 Battery Optimization
Now, this was a pleasant surprise for us. Because thousands of users are extremely happy that Apple actually released the rumored iPhone 9, which later confirmed to be iPhone SE2, but was released as iPhone SE 2020. Well, the fact is the device is released and is getting excellent reviews from almost every reviewer out there for all aspects EXCEPT the battery life and the screen time it provides.
Actually, the same reviewers who complain about the issue say that the screen time is really really good for a 1821mAH sized battery, but is just not good enough in today’s times (where even cheap android phones also give more than 1 day’s battery juice, with some left at the end of the day)
Well, this has probably changed as one of the Indian reviewers has made a video stating the update of iOS 13.5 has improved the battery life of iPhone SE 2020 dramatically. Now, this may vary from person to person, user to user; but an improvement of 1.5 hours of screen time is pretty much amazing, given that Apple already utilized every bit of juice from the small battery. Now, according to him, the device can easily give 6 hours 50 minutes of screen time (for god’s sake, let us round that up to 7 hours).
7 hours of screen time is roughly equivalent to 1 day’s worth of usage in today’s times. Of course it will vary if you go around playing intensive games and recording 4K videos all day, but for a standard user who checks his phone once in a while, browses for some time twice a day and watches some videos in his free time, it will be definitely enough. Plus, if you are a user who plugs in the phone in the afternoon for an hour or two, then you may even not need to charge it till the very end of the day.
If you ask me, this is a REALLY good move from Apple. I hope this continues to iOS 14 (or whatever they decide to call it since the numbers are getting ridiculous now).
Till then, Cheers!
