iOS 10 so far: What we like, and what needs to get better

7 years ago

iOS 10 so far: What we like, and what needs to get better

The software update -- and its most recent 10.1 upgrade -- brings a heap of glittering new software features to Apple's mobile devices: incredibly interactive messaging, a lock screen that acts more like a control hub, and some cool payment capabilities, like pressing your thumb on the phone to buy goods on your Mac. There's also that sweet Portrait mode that adds an artistically blurred bokeh effect for the iPhone 7 Plus. For the most part, the new iOS delivers. But as we've lived with iOS 10 over the past few weeks, we've found that some promising features aren't fully baked, and others we thought we'd love wind up as more fluff than substance.

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iOS 10: New features, but some need refinement.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Several new additions are also cumbersome, like responding to texts from the lock screen, swiping through three Control Center pages to see all settings, and dismissing now-larger notifications (which hang around and are easy to accidentally open).

But the software's biggest problems are fundamental: Pressure-sensitive 3D Touch on compatible iPhones pops up for some apps but not others and menus open slowly. Plus Siri still falls behind Google Now (and the newer Google Assistant) in how well it gathers and displays most information -- and how well it understands you in the first place.

And for iPads, the new features are super-subtle. It's disappointing that Apple hasn't added any major iPad difference-makers this year, unlike last year's fantastic upgrades like Split View in iOS 9.

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Voicemail now transcribes your messages.
Josh Miller/CNET
So should you upgrade to iOS 10? Short answer: yes, if you have a supported iPhone or iPad. Voicemail transcription -- if your carrier supports it -- and new Messages features are worth the upgrade. The raise-to-wake screen (available on 6S models and later) is also helpful for checking quick messages. You're also setting yourself up for more benefits down the road, provided more hooked-in, third-party Siri-compatible apps and iMessage apps arrive.

Meanwhile, if you have a Mac running the new MacOS Sierra software update, you'll be able to use iCloud to bridge both devices for things like copying and pasting text, and sharing documents and desktop files. But we do hope Apple smooths out iOS 10's rougher edges as the company keeps delivering updates -- from 10.2 and beyond.

Also read: 23 hidden iOS 10 tips and tricks
What we like: The best new features in iOS 10
iMessage upgrades: The upgrade to Apple's built-in messaging app gives you a ton of fun new ways to express yourself with other iOS 10 users. Stickers and new flashy animations (lasers!) borrow liberally from Facebook Messenger -- they're fun but hardly necessary. They do get addictive, though, and the total sticker package avalanche gives Messages a more social-app feel. But the apps are the promising part: you can already make payments via Square Pay or add a ton of other features like restaurant reservations or movie showtimes.

The new Home app: If you have any HomeKit-compatible home products, iOS 10 finally offers the tools to access your products and create easy-access controls and settings -- from any screen. The only problem is, you need HomeKit-compatible products.

Raise-to-wake: On iPhone 6S and later models, lift the phone to jostle the screen to life long enough to see if what messages await. It's a natural gesture that gives your thumb a break, and makes the iPhone a more glanceable tool. It's just a shame that the widgets on the lock screen don't have 3D Touch or work more like mini-apps.