FaceTime is one of the applications that will benefit most from iOS 15 and Co. this year. As soon as the new update is released in the fall, Apple users will be able to communicate with Android or Windows users via FaceTime, among other things.
FaceTime will support Spatial Audio in iOS 15. Indeed, this technology has received a lot of attention from Apple. With Apple Music, for example, the company is focusing more on Dolby Atmos with Spatial Audio than on lossless audio. With Spatial Audio in FaceTime, Apple says it creates a "sound field that makes conversations flow as easily as face-to-face." Unfortunately, this feature is only available on iPhones with the A12 Bionic or later, i.e., iPhone XR/XS or later.
iOS 15 adds new modes in FaceTime
Another function, which is only available on these newer iPhones, is Portrait mode for calls. This allows users to blur the background and focus on themselves. It works just like in the Camera app. Two features that stand out in particular are Voice Isolation mode and Wide Spectrum mode. These two features work similarly to Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode on the AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. When the former is active, the voice is truly isolated from all other noise, while in Wide Spectrum mode the person can literally hear everything that is happening around the other person. FaceTime in iOS 15 also gets the Grid View feature. In a FaceTime group call, the user can display all participants in equally sized tiles.
Weblink: Friends can join the conversation even without an Apple device
The person currently speaking is highlighted, making it easy to identify who is speaking. Important: In the grid view, users can see up to six faces at once. FaceTime Link is another feature already included in the first iOS 15 beta. It allows users to invite friends to a FaceTime call via a web link. There's also "Join FaceTime on the web," so friends who don't have an Apple device can participate in one-on-one and group FaceTime calls directly from their browser. This means no registration is required. Also new are the following features:
- Mute alerts: When people are speaking and their microphone is muted, iPhone will alert them. They can then tap the alert to unmute and make sure their voice is transmitted.
- Zoom: For the first time, it is possible to use optical zoom for the camera on the back.
iOS 15 makes FaceTime SharepPlay-enabled
But that's not all. SharePlay, which is not yet included in the first beta of iOS 15, will allow users to watch TV shows together, listen to songs, and more. Here's an overview of SharePlay:
- Watch together: Start TV shows and movies in your FaceTime call.
- Listen together: Share music with friends.
- Shared music queue: When you listen to music together, each participant can add songs to the shared queue.
- Share your screen: Users can now start screen sharing during a FaceTime call.
- Synchronous playback: Pausing, fast forwarding or rewinding is synchronized while SharePlay is active.
- Intelligent volume: Dynamically responsive volume controls automatically adjust the sound so your friends can hear you even during a loud scene or chorus.
- Multi-device support: Connect via FaceTime on iPhone while watching videos on Apple TV or listening to music on HomePod.
- Connect with audio, video, and text: Access the group message thread directly from FaceTime controls and choose the communication mode that fits the moment.
These features will significantly enhance the FaceTime experience and make the app more attractive than ever. This and more will be released in iOS 15 and Co. this fall. (Image: Apple)
