Lawrence Ng
Sep 27, 20212 min
If you haven't heard, the iPhone 13 lineup was recently launched, which included the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max that both have new OLED displays boasting a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. Despite this capability, developers using iPhone 13 Pro models noticed that in various instances, their in-app animations can only run at 60Hz.
With iOS 15, ProMotion — the adaptive and high refresh rate screen technology found on iPhone 13 Pro models — works in third-party apps when scrolling or doing full-screen transitions. This translates to a fluid and responsive experience when you're scrolling through apps such as social media platforms. However, nearly all other animations like special effects and animations for custom components in third-party apps are limited to 60Hz. This might disrupt users' experience if smooth scrolling is featured in one aspect of an app while there are less smooth interactions elsewhere.
Apple said that all third-party apps can benefit from 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates but developers will need to state that their apps use higher frame rates by adding an entry to their app's plist. The company is requiring the opt-in to offer higher refresh rates only to apps that will be able to take advantage of this technology, which will optimise battery life on iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max devices.
The opt-in process is meant for apps that need full ProMotion support. Standard UI animations in all third-party apps automatically work with ProMotion.
Another bug, which is affecting some animations built using the Core Animation framework, will be fixed in an upcoming software update.
Aside from that, Apple identified an issue with the "unlock with Apple Watch" feature on iPhone 13 devices. Specifically, users might get a message that reads: "Unable to Communicate with Apple Watch" when attempting to unlock their iPhone while wearing a face mask. They might face problems with configuring Unlock with Apple Watch as well.
Information on the cause of this problem has not been released but Apple said that the issue will be addressed in an upcoming software update without sharing any details on when the fix will be rolled out. As of now, users are advised to switch off the "unlock with Apple Watch" feature and unlock their iPhone 13 with their passcode instead.
Speaking of bugs, a new issue preventing Siri from sending or reading aloud emails on iOS 14 and iOS 15 has surfaced. Apple acknowledged the concern and told users to visit its accessibility page for help. To solve this problem, a support page stated that users need to set up "Hey Siri" to help Siri recognize their voice.
Written by Sophia Lopez