iPhone 可能彻底改变了智能手机，但如果没有 iPhone 操作系统，它只会是一堆垃圾。今天简称为 iOS，这个移动操作系统可以在除Mac(Macs)和MacBook之外的所有(MacBooks)Apple硬件上运行。
随着苹果的传统计算机转向与 iPhone 和 iPad 相同的硬件，即使这种情况也可能会发生变化。这有望使 macOS 和 iOS 之间的界限更加模糊。
Apple每年都会提供一次重大的 iOS 更新，并且该系统自首次推出以来已经发生了翻天覆地的变化。以下是我们认为迄今为止最好的 iOS 应用程序和功能。随着 iOS 的发展，我们会定期更新这篇文章，所以请务必回来查看。
有史以来最好的 iOS 功能(The Best iOS Features of All Time)
“功能(feature)”是指嵌入操作系统的东西，作为系统的一部分提供给任何拥有兼容硬件的人。十多年来，iOS 一直在以恒定的速度添加功能，这使得挑选最好的功能变得相当困难。
尽管如此，iOS 的这五个新增功能都改变了游戏规则，并说明了为什么它通常在质量上优于竞争对手。
文件资源管理器和外部存储
Apple最初对允许用户访问 iOS 上的文件系统非常谨慎。应用程序(Apps)和操作系统本身小心翼翼地向用户隐藏数据存储的内部运作。这可能是因为Apple的目标不是购买 macOS 设备的精通技术的用户，而是 iOS 设备必须为之简单工作的普通大众。
然而，随着时间的推移，智能手机和平板电脑已成为许多人使用的唯一(only )计算机。硬件的功能也呈指数级增长。因此，人为的软件限制越来越没有意义。现在，现代 iOS 有适当的用户公开文件浏览器应用程序，它支持外部存储设备，如闪存驱动器和USB 硬盘驱动器(USB hard drives)。
因此，苹果(Apple)一举将 iOS 从一个移动操作系统转变为一个应该被认真对待的主要计算机操作系统(should be taken seriously as a primary computer operating system)。
这一点尤为重要，因为迄今为止 iOS 设备还没有提供任何扩展外部存储空间的方法，与竞争对手相比，这一直是一个重要的黑标。
MFi 和游戏手柄支持
你(Did)知道曾经有一个苹果(Apple)游戏机吗？Pippin是一个令人沮丧的失败，当时认为苹果(Apple)有一天会提供最好的游戏平台之一是可笑的。
然而今天，iOS 可以说是最好的移动游戏操作系统(best mobile gaming OS )。借助Apple Arcade(Apple Arcade)等最高级的游戏服务以及供开发人员使用的强大图形硬件和API(APIs)，iOS 游戏不仅仅是简单的娱乐。
其中一个关键部分是苹果(Apple)如何解决手机游戏手柄的兼容性问题。在Android上，有几个相互竞争的游戏手柄标准。必须编写游戏来专门支持它们。为了解决这个问题，Apple创建了MFi（Made for iOS）标准。为符合此标准而创建的任何控制器都可以与支持该标准的任何游戏一起使用。
结果是任何移动操作系统的最佳游戏手柄支持。最近， Apple还为(Apple)PS4和Xbox One控制器提供了操作系统级别的支持。有效地将每部 iPhone、iPad 和Apple TV变成一个严肃的游戏机。
西里
Siri AI 语音助手在(Siri AI voice assistant)Apple 4S中首次亮相，现在已融入每台现代Apple设备。当时，Siri看起来像是纯粹的科幻小说。苹果(Apple)已经想出了如何正确地做语音助手，而且没有其他人能做到这一点。
如今，谷歌之类的(the likes of Google)公司在技术层面已经超越了Siri，但由于苹果封闭的硬件生态系统以及Siri与 iOS 的低级集成，在日常操作中仍然没有什么能像现在这样好用。
从打开应用程序或使用兼容 Siri 的第一方和第三方应用程序，只使用语音操作您的 iDevice 是完全可行的。甚至可以执行系统级操作，例如打开和关闭蓝牙(Bluetooth)。
Siri是一项真正有用的 iOS 功能，它极大地改变了人机界面行业。因此，它当然应该被列入有史以来最伟大的名单。
ARKit
增强现实(Reality)(AR) 在计算领域有着光明的未来。虽然 VR 提供了令人敬畏的离散体验，但 AR 有可能取代所有(ALL)计算机界面。想象一个未来，您不需要任何屏幕，只需将数字投影与现实世界的空间融合。
ARK i t是一个操作系统级别的API（应用程序编程接口），它让任何 iOS 开发人员都可以创建 AR 应用程序，而无需解决该领域带来的任何棘手的数学问题。
(Google)在ARKit(ARKit)发布时，谷歌多年来一直在开发他们的 Project Tango手机。谷歌(Google)解决方案使用了许多特殊的传感器和硬件功能来使其先进的 AR 工作。ARKit突然介入，只使用每个人已经拥有的 iOS 设备中的现有硬件，基本上完成了相同的工作。
这是 iOS 中最伟大的功能之一，因为它为迷人的未来铺平了道路。毕竟，有传言称苹果(Apple)正在研发 AR 耳机，这无疑是ARKit技术的最终目标。与此同时，我们可以在 iOS 设备上享受真正的下一代 AR 应用程序，这些应用程序是作为免费软件更新提供的。现在那是一本书。
真正的多任务处理
当第一部 iPhone 推出时，引擎盖下并没有那么多马力。然而，在过去的几年里，Apple 的顶级芯片一直在打包桌面级的处理能力和规格。
这意味着 iOS 启动时不存在的多任务处理功能不再被接受。尤其是 iPad，它的大屏幕显示应用程序一次一次的显示方式严重阻碍了它。
2015 年， Apple(Apple)在 iOS 9 中引入了分屏多任务处理，实现了重大飞跃。在 iOS 13 中，这一功能得到了增强，增加了更多的多任务处理能力。具有分屏应用、视频画中画和浮动应用窗口。凭借这套核心功能，iOS 已准备好成为真正的笔记本电脑替代品，它标志着最初作为荣耀手机操作系统的方向发生了重大变化。
有史以来最好的 iOS 应用程序(The Best iOS Apps of All Time)
iOS 本身已经成为一个很棒的平台，但任何操作系统都只能与您可以在其上运行的软件一样有用。值得庆幸的是，iOS 在任何移动平台上都吸引了一些最好的第一方和第三方软件。
Apple 相对彻底的审批流程意味着提供的铲子软件很少，如果您愿意为此付费，还可以提供一些非常高质量的高级应用程序。这些是有史以来发布的一些最好的 iOS 应用程序。
iOS上有很多令人惊叹的音乐创作应用程序。从Auxy到FL Studio Mobile，但 Apple 自己的GarageBand仍然是使用 iOS 设备制作一些令人印象深刻的音乐的最佳方式。
与iOS 早期的许多第一方Apple应用程序一样， (Apple)GarageBand的成本不菲。然而，这些天来，它对所有 iOS 用户都是免费的，Apple一直在以惊人的速度改进该应用程序。
目前，GarageBand是一个完整的音乐制作解决方案。您可以使用它快速记下您的乐队演奏或制作下一首歌曲的歌曲创意。不(Don)相信？有几首热门歌曲以一种或另一种方式使用GarageBand。
Rihanna 的Umbrella使用应用程序中的鼓循环，艺术家Grimes使用该工具创建了她的突破性专辑。
对于 iOS 上哪些生产力应用程序是最好的，无聊的答案就是Microsoft Office。然而，这个答案来自于Office的普及程度，而不是它的好用程度。
作为一个实际的数字工作环境，与 iWork 相比， MS Office是狗的早餐。(MS Office)更好的是，iWork 对 iOS 用户完全免费，而您需要支付每月订阅费才能使用 Office(to pay a monthly subscription fee to use Office)。
由于Pages 等i Work应用程序可以简单地将文档保存为更流行的(Work)Office格式，因此没有理由不尝试这些优雅且用户友好的生产力应用程序。它们是Apple设计方法和用户体验有多么不同的一个很好的例子。就这套工具而言，工作(Work)感觉不如工作。(work )
Apple Mac一直以严肃的创意工具而闻名。iOS 设备的声誉在一定程度上受到了影响，但实现这一目标的处理能力和开发人员的动力需要一段时间才能显现出来。
这些天来，使用 iPad Pro和 iPhone 11 等设备，对于无法与台式机同行相媲美的应用程序，没有任何与性能相关的借口。Luma Fusion是一个 iOS 视频应用程序，它与Adobe Premiere之类的东西完全不同，在手机或平板电脑上运行适当的非线性视频编辑器有时感觉就像是黑魔法。
从色键支持到强大的主要编辑工具，这是一款一次性购买的应用程序，可立即收回成本。在Apple移植Final Cut Pro或Adob(Adobe) e 带来Premiere之前， (Premiere)Luma Fusion的强大功能没有竞争对手。
照片编辑的黄金标准是Adobe Photoshop，但当Adob(Adobe) e 将“完整的 PhotoShop”移植到 iOS(“full PhotoShop” to iOS)时，它却有点失败。它缺少关键功能，并且需要支付合同订阅费才能启动。
不过， Adobe(Adobe)可能不会打扰，因为 iOS 用户拥有自己开发的Affinity Photo形式的照片编辑器。这是一个您只需要支付一次的应用程序，而不是您的余生。
您会发现在桌面级照片编辑器中所期望的所有功能强大的图片处理工具，如果您拥有最新的 iOS 设备之一，那么其流畅的性能也会令人印象深刻。
最佳电子游戏(Best Video Game)：无限之刃系列(Infinity Blade Series)
让我们从坏消息开始：除非您已经购买了它们，否则将无法再获得Infinity Blade游戏。这是一个真正的遗憾，因为出于多种原因， Infinity Blades I、II 和III是有史以来最伟大的 iOS 游戏。
当然，iOS 已经从游戏机（例如Grid Autosport）和令人惊叹的原创作品（例如Arcade独家Grindstone）中获得了一些出色的端口，但Infinity Blade向世界展示了 iOS 是一个严肃的游戏平台。
它使用了虚幻引擎(Unreal Engine)，它具有控制台级别的图形，(and )它表明您可以创建一个具有良好触摸控制的动作游戏。生产价值是一流的，写作也是如此。Infinity Blade甚至催生了其他媒体，例如小说。
该系列值得GOAT对待，因为这是 iOS 游戏的转折点，如果不是整个移动游戏的话。
最好的还在后头(The Best Is Yet To Come)
iOS 正在逐渐成为一个重要的平台，而不仅仅是移动设备。今天，运行 iOS 的硬件设备组成了一个完整、多样化的生态系统，而且几乎可以肯定，Apple会为我们甚至无法想象的新设备青睐 iOS。
从 AR 耳机到电视和电动汽车，总有传闻中苹果(Apple)正在开发一款新产品。大多数这些都不过是一厢情愿的想法。然而，当一个事实证明是真的时，你几乎可以肯定它会是某种形式的 iOS 让它工作。
从Apple Watch到Mac Pro ， Apple计算的未来似乎至少会包含一点 iOS，我们在这里全力以赴。
The Best iOS Apps and Features of All Time
The iPhone might have revolutionized smartphones, but it would have been nothing but a hunk of junk without іts iРhone OS. Knоwn today simрly as iOS, this mobile oрerating system runs on all Apple hardware exсept for Macs and MacBooks.
Even that might be set to change, as Apple’s traditional computers shift over to the same hardware found in iPhones and iPads. This promises to make the line between macOS and iOS even fuzzier.
Apple provides a major iOS update annually and the system has changed radically since it was first launched. Below are what we think constitute the best iOS apps and features to date. We’ll be updating this article periodically as iOS grows, so be sure to check back.
The Best iOS Features of All Time
A “feature” refers to something baked into the operating system, available as part of the system to anyone with compatible hardware. iOS has been adding features at a constant pace for more than a decade, which makes picking the best ones rather difficult.
Nonetheless, these five additions to iOS were significant game changers and show why it’s often qualitatively better than the competition.
File Explorer and External Storage
Apple was initially quite cagey about giving users access to the file system on iOS. Apps and the operating system itself carefully hid the internal workings of data storage from users. This might have been because Apple wasn’t targeting technically-savvy users who bought their macOS devices, but the general public for whom the iOS device had to simply work.
However, over time, smartphones and tablets have become the only computer that many people use. The hardware has grown exponentially more powerful as well. So artificial software limitations make less and less sense. Now, modern iOS has proper user-exposed file explorer applications and it supports external storage devices such as flash drives and USB hard drives.
Thus, in one fell swoop, Apple has transformed iOS from a mobile OS to one that should be taken seriously as a primary computer operating system.
This is especially important since iOS devices to date have not offered any way to expand external storage space, which has always been a significant black mark when compared to the competition.
MFi and Gamepad Support
Did you know that there was once an Apple games console? The Pippin was a dismal failure and at the time it would have been laughable to suggest Apple would one day provide one of the best gaming platforms.
Yet today iOS is arguably the best mobile gaming OS of all. With superlative premium gaming services such as Apple Arcade and powerful graphics hardware and APIs for developers to use, iOS gaming is more than just light amusement.
A key part of this is how Apple solved the problem of mobile gamepad compatibility. On Android, there are several competing gamepad standards. Games have to be written to support them specifically. To get around this, Apple created the MFi (Made for iOS) standard. Any controller created to conform to this standard will work with any game supporting that standard.
The result is the best gamepad support of any mobile OS. Recently Apple also provided OS-level support for the PS4 and Xbox One controllers. Effectively turning every iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV into a serious games console.
Siri
The Siri AI voice assistant debuted with the Apple 4S and is now baked into every modern Apple device. At the time Siri seemed like pure science fiction. Apple had figured out how to do a voice assistant right and no one else was even close.
Today, the likes of Google have surpassed Siri on a technical level, but thanks to Apple’s closed hardware ecosystem and Siri’s low-level integration with iOS, there’s still nothing that works as well in day-to-day operation.
From opening apps or working with Siri-compatible first- and third-party apps, it’s entirely viable to operate your iDevice using nothing but your voice. It’s even possible to perform system-level operations such as toggling Bluetooth on and off.
Siri is a genuinely useful iOS feature that changed the human-machine interface industry dramatically. So it certainly deserves to be on the greatest of all-time list.
ARKit
Augmented Reality (AR) has a bright future in the world of computing. While VR provides an awesome discrete experience, AR has the potential to replace ALL computer interfaces. Imagine a future where you don’t need any screens, just digital projections merged with the real world’s spaces.
ARKit is an OS-level API (application programming interface) that lets any iOS developer create AR apps without having to solve any of the tough mathematical problems that come with the territory.
Google had been working on their Project Tango phone for years at the point ARKit was released. The Google solution used numerous special sensors and hardware features to make its advanced AR work. ARKit swooped in and did essentially the same job using nothing but the existing hardware in the iOS devices everyone had already.
This is one of the greatest features in iOS because it’s paving the way to a fascinating future. After all, Apple is rumored to be working on an AR headset, which is no doubt the end goal of the ARKit technology. In the meantime, we get to enjoy genuinely next-generation AR apps on iOS devices which arrived as a free software update. Now that’s one for the books.
True Multitasking
When the first iPhone launched, there wasn’t that much horsepower under the hood. For the last few years, however, Apple’s superlative silicon has been packing desktop-class processing power and specifications.
This meant the non-existent multitasking functionality iOS launched with was no longer acceptable. The iPad in particular, with its large screen, felt severely hamstrung by its one-at-a-time approach to displaying apps.
Apple made a major leap when it introduced split-screen multitasking with iOS 9 in 2015. With iOS 13 this was augmented with even more multitasking ability. With apps in split-screen, video picture-in-picture, and floating app windows. With this core set of features, iOS is ready to be a true laptop replacement and it marks a major change of direction for what started as a glorified phone operating system.
The Best iOS Apps of All Time
iOS itself has become a fantastic platform, but any operating system is only as useful as the software you can run on it. Thankfully, iOS has attracted some of the best first- and third-party software on any mobile platform.
Apple’s relatively thorough approval process means there’s little shovelware on offer and, if you’re willing to pay for it, there are some very high-quality premium apps on offer. These are some of the best iOS apps ever released.
Best Music Creation App: GarageBand
There are plenty of amazing music creation applications on iOS. From Auxy to FL Studio Mobile, but Apple’s own GarageBand is still the best way to make some pretty impressive tunes with your iOS device.
As with many first-party Apple apps in the early days of iOS, GarageBand cost a pretty penny. These days, however, it’s free for all iOS users and Apple keeps improving the app at a breakneck pace.
In its current form, GarageBand is a total music production solution. You can use it to quickly jot out song ideas for your band to perform or make the next hit. Don’t believe it? There have been several hit songs that use GarageBand in one way or another.
Rihanna’s Umbrella uses a drum loop from the app and the artist Grimes created her breakout album using the tool.
Best Productivity Suite: iWork
The boring answer to which productivity apps on iOS are the best is simply Microsoft Office. That’s however an answer borne from how ubiquitous Office is rather than how good it is to use.
As an actual digital work environment, MS Office is the dog’s breakfast compared to iWork. Even better, iWork is completely free for iOS users, whereas you need to pay a monthly subscription fee to use Office.
Since iWork apps such as Pages can simply save documents in the more popular Office formats, there’s no reason not to give these elegant and user-friendly productivity apps a go. They’re a great example of how different the Apple approach to design and the user experience is. Work simply doesn’t feel as much as, well, work when it comes to this suite of tools.
Apple Mac has always had a reputation as a serious creative tool. iOS devices have had some of that reputation rub off a bit, but the processing power and developer motivation to make it happen have taken some time to emerge.
These days with devices like the iPad Pro and iPhone 11, there’s no performance-related excuse for apps that don’t measure up to their desktop peers. Luma Fusion is an iOS video app that stands toe-to-toe with something like Adobe Premiere and it sometimes feels like black magic to have a proper nonlinear video editor running on a phone or tablet.
From chromakey support to robust primary editing tools, this is a buy-once application that pays for itself in no time flat. Until Apple ports Final Cut Pro or Adobe brings Premiere over, there’s no competition to the might of Luma Fusion.
The gold standard for photo editing is Adobe Photoshop, but when Adobe ported the “full PhotoShop” to iOS it landed with a bit of a belly flop. It was missing critical features and came with a contractual subscription fee to boot.
Adobe might not have bothered though, since iOS users have their home-grown photo editor in the form of Affinity Photo. This is an app you only need to pay for once, rather than for the rest of your life.
You’ll find all the same powerful picture manipulation tools one would expect in a desktop-class photo editor and if you have one of the latest iOS devices, impressively smooth performance as well.
Best Video Game: Infinity Blade Series
Let’s start with the bad news: unless you’ve already bought them there’s no way to get the Infinity Blade games anymore. This is a real pity because for many reasons Infinity Blades I, II, and III are the greatest iOS games of all time.
Sure, iOS has had some great ports from consoles (such as Grid Autosport) and amazing originals (such as the Arcade exclusive Grindstone), but Infinity Blade showed the world that iOS is a serious gaming platform.
It used Unreal Engine, it had console grade graphics and it showed that you could create an action game with good touch controls. The production values are top-notch as is the writing. Infinity Blade even spawned other media, such as novels.
The series deserves the GOAT treatment because this was a turning point for iOS gaming, if not mobile gaming as a whole.
The Best Is Yet To Come
iOS is shaping up to be an important platform for more than just mobile devices. Today there’s an entire, diverse ecosystem of hardware devices that run iOS and it seems almost certain that Apple will favor iOS for new devices we can’t even imagine yet.
From AR headsets to televisions and electric cars, there’s always a new rumored product that Apple is working on. Most of these turn out to be nothing more than wishful thinking. However, when one does turn out to be true, you can be almost certain it will be some form of iOS that makes it work.
From Apple Watch to Mac Pro, it seems the future of Apple computing will have at least a little iOS in it and we are here for the full ride.
