Abstract:
When Apple released the iPhone 18 Pro series, it further improved the practicality of Smart Island. Although the new smart island has become smaller in appearance, it can handle three "real-time activities" at the same time. Compared with the previous design that displayed up to two activities at the same time, the information carrying capacity has been improved.
The real-time activity function was first launched with the iPhone 14 Pro series. It is mainly used to directly view ongoing tasks or events without opening the app, such as flight information, sports scores, ride-hailing arrival times, timers, music playback progress, navigation routes, etc. Users can enter related applications by clicking on Smart Island, or long press on Smart Island to view more detailed information.
In the existing design, when multiple real-time activities are running at the same time, the system usually displays one of them in the main area of the smart island, and the other in an independent small circular area, and the user can switch between different activities. iPhone 18 Pro further expands this capability, allowing Smart Island to accommodate three running activities at the same time, so users can more conveniently keep track of the progress of multiple tasks.
However, Apple has not yet clarified whether the three real-time activities will always be displayed simultaneously, or whether they will rotate or switch based on screen space and activity type. Related reports pointed out that the new version of Smart Island may allow users to switch between three activities, without necessarily displaying all content side by side continuously.
Smart Island was originally an interactive area designed by Apple to accommodate the front camera and Face ID sensor openings. Apple uses software to dynamically change the shape of this screen opening based on notifications, calls, music playback, and other background tasks, thereby transforming the original hardware limitations into an information display entrance. This time, the iPhone 18 Pro further shrinks the smart island and adds support for real-time activities. This is considered to be an adjustment for Apple to continue to strengthen its interactive functions while reducing the space occupied by the screen opening.
This change may be especially useful for users who need to focus on multiple tasks at once. For example, users can view navigation routes while paying attention to takeout delivery progress and sports scores without having to frequently open different apps. However, the actual display of real-time activities still depends on whether the application supports the relevant interfaces and how the system prioritizes different activities.
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