iOS 6 – Top 6 Features
After the Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, maybe the next most anticipated thing by the Apple fans as a piece of software (iPhone 5 is also expected) is iOS 6. It was represented on the WWDC 2012 and is available for developers and beta testers but the wide audience will have the chance to “taste” it only in the late Fall this year. It is said to be compatible with all the iPhone models, the iPod 4G Touch Screen, iPad 2 and the new iPad.
Currently the statistics are not saying anything good for Apple. On the contrary they are losing market share all over the world, most sensibly in the US and Europe. While Android holds 51% of the market, according to the Nielsen Analytics, Apple has only 34%. Of course this is only in the smartphone sector. If we take the matter to the tablets Apple are total dominators with 2/3 of the market. However Google have just released their new Nexus 7 tablet and the new version of Android – Jelly Bean 4.1. Microsoft have also announced their new Surface tablet which will be powered by Windows 8 RT and Pro. All these factors make Apple to stay behind in the background but what is expected to be a complete turnover is the prospective announcement of the iPhone 5 and the release of iOS 6. Below you can see what will be the Top 6 features in iOS 6.
Among the Top 6 Features in iOS 6 are Maps, Siri, Facebook, Phone App, PassBook and improved Accessibility
1) The Apple’s Maps – Google is out of the picture.
That’s right – Google’s API will no longer be adopted in iOS 6. The new Apple Maps will be a decent competition for Google Maps. There will be vector graphics which means that the user can zoom/tilt/pan the map as much as he wants and the image will still be sharp and crystal-clear. Stunning 3D flyover views will provide unique and compelling experience. With the responsive interface you will be able to “visit” any landmark in the world with the high-resolution retina display in your hand. Turn-by-turn navigation and real-time traffic support is the next well-though move from Apple. When going for somewhere or being in a hurry for work it is irreplaceable widget. The application will show the shortest path, will notify you if there are big traffic congestions or accidents that might delay you and will offer an alternative route. What is more Siri gets deeply integrated with the Maps so places and venues can be found and located with voice commands. There is a project called Eyes Free thanks to which navigating, playing music and even contacting people will be done without taking your eyes off the road. If you decide to go for a Chinese instead of a Mexican food while driving – “Siri get me to the nearest Chinese restaurant!” “OK Sir.” This definitely deserves to be among the top features of the next iOS!
In iOS 6 Maps will be pure Apple’s app. Google API is out of the picture.
2) Siri is getting smarter in iOS 6 – Apple’s grown baby!
Siri will also undergo some changes. Looks like that in the near future you will use your finger only for one thing – to launch Siri. Believe me it has what to show. Some of the new features are really impressive. Better and faster performance is only the beginning! Sports news, Movies reviews and timetables, Restaurant details, Browsing in the Social networks and even App launching will be done with voice. That’s what I call a “smartphone”. It is not something unprecedented of course. Currently the Voice control in Android 4.1 jelly Bean surpasses Siri in some aspects but only after a few months they will probably become equal. Maybe the only disadvantage of Siri is that internet connection is required for functioning, compared to the off line in Android, but who knows what Apple might be hiding under their hats. If not in iOS 6, offline working Siri will undoubtedly be a feature in the next versions of iOS. Apart from the offline element Siri actually offers more responsive and stylish design and is also more user-friendly.
Voice control of everything. SIri gets even smarter in iOS 6.
3) Deeper, really deeper Facebook integration in iOS 6!
Facebook will be literally everywhere in iOS 6. Share freshly taken photos with the camera or post your current location from the Maps. Looks like that the social giant is only about to interfere more in our life. Just have made a new high score in Need for Speed Asphalt? Tell your friend directly from the Game center. Be socially active without having to quit one app and entering another. What is more the Like button will be placed on the iTunes and the App Store. In the context of Siri you will even be able to post and share information with your friends only with voice commands. Still not impressed? Then how about combining and synchronizing your Facebook with the Calendar and Contact book. No more forgotten birthdays or anniversaries, no more missed appointments. The profound adoption of Facebook in iOS 6 might probably result in ending the dispute whether the native or the web application is better. Of course the main purpose of all this is not the app to be abandoned but the users to be alleviated. The fact the Facebook was chosen was really surprising because in the recently released Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion there was a deep Twitter integration but who knows. Obviously socializing on all levels is really important for Apple.
Facebook is integrated in iOS 6 really deeply. Post and share without switching between apps.
4) Passbook – everything becomes digital!
Have all you coupons, discount tickets, boarding passes or membership card not on paper or plastic, but on your iPhone’s screen. What the advantage is that the application is geo located and updates its information in real time. What I mean that if you have a coupon for Starbucks it will appear on your screen right after entering the place. If you have purchased a paperless flight ticket and you are going to the wrong gate or terminal Passbook will alert you. Discount tickets with expiry date will no longer remain unused because the services in iOS 6, like in the previous versions, are connected. What I mean is that Passbook is synchronized with the Calendar in order everything to be in time.
Coupons, discounts, membership cards, flight tickets – it is all on your iPhone with iOS 6!
5) New Phone app – WTF?!?
Currently if your iPhone is inactive and someone is calling you, after sliding the screen you are directly answering the call. In iOS 6 this changes. After the sliding you will have four options:
- To answer;
- To decline the call;
- To answer vie text message;
- To be reminded later about that incoming call;
What is more there is even a “DND” (Do Not Disturb) mode in which there are no melodies, no vibration, even no LED sparkling light from the screen when someone call or texts you. Surely nothing is missed. Everything that happens during the DND mode is being recorded and can be checked later.
6) Better and improved Accessibility!
Disabled users or users that are hard of hearing, seeing and learning can now user their iOS devices more efficiently. In iOS 6 there will be Guided Access through which parents or teachers can restrict only certain area on the screen to be clickable. Furthermore the home button can be disabled which can make the child/student to focus only over the launched application. There is a revolutionary service called VoiceOver that is designed to ease blind users. Combine this with the improved capabilities of Siri and soon everybody will be able to use devices with iOS 6.
Guided in iOS 6 makes using i-devices by children and disabled users easier than ever!
That’s not all, the list is endless!
The listed above are only the Top 6 features of iOS 6. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t more. New photo sharing options, FaceTime over cellular connection, Better mail experience, improved Safary, Find My iPhone and Find My Friends services, New distribution countries. Looks like that iOS 6 will definitely have what to show us. Feel free to share your opinion about iOS 6 in the comment section below.
iOS 6 will be supported by all the current i-devices, including the anticipated iPhone 5!