At the opening keynote for Apple’s WWDC 2012 today, Tim Cook officially announced iOS 6. As expected there are some great new features coming. Here’s a round up of some of the announced features. See if any of your predictions came true.
Better Siri – Finally, full Siri support for Canada, English and French! Siri will also be coming to the New iPad! Some other improvements to Siri in iOS 6: Siri has more integrated search features for sports scores, restaurants, movies, and more. Apple has partnered with companies like Yelp and Rotten Tomatoes to bring accurate, up to date information. Siri has also learned how to launch apps. Simply tell Siri to “Launch Facebook” and she does it.
Facebook Integration – Just like they introduced Twitter integration in iOS 5, Facebook integration comes to iOS 6. Similar to Twitter, you can share from photos, maps, and Safari. You can use dictation to update your status. Full contact sync, like the Facebook app does. They also announced Facebook integration is coming to the App Store and to the Mac, as well.
Phone App – New feature in the Phone app allows you to “Reply With Message” or “Remind Me Later” when receiving a phone call. Each feature has a few default options and the ability to add custom messages. Remind Me Later uses Location, to have your iPhone send you a reminder about the call when you leave a meeting, arrive at home, or any location you like.
Do Not Disturb – A great new feature that we’ve seen in OS X 10.8. With Do Not Disturb turned on, you can still get all your messages, phone calls, and notifications, but the screen doesn’t light up, there are no audio alerts, and no vibrating. When you want to get your notifications, just pick up your iPhone and open Notification Center.
FaceTime – FaceTime finally will work over your 3G / 4G data!! No longer is it restricted to WiFi.
Safari – The new mobile Safari will feature iCloud tab and browsing support. It now features Offline Reading lists, to read your articles even when you don’t have a data connection. There is something new called “Smart App Banners”, used on developer’s websites to alert the user that there is an app for that site. Tapping the banner takes you to the app store, and will even open the app where you left off on the website. Safari now has full screen support, in landscape mode!
PhotoStream – You can now share your photos with others using Shared PhotoStream. You just select photos in the Photos app that you want to share, select who you want to share them with, and then the recipients receive a notification with the photos.
VIPs – This is basically an extension of “Favorites”. Your VIPs get highlighted messages, starred apps, and their own mailbox.
New App: Passbook – This is Apple’s version of Keyring, but a whole lot more. You can store all your favourite store cards in this app. If you set locations for them, they will pop up on your lock screen when ever you arrive at that store. There is also boarding pass integration from United Airlines, with more airlines expected to jump on board.
New App: Maps – Yes, the rumours were true. Apple has done away with Google maps and built an entirely new maps app, from the ground up. World wide maps app features local business data, local traffic, 3D views, and (the big one) turn by turn navigation! It is also integrated into Siri, so you can ask Siri for directions, and she can really take you there.
There are over 200 new features in iOS 6, so this barely scratches the surface. iOS 6 ships this fall for iPhone 3GS and newer, iPad 2 and newer, and the iPod Touch 4th generation. There is a new beta being released for developers today. You can check out iOS 6 an Apple’s website, now.
Stay tuned for more detailed posts on some of these great features and new apps.
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I noticed you can now use music from your library to wake you with your alarms … Small thing but cool.
In iOS 6? You already have the beta installed?
No. In less exciting fashion (since I do not have a developer account) I noticed it towards the end of the keynotes behind Tim on the iOS 6 screen that had plenty of the “200” improvements posted.
what’s with shared photostream? It sounds like imessaging your photos?
according to the apple website, turn by turn and “flyover” are only for the iPhone 4S which is BS
I agree with you. I can see w iPhone 4 users don’t get Siri but come on, turn by turn nav? They going to come up with some bogus BS and say that “oh, it’s because the iPhone 4 doesnt have dual core” or some shit. It’s funny tho, any third party app works very well on the iPhone 4. This is clearly a marketing solution for them. Want it all, buy the greatest. :/
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Want it all, buy the greatest.”
Isn’t that the way it usually works?
Usually yes, but let’s be realistic here. The iPhone 4 and I’m sure the 3GS is fully capable of running the new nav. Siri is one thing but come on, I love apple but that nav app should of been released a few years ago in the first place. I’m all for moving forward to new products and the such but little things like that I do find extremely annoying on their part. That’s my two cents. Lol
I can see the 3GS maybe having a problem doing 3D stuff. But still. Anything is better then the current one. I figured I’d throw that in there too cause I’m sure I’d get called on it lol.
So what you apple heads are going to do? You are still going to buy the new products…thats where the real tragedy is…
I’m *thoroughly* amused at how many of these improvements you can say “FINALLY!” to!
Better Siri: FINALLY!
Siri in Canada: FINALLY!
Facebook integration: FINALLY! (I don’t particularly care about it, but I know a lot of people who do!)
Phone app: SICK!
Do not disturb: Meh, I’m a super heavy sleeper anyway.
Safari – iCloud Tabs: FINALLY!
Safari – Offline Reading: FINALLY!
Photostream: Meh
Passbook: FINALLY!
Maps – Local & live traffic: FINALLY!
Maps – Turn by turn: FUCKING FINALLY! (Needed to add the emphasis here…)
I agree this is a sweet update.
I think the one last thing that iOS is missing still is widgets for toggling. Or at least some integration into the NC, or something that DOESN’T REQUIRE ME TO USE THE DAMNED SETTINGS APP for turning things off!!
Agreed. I will be majorly disappointed if there are no springboard widgets or at least 3rd party app widgets for NC! Looks like that will be the case -.-
I’m most excited about getting Siri for my new iPad, and in english and french!! Oh mon dieu, enfin!
Improved Siri – OMG we finally getting the full potential of siri in Canada , wait what, still not supported iphone 4 or ipad 2, but they arent even two years old yet… sh*t, even phone contracts in canada last us 3 yrs.
Facebook Integration – giving more privacy control over to Facebook, they finally giving what customers really want.
Phone app/Do not distrub/Safari, – real innovative, so what if andriod had it in 2.3 OS few yrs ago, but Apple did it better so it is a true revolutionary.
FaceTime – dont have to jailbreak anymore, thats a relief, those hackers been doing it for past two years what a waste
Photostream/Passbook – okay I am sold, as I am not aware of anyone else doing it currently
3d map with turn by turn direction -hmmmm. I am actually excited for this feature, too bad my wife would have to wait as she uses iphone 4 and not the 4S..
The fact remians, even in iOS 5, apple didnt even catch up to whats being offered in OS 2.3 andriod. The platform is as weak as ever with restrictions, After 5 yrs using the apple products I have come to only one conclusion, w/o jailbreaking the device, the apple product are waste. With iphone 5 or the “New iphone”, I hope they bring oyt their A game, becuz what’s being sold by Andriod / windows platforms , Apple really need to step it up.
It took years for Google to get details worked out with Google Maps, with solid coverage other than main cities.
I may not upgrade to IOS6.0 due to this. Turn by turn direction is nice if you can’t read a map I guess. But I would not want to trade accuracy and location detail for turn by turn.
Plus you can bet that Canada will have extremely crappy map support.
Google Maps also have bus route mapping and schedules, along with walking path routing.
If I can’t easily get Google Maps working and navigating with someone elses IOS 6, I definitely will not be upgrading unless Apple has comparable location information to Google. Personally I believe this is another Apple Marketing move to get back at Google for having a superior Android product (with less Marketing clout ).
If anyone with the developer edition is in Canada and can tell what features are on the New Mapping App I would really like to know. Thanks.
So, still no Canadian English keyboard/dictionary? Am I the only one still bothered by that? Or is it there and I’m just missing it?!
I hope the new map app has all the details that Google has built up over time:
– street view is very useful , it will be a negative if they do not support that.
Do you know if we can still use Google Maps in IOS 6 if we want things like street view?
Just checked the apple site, turn. By turn and 3d building features are not available for Canada?
Don’t know what you are smoking but…. It is available in Canada
http://www.apple.com/ios/feature-availability/#maps-turn-by-turn-navigation