ios9

iOS has never mattered more. THE HOME SCREEN has always been at the heart of the iPhone experience. At Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC), Apple signaled that they’re moving on. What we noticed on stage at was more than just an annual update to Apple’s OS. It’s a glimpse at how Apple’s operating systems are being unified as it builds out new devices and platforms. Critics say it’s simply copying Google’s Android.

letter 9 for ios 9

 

It’s Proactive

The main feature of iOS9 is Proactive Assistant. Following Google Now’s lead, iOS 9 will attempt to anticipate what you need when you want it. If you fire up Weather every morning right when you get up, iOS 9 will endeavor to note the habit & make the app available in the morning as a shortcut on the lock screen. When you plug in the headphones, the OS will serve up music based on your location, eliminating the need to find the music app. These new features join the lock screen’s present choices for circumventing the home screen grid: the swipe-up control center and swipe-down “today” window.

Aside from these shortcuts, iOS 9 will provide a new interactive hub in the form of a personalized search panel. Here, towards the left of the home screen, you’ll notice shortcuts for contacts and apps, both filtered by context. It’s like the Home Screen 2.0—instead of a dumb grid, it guesses who you might wish to speak to or what you might want to do, based on where you’re at, what time it is, and what you are doing. It’s worth noting that the Apple Watch already works like this. On the wrist, notifications and messaging shortcuts take precedent over the home screen of apps.

demo io9

Proactive can also do things like suggest who unknown callers could be when a number pops up on your display. It might recommend apps that you have a tendency to use throughout certain times of the day—or even suggest locations close by. There’s also an API for search, an update that was met with wild applause and cheers from the crowd at WWDC. This kind of functionality will really feel familiar to Google Now (Android) users, however for iOS fans, it’s a significant update.

Security & Privacy

Security was another major talking point , Apple is enabling two-factor authentication for your ID. (Again, we note similarities to Google here)

After all, now that this more intelligent and observant iOS will have more details about how, when, and where you use your smartphone, privacy will become an even bigger issue. While Apple’s senior vice president didn’t spend a lot of time on iOS, he did spent a big proportion of the presentation promising that Apple won’t be collecting that data on your usage—saying it’s going to be anonymous, and primarily based on a randomized identifying number.

Notes, Transit and News

iOS 9 includes one entirely new app, in addition to big improvements to Maps and Notes.

First up, a long-awaited and desperately-needed addition to Maps that includes public transportation routes and other contextual tweaks. It remains to be seen if it will work as well as Apple says it’s going to, but it surely seems more useful, with routing for subways, buses, and other types of public transit. It’ll even let you know details like where to enter the subway for the fastest access to the right train. There’s better search functionality, too, in addition to a predictable Apple Pay tie-in. Apple wants you to know that McDonald’s takes Apple Pay before you trek up there!

apple maps

Then there is ‘News’, a brand-new app that’ll replace Newstand and look a bit like Flipboard. ‘News’ appears to be simple, clean method to read on your iPad/iPhone that pulls material from Washington Post, The New York Times, the BBC, and many more.

iPad Multi-tasking

An app called SplitView allows you to pull two apps up in a split screen, either in a 50/50 or 70/30 split. You will have the ability to scroll both apps simultaneously.

multi-tasking on ipadThere’s a feature known as SlideOver that lets you swipe another app in from the side, and Picture-in-Picture is exactly what it sounds like: You can keep a little viewer in the nook while you go about your Facebook stalking. There’s also a cursor now: If you place two fingers on the keyboard, it’ll work like a mouse trackpad.

SlideOver and Picture-in-Picture will be available on the iPad Air and up, Mini 2 and up. Split View is only for the iPad Air 2. These features could be a warm-up for Apple’s upcoming iPad, because the next model is anticipated to be super-sized and perfect for keeping more than one app pulled up at once.

Battery

Battery life is improved, updates are actually faster to install, and Apple says that the overall security has been tightened. For instance, your iPhone now knows if it is face down on the desk and prevents the display screen from turning on even if you get a message.

A brand new Low Power mode allows you to prolong your battery life by shutting down energy-hungry features briefly.

Fonts

After two rocky years as Apple’s typographical identity, the font ‘Helvetica Neue’ is being replaced by an in-house developed font, San Francisco, as the default font on both OS X El Capitan and iOS 9.

The Size

iOS 8 was about 4.6 gigabytes! Users were outraged and exasperated while trying to update their devices! A debacle that Apple took note of, as the size of iOS 9 is 1.3 gigs, about 3.5 times smaller than its predecessor.

You want it?

iOS 9 shall soon be out as a free update later this fall and it’ll probably be available for all models of iPads and iPhones (good news for the older iPhone users) . However, there may be a public beta coming in July—which you can sign up for right here.

Check out this iPhone manager for iOS transfer

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