Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
San Francisco - Apple today revealed iOS 9, the new operating system coming to iPhones and iPads this fall. Offering various refinements stemming from the foundation level, iOS 9 isn't a huge overhaul like what we've seen in previous iOS 7 and iOS 8 releases. Notable new features include more proactive and intelligent features that automate various small tasks and make them available to users at the most opportune time.
Most notable, iPads now have various multitasking enhancements as well as more powerful tools to play video in a picture-in-picture mode while working on other applications.
“iOS 9 is packed with more intelligence throughout, and delivers big updates to the apps customers use most — Maps supports public transit, a redesigned Notes app provides great new ways to capture ideas, and a beautiful News app delivers content that’s personalized to your interests,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.
“With our new iPad features, users can take advantage of the power of iPad, working in two apps at the same time with Split View, Slide Over or Picture-in-Picture.”
Siri on steroids
With Intelligence, the Siri personal assistant isn't only faster but now has more proactive assistance features that predict what a user wants to do at a specific point in time. Plug in your headphones and the Music app will suddenly load, even before a user types a query, the most relevant contacts, apps and websites appear for quick deployment and invitations sent via email are not automatically added to calendars.
Typed search queries deliver more relevant results from more categories, including sports scores and schedules, videos and simple math calculations. Best thing about the feature is that it takes place in the device and security and privacy are always maintained. Apple's been highlighting how much more private its solutions are.
Multitasking on iPad
The iPad gets some much awaited features that will make it a more coherent post-pc option for many users that depend solely on Apple's tablet to communicate and work. A new Slide Over feature introduces upfront multitasking and allows you to work in a second app without leaving the first one.
A Split View feature allows the iPad screen to be shared by two apps simultaneously while a picture-in-picture feature allows users to conduct FaceTime video calls while working on another app. This also enables watching a video while working on something else, this is a much awaited feature which Android devices have had for some time now.
Various new multi-touch gestures and improvement to the QuickType software keyboard enable control keys within the keyboard as well as the option to use a portion of the iPad's screen as a trackpad.
Foundation
There are some key refinements in iOS 9 such an additional hour of battery life thanks to some refinements. A low-power mode that extends battery life, and a much reduced storage requirement for installing software updates which was an issue with recently iOS 8 updates.
New iOS 9 apps shown off at WWDC include a reimagined Maps application which now features Transit instructions, the ability to see what's around one's location.
Transit information in Maps will be available in select major cities this fall, including Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, New York City, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto and Washington D.C., as well as over 300 cities in China, including Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai.
A News App replaces NewsStand and also features content integration similar to apps like Flipboard.
The PassBook app has now been renamed to Wallet and now also accepts rewards cards from Walgreens and Kohl’s Department Stores, and participating store-issued credit and debit cards. Apple Pay is also coming to the UK next month.
A Public Beta of iOS 9 will be available to interested parties in July while the final release is expected to roll out in the Fall.