Apple’s keynote yesterday had a main star: the announcement of iOS 9, which comes with a bunch of great new features and updates that will make iPhone and iPad owners love their devices even more. And since the information is scattered all over the internet, we’ve decided to create a list with everything you need to know about iOS 9, including its release date and all the new features – even some that weren’t officially announced during the keynote!
Developers can download iOS 9 starting today, but regular users will have to wait a bit before installing it on their devices. The good news is that you already have iOS 8 installed, your device will be able to run the latest operating system too. It makes a big push for stability, a smaller download size and legacy phone and tablet compatibility. The beta of iOS 9 will start at the end of July and it will get a full release later this year. Here’s the official list of compatible devices:
Until it hits the market, let’s see the chances and improvements we should expect from Apple’s iOS 9:
News
There will be more built-in apps following the release iOS 9, and the most notable is the introduction of News, replacing the old Newsstand and injecting new life in this area which might become your top source. News conveniently collects all the stories you want to read, from top news sources, based on topics you’re most interested in — so you no longer need to move from app to app to stay informed.
Smarter Siri
I don’t really think that Siri will be as smart as most users want her to be right now, but Apple promises a big improvement. Now Siri can search a wider range of topics for a wider range of answers. It understands what you say more accurately and delivers your results faster. All in all, your device will be smarter overall: for example, if you go to the gym and you put on your earphones during the workout, the now playing screen will appear on the lockscreen.
Apple Maps Get Better
Siri will keep the Apple Maps as the default maps program, and it will get better too: it will include public transit directions, but only in a limited number of cities and locations (like Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, New York City, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto and Washington D.C. as well as 300 cities in China). It’s a good start though and I am happy to see that Apple finally gets some work done on the Maps too!
iPads will support true multitasking
In other words, you will be allowed to finally run two apps at once on your iPad’s screen! So you can quickly browse the web, respond to a text message, or jot something down in a note, then slide that app away and get back to the one you were using before. You can also go for Split View or Picture in Picture options depending on your needs!
Improved keyboard
Even though the iOS8 QuickTime keyboard was called the best keyboard yet by Apple, they still want to improve that – and I am happy to hear it. iPads will get a Shortcut bar above the keyboard offering quick access to tools like cut, copy etc. Even more, Apple is making this default layout customizable and compatible with third-party keyboard apps!
App Thinning
A great feature that will only install exactly what you need for your app to run. For example, if you have an iPhone 5, you will no longer download the files required for that iPhone 6. In other words, those struggling with free space on their devices will now have a bit less to worry about!
Low Power Mode
Not only that a Battery Saving mode will be introduced with the launch of the iOS 9, but the iPhone and iPad will be smarter when it will come to power saving: for example, it will know if they’re facedown on the table and prevents the screen from turning on, even when you receive a notification. Apple estimates that you will win, this way, 1 extra hour of battery life!
Finally, the new operating system will be just 1.3GB – which is way better than iOS 8’s 4.5 GB requirements, so it’s all moving in the right direction and we have all the reasons to be excited!