After all of the fan-fare and celebrations around the launch of the shiny new Apple products last week, Apple consumers in South Africa finally gets something as well. Yesterday Apple released the world wide iOS9 update. Most of the rest of the world will only get their hands on the new Apple products by the end of the year, so updating to iOS9 will at least make your old iPhone / iPad feel like a new one!
The iOS9 update is a big one! Big in changes, but not in storage space required. Yup, you only need +-1.3 GB to install iOS9 (compared to the 4GB iOS8 required last year). Let’s take a look at some of the noteworthy features of iOS9.
Big updates to Apple apps
Apple website- “The powerful built-in apps on your iPhone and iPad are designed for the essential things you use them for every day “” mail, messages, web browsing, maps, making notes, and so much more. iOS 9 brings key enhancements to your apps, and introduces a brand-new one that will change how you experience news.”
The biggest app improvement sees “Notes” transforming into an Evernote-style application. Finally you can do much more with the native note application like a built in check-list converter (very cool), toolbar, camera-roll access, drawing support etc. Notes also automatically syncs to all your iOS devices via iCloud. Another big improvement sees Apple Maps becoming more and more competitive with Google. It now includes public transit options and schedules and also gives specific walking directions inside of bus and train stations, which is pretty incredible. Transit features will be available in 10 cities to start.
Multitasking with iPad and more
Apple website – “Slide Over, Split View, and Picture in Picture give you new ways to multitask on iPad. New QuickType features make formatting and text selection even easier “” and put shortcuts right at your fingertips.”
So multitasking finally comes to the iPad. Even though this is a feature you’ll find on nearly all Android tablets I somehow feel that Apple is just going to do it better. There‘s a great new app switcher interface, and then the “œslide over“ feature allows users to slide new apps onto the screen, and “œsplit view“ allows users to display multiple apps on the screen and the same time and work in both.
There is also a new shortcuts section in the keyboard that provides quick access to things like copy/paste features. Touching the keyboard with two fingers at a time transforms it into a giant trackpad so users can move the cursor without leaving the typing position.
Siri far more powerful
Apple website – “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. iOS 9 is smarter in lots of other ways, too “” giving you helpful suggestions even before you ask.”
Siri is growing in leaps and bounds and is easily the most complex digital assistant available on smartphones today. Google’s trump card has always been the Google Now feature. Apple has added new “œProactive Assistant“ features to Siri in iOS 9. She will now proactively serve up information and perform functions without any action taken by the user. Early user reviews indicated that this feature seems more integrated and intuitive than its Google counterpart.
A very cool Siri feature is that she now understands context. So if you‘re looking at an email you can open Siri and say, “œremind me about this later,“ and Siri will create a reminder that opens the appropriate email. You can even ask her to remind you when you get in your car! Siri will know when you are moving and remind you accordingly (crazy).
Improved software and performance
Apple website – “Under-the-hood refinements bring you more responsive performance, easier updates, better battery life, and tighter security. So your device works that much better “” for everything you do with it.”
Yay! Battery life improvements! Across the entire operating system, apps and key technologies have been made more efficient to trim battery usage wherever possible. Apple has also introduced a Low Power Mode so that you can eek out the last bit of juice from your iOS devices over a longer time frame. iOS9 also brings improvements to app response, improved security all round and best of all – only needing 1.3 GB storage space to update to iOS9 (16 GB iPhone users rejoice!).
Move to iOS
Apple website – “Just download the Move to iOS app to wirelessly switch from your Android device to your new iOS device. It securely transfers your contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, and calendars. And soon it will help you rebuild your app library, too. So any apps you used “” like Facebook and Twitter “” will be added to your iTunes Wish List.”
We have reported on this in the past – The Move to iOS app allows any Android user to convert to Apple with basically a click of a button. This is a very cool idea from Apple as in the past moving to a different platform was one big schlep! As with all the new iOS9 updates Apple wants to make your smartphone technology less complex and more intuitive to use.
Have you updated to iOS9 yet? Let use knoe your thoughts in the comment section below.
Source: Apple
Follow Jaco on Twitter: @Jaco_vdWalt
