Apple announces iOS 6 at WDDC 2012, brings its own Maps (goodbye Google Maps), enhanced Siri, and more
By Florin on 11 Jun 12Apple has officially unveiled the latest iteration of its mobile platform: iOS 6. Including “more than 200 new features”, iOS 6 will be available starting “this fall” for the following existing Apple devices: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2, the new iPad, and iPod touch (4th generation and later). As you can see, owners of the original iPad (released in 2010) have been left out.
Until iOS 6 gets to be rolled-out to iPhones, iPads and iPods around the world, here are some of its new features:
- New Maps, designed from the ground up by Apple, and replacing Google Maps – includes new turn-by-turn navigation, Flyover (a feature that provides “photo-realistic interactive 3D views”), local search and more
- Siri now works on iPad (only the new iPad). Siri also lets you open apps (by speaking their name), and supports new languages, including: Spanish, Italian, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese. Furthermore, there’s a new Eyes Free mode, which enables you “to interact with your iPhone using nothing more than your voice.”
- FaceTime no works over cellular networks, too, in addition to Wi-Fi
- Passbook – this is a brand new app that can include “your boarding passes, movie tickets, retail coupons, loyalty cards, and more” for quick access
- Facebook is deeply integrated throughout iOS 6
- Users can now “decline incoming calls with a quick message, set a callback reminder and enable a new Do Not Disturb option”
- Shared Photo Streams – an easy way to share photos with friends
- Guided Access – “allows a parent, teacher, or administrator to limit an iOS device to one app by disabling the Home button, as well as restrict touch input on certain areas of the screen”
- Safari enhancements
- Redesigned Mail
You can discover more about iOS 6 here at Apple. Developers should have access to a beta version of iOS 6 as of today.
The first completely new device to run iOS 6 will most likely be the iPhone 5 (or whatever it’s going to be called), which should be officially unveiled later this year, probably sporting a 4 inch display with 1136 x 640 pixels.
Other interesting facts announced by Apple during WWDC: there are now 650,000 apps in App Store, and 225,000 of them are made for iPad; 365 million iOS have been sold worldwide as of March 212, and about 80% of them are currently running iOS 5.
Via Press release
If you liked the post, you might find these interesting too:
- Apple iPhone OS 4 gets official, multitasking included; will be out in the summer
- Google Latitude for iPhone, iPad and iPod now available (video)
- iPhone OS-based Apple iPad (tablet) officially announced, prices start at $500 (video)
- Apple sells 1 million iPads (only in the US)
- Apple’s Tim Cook suggests Google, Nokia or Bing Maps to users until iOS 6 Maps are improved
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