Apple is touting over 200 new features in iOS 6 on the iPhone 5. Here’s our rundown of some of the key changes, and importantly, whether you’ll get to enjoy them on earlier devices if you don’t yet have an iPhone 5.
iOS 6 new features
iOS 6 new features: Maps
Apple is gradually severing the ties with arch-rival Google, and there’s no bigger sign of that than the dismissal of Google Maps in favour of Apple’s new vector-based map imaging. See also: iPhone 5 review.
Vector- rather than bitmapped-based graphics means street plans remain sharp at any resolution, any magnification. See iPhone 5 price in UK.
Turn-by-turn navigation introduces real GPS navigation for drivers to Apple’s mobile devices. Visit iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4S comparison review.
Apple is also touting 3D maps, giving very detailed ‘flyover’ views of city buildings. But note that 3D maps are only available in the US. See also Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Apple iPhone 5 comparison review.
Flyover and turn-by-turn navigation are also only available on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad 2 or later and iPod touch (5th generation). Take a look at iPhone 5 specs and features too.
Also tied in with Maps are other location-related services, such as booking a table in a restaurant.
although the Restaurant Reservation feature is currently not available in the UK. Take a look at iPhone 5: what you need to know too.
iOS 6 new features: Find My Friends
This handy app that shows you the whereabouts of enrolled friends and relatives gets a new addition – geofencing is the technical term.
Put simply, you can ask for alerts when someone on your list leaves or arrives at a certain designated location.
Find My iPhone gets a new addition too: Lost mode. If you’ve lost your phone or tablet, you can immediately lock it with a four-digit passcode – presumably with the help only of another iOS device or a Mac.
iOS 6 new features: Siri
The voice-activated assistant Siri has been augmented in iOS 6. There are some welcome additions to UK users. We’re hoping Siri will now even be location-aware enough to answer the simple question: where am I?
Siri is available on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad (3rd generation) and iPod touch (5th generation).
iOS 6 new features: Facebook
Facebook fans will be pleased to hear that Facebook is integrated throughout iOS 6. So you can Like companies, products, all kinds of things from within various other apps. Or tell everyone where you are from the Maps app. Or as Apple suggests, brag about your high score to your Facebook contacts from within the Game Center app.
iOS 6 new features: Shared Photo Streams
Photo Stream keeps all your recent snaps synced between iOS devices. Now you can share your pictures with chosen friends too on their phones and tablets, or beam the stream to an Apple TV to see them on a big screen in the lounge.
iOS 6 new features: Passbook
Passbook is a development of the idea already seen in, for example, the British Airways app: to have your flight tickets stored on your phone. The concept’s been extended for use as cinema tickets, gift cards and vouchers. It remains to be seen which businesses in the UK take advantage of this facility.
iOS 6 new features: FaceTime
Apple’s answer to Skype is FaceTime, a video telephone service that uses front-facing cameras to deliver the once only sci-fi feature of face-to-face video chats. This was previously limited to faster Wi-Fi connections (and with good reason, as Skype over 3G often bears witness with its unreliable, flakey results).
Now with iOS 6 – and hopefully the availability of faster 4G mobile broadband – FaceTime has been opened up for use over a mobile network. FaceTime requires a iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 or iPad (3rd generation).
iOS 6 new features: Phone
There’s a natty feature in iOS 6 that gives you more options for dealing with inconvenient incoming phone calls.
Instead of swiping right to answer, swipe up to reveal buttons for Reply with Message (which you can select from various preset or a custom SMS/iMessage texts); or Remind Me Later.
iOS 6 new features: Mail
To make sure you don’t miss important incoming email, you can elect to name certain senders as VIPs, putting their mail in a more prominent folder. Adding photos and videos to emails should be easier too. You can refresh your inbox by swiping downward, as you can do in some third-party apps like Facebook and Twitter.
iOS 6 new features: Safari
Like the feature introduced to OS X Mountain Lion, iCloud Tabs lets you keep, er, tabs on pages open on other devices. And if you use the Reading List facility, it now saves the actual page, not just a link, for reading later when you may not have internet access.
Taking pictures from within Safari is now possible, which could be useful to eBayers.
Offline Reading List is available on iPhone 4 or later and iPad 2 or later.
iOS 6 new features: Accessibility
To simplify the use of iDevices by younger or people with learning difficulties, you can now disable the Home button, ensuring focus on just one app. Or restrict touch input to prevent unwanted finger trouble. Apple is also said to be working with hearing-aid makers to better integrate their technology into the platform.
Made for iPhone hearing aids require iPhone 4S or iPhone 5.
iOS 6 new features: Camera
The new iPhone 5 may have ‘only’ 8 megapixels, but with the help of the Panorama camera feature, it should be a doddle to stitch together a series of snaps that can take in a whole landscape – up to 240 degrees worth.
In the demonstration of the iPhone 5 on announcement day, a composite 28Mp image was shown.
Panorama is available on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation).
Comments
Dragonflys said: Is one of the new features a mail program that is unreliable and alertdefault mail sounds become vaporized
Noyzworld said: I cant find FaceTime on my iPhone 4s
Starfighter said: HiI just upgraded my iphone 4s to ios 60 Now facetime feature is not available in the phoneHow can I make available amp activate Can anyone help me pleaseThere is no option available in settings or a button in contacts
Brian said: i used to have the htc phones for almost a year before i bought my iphone 4s no offense to android phones they are good as well which seemingly have awesome UI however i find it hard to navigate to apps and settings through and confusing really specially if the user aint versed enough to computing try giving to an aged and young person both an android os phone and an iphone which both should not have experienced these kind of phones before explain how to operate both phones each with 20 mins briefing see the difference in usability and friendliness of both phones to the usertill today after using my android phone im still confused to operate it while with my iphone it only took me a few days to operate with ease so in conclusion iphones with ios is still the best for all ages
Trackeruk said: Apparently YouTube is being removed from ios6
Cattosmith said: Lol apple knows what they are doing Theres a reason why they are the most valuable company on this planet
churtle said: Peter This is a minor upgrade that is in no way worth the huge leap in price from apple There are a few minor physical upgrades followed by a few software tweaks but nothing much that really leaps out as a majoradvancementI have an Iphone 4s I use a mac book computer daily Im not an anti apple person at all But I just cant understand how pople would be rushing out to purchase such a minor upgrade of a phone It will still be an inferior phone to other products on the market except at a double the price How is that so convenientYour point of if you can think you can do better do it is aterriblylazy commentI was just pointing out that this is in NO WAY a game changer by any stretch I already have a panoramic app on my phone which im sure works to the same level as the in house feature on the iphone 5 This feature is also inbuilt into other phones such as HTC or Samsung
Peter said: Why you all complaining Sounds great so far Making my convenient to use phone even more convenient to use How convenientNo seriously Im sick of these anti-apple non contributing Zeros If you think you can do betterdo it
bob said: Waste of an upgrade if you have an iphone4 or earlier Nothing here grabs me or offers any improvement in real terms Think Ill be looking at a windows 8 phone come upgrade time next year
churtle said: What a lazy upgrade from Apple The 4s had way more upgrades then this To be boasting a new feature such as panoramic view in the camera is verydisappointingas this is something which other phones have had for a whileThis is still an inferior phone to the Samsung SIIII currently have a 4s but will look to switch over to the Samsung as it seems way betterPoor poor upgrade