Apple announces iOS 6 with Siri enhancements, Facebook integration
Apple on Monday took the wraps off of its next-generation mobile operating system, iOS 6, which packs more than 200 new features, including new functionality for Siri, and system-wide integration with Facebook, launching this fall.
Apple's iOS software chief, Scott Forstall, showed off some of the new features at Monday's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, including the ability to query Siri for sports scores, dinner reservations with OpenTable, and movie times via RottenTomatoes.
Siri can now also be used to launch Applications. Forstall demonstrated onstage asking the voice control software to play the game "Temple Run," and it opened on the iPhone. Users can also post messages to Twitter by using their phone.
Language support for Siri has also been improved with Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese and more.
When it launches this fall, iOS 6 will be compatible with the second- and third-generation iPads; the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S; and the fourth-generation iPod touch.
Facebook integration will also go system-wide with iOS 6. Much like with the existing Twitter integration, users simply log in to their Facebook account in the iOS settings application, and users can quickly post to their account or share music, applications or photos with their friends.
Facebook events and birthdays will also appear in the iOS calendar. Users will also be able to "like" applications on the App Store.
"iOS 6 continues the rapid pace of innovation that is helping Apple reinvent the phone and create the iPad category, delivering the best mobile experience available on any device,"Forstall said. "We can?t wait for hundreds of millions of iOS users to experience the incredible new features in iOS 6 including the new Maps app, expanded Siri support, deep Facebook integration, Shared Photo Streams and the innovative new Passbook app."
Enhancements have also been made to the native phone application in iOS. When declining a call, users are given the option to send a quick message to the person calling, or ask to be reminded later of the call. Quick messages are available to select such as "I'll call you later" or "I'm on my way."
Another addition called "Do Not Disturb" allows users to choose a set time range where notifications and alerts are silenced completely. This feature is customizable to allow calls from certain people to come through during those hours.
With iOS 6, users will also be able to make FaceTime video calls over cellular data networks, and are no longer required to be connected to Wi-Fi. The phone number and Apple ID have also been unified, so if someone sends a FaceTime request to a phone number, it can still be answered on an iPad or Mac.
Enhancements for Safari in iOS 6 include iCloud Tabs, which allows users to view and sync websites across a range of devices, as well as the ability to upload photos from directly within Safari on popular websites. Safari will also gain fullscreen support in landscape mode.
PhotoStream has also been enhanced with new sharing features that allow users to share specific pictures or entire albums with others. The social networking style serve will also let users comment on and like photos shared via PhotoStream.
And Mail for iOS will receive a new feature called VIPs, which allows users to specify people whose e-mails are of high priority. These flagged messages will show up in their own separate inbox.
Mail in iOS 6 also adds the ability to easily insert pictures and videos when composing a message, and users can also pull down on the app to refresh and check for messages.
Apple's iOS software chief, Scott Forstall, showed off some of the new features at Monday's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, including the ability to query Siri for sports scores, dinner reservations with OpenTable, and movie times via RottenTomatoes.
Siri can now also be used to launch Applications. Forstall demonstrated onstage asking the voice control software to play the game "Temple Run," and it opened on the iPhone. Users can also post messages to Twitter by using their phone.
Language support for Siri has also been improved with Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese and more.
When it launches this fall, iOS 6 will be compatible with the second- and third-generation iPads; the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S; and the fourth-generation iPod touch.
Facebook integration will also go system-wide with iOS 6. Much like with the existing Twitter integration, users simply log in to their Facebook account in the iOS settings application, and users can quickly post to their account or share music, applications or photos with their friends.
Facebook events and birthdays will also appear in the iOS calendar. Users will also be able to "like" applications on the App Store.
"iOS 6 continues the rapid pace of innovation that is helping Apple reinvent the phone and create the iPad category, delivering the best mobile experience available on any device,"Forstall said. "We can?t wait for hundreds of millions of iOS users to experience the incredible new features in iOS 6 including the new Maps app, expanded Siri support, deep Facebook integration, Shared Photo Streams and the innovative new Passbook app."
Enhancements have also been made to the native phone application in iOS. When declining a call, users are given the option to send a quick message to the person calling, or ask to be reminded later of the call. Quick messages are available to select such as "I'll call you later" or "I'm on my way."
Another addition called "Do Not Disturb" allows users to choose a set time range where notifications and alerts are silenced completely. This feature is customizable to allow calls from certain people to come through during those hours.
With iOS 6, users will also be able to make FaceTime video calls over cellular data networks, and are no longer required to be connected to Wi-Fi. The phone number and Apple ID have also been unified, so if someone sends a FaceTime request to a phone number, it can still be answered on an iPad or Mac.
Enhancements for Safari in iOS 6 include iCloud Tabs, which allows users to view and sync websites across a range of devices, as well as the ability to upload photos from directly within Safari on popular websites. Safari will also gain fullscreen support in landscape mode.
PhotoStream has also been enhanced with new sharing features that allow users to share specific pictures or entire albums with others. The social networking style serve will also let users comment on and like photos shared via PhotoStream.
And Mail for iOS will receive a new feature called VIPs, which allows users to specify people whose e-mails are of high priority. These flagged messages will show up in their own separate inbox.
Mail in iOS 6 also adds the ability to easily insert pictures and videos when composing a message, and users can also pull down on the app to refresh and check for messages.
Comments
Full blown war with Google.
I'll assume that there will be a "Disable Facebook and Anything To Do With It" toggle switch somewhere in iOS6...
Quote:
Originally Posted by ndn2007
I'll assume that there will be a "Disable Facebook and Anything To Do With It" toggle switch somewhere in iOS6...
Yes, it's called "don't use it".
Still no Siri for the iPhone 4, even though there is no real hardware limitation.
Total. Frigging. Crap.
I think I can say that now.
WOW. Iphone now integrated with Facebook! Is there any end to the magic Apple is putting out 3 years later than everyone else?
If I was Tim Cook, I would be ashamed to stand on stage and actually announce this; its so behind the times.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogifan
Apple's stock wasup most of the day and now it's down $3 and change. Obviously the market is 'meh' on these updates.
Obviously you don't know what happens after every keynote they've ever done.
Quote:
Once again the hype is so much greater than what Apple can/decides to deliver.
Just like every single year.
no mac pros! ahhh
:???:
Why crap? No support for iPad v1.0? It doesn't make me happy either but look this kind of unsupported hardware is a necessary evil if we want to push the envelop. I do find it quite odd that the 3GS is still in the hunt especially given the hardware would seem to be well below that of the iPad 1st gen.
Apple usually makes these weird cuts and while ppl bitch ... Life moves forward.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveGee
Why crap? No support for iPad v1.0? It doesn't make me happy either but look this kind of unsupported hardware is a necessary evil if we want to push the envelop. I do find it quite odd that the 3GS is still in the hunt especially given the hardware would seem to be well below that of the IPad 1st gen.
The 3GS is older and it gets support. It will be four frigging years old when they stop selling it.
Don't give me the "push the envelope" crap if that thing is still sitting there.
R.I.P MAC PRO
Still no Siri for iphone 4 users? That's pretty stupid.. I'm not upgrading my phone for that feature. Also - Bring Siri to OS X!
Yeah, a little pissed about the exclusion of the 1st gen iPad... At least support it until the 4th gen comes out...
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacVertigo
Still no Siri for iphone 4 users? That's pretty stupid.. I'm not upgrading my phone for that feature.
It's a good thing absolutely everything else in the iPhone 4S was changed too, huh?
Quote:
Originally Posted by davestall
WOW. Iphone now integrated with Facebook! Is there any end to the magic Apple is putting out 3 years later than everyone else?
If I was Tim Cook, I would be ashamed to stand on stage and actually announce this; its so behind the times.
Talk about not being able to see the forrest through the tree....
You pick that as a negative -- while there is sooooo much good in iOS 6. Siri learning sports is brilliant. Map enhancements are extraordinary.
The whole computer, cloud, mobile integration is something that no competitor can offer.
Probably the most interesting thing for me is passbook. But beyond that there's a lot of been there done that.
Hate to say it but.....seems like a lot of Android features made it in
Reply with message
Video chat over cellular
Launch apps using voice commands (been in android forever)
offline reading list
sharing
.........surprised really, thought with all thats going on Apple would stay far from adopting android features.
Kinda surprised we didn't see more custimaztions for the user (I just want to change the color of my keyboard, is that too much to ask?), at a glance notifications and a burst mode for the camera like in android phones as well....maybe in iphone 5.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
Talk about not being able to see the forrest through the tree....
You pick that as a negative -- while there is sooooo much good in iOS 6. Siri learning sports is brilliant. Map enhancements are extraordinary.
The whole computer, cloud, mobile integration is something that no competitor can offer.
Actually Android can do the Cloud integration and it works on more than just the Mac platform.