Apple unveils iOS 9 with smarter Siri, public transit in Maps, iPad split-screen multitasking

Posted:
in iPhone edited July 2015
Apple's next-generation mobile operating system, iOS 9, will focus on enhanced system intelligence, numerous improvements to built-in apps, new iPad-specific capabilities, and much more, it was announced at WWDC on Monday.


Smarter Siri and search

A key feature in the new Siri is enhanced intelligence: The personal assistant can now access photos, know when you get into your car, or connect Safari links to reminders.

"Siri Suggestions" also offer apps and contacts based on contextual information, such as recently downloaded software, or apps usually used around that time of day.




Search is also improved, with live sports scores, video search of popular video sites, and a dedicated API for search, allowing users to find content from apps installed on their device. Search results are also deep-linked into an application to provide quick access to information within apps.

Another feature of iOS 9 is to show "Now Playing" as soon as headphones are plugged in. This is contextually aware, so when plugging into a car, the iPhone might instead offer up an audiobook the user has been listen to.




In iOS 9, incoming calls can also help to identify unknown contacts. The new capabilities were showcased at WWDC on Monday by Apple software chief Craig Federighi.

In a demonstration, Federighi showed how he could read a text message, then tell Siri to "remind me about this later," and the system would automatically connect the two.




Spotlight Search in iOS 9 is once again located with a swipe to the left of the main home screen. There users can search, see Siri Suggestions, find recommended nearby information, and more.

Privacy is a key feature of the revamped Siri, with Apple noting that the data is anonymous, and is not associated with an Apple ID. Data is sent with a randomized identifier, and it's not linked to other Apple services or shared with third parties.

App changes and improvements




Native apps in iOS 9 will be tweaked and improved, including two major changes to Passbook and Newsstand. Specifically, both will be renamed, to Wallet and News, representing broader capabilities for each.

The new iOS 9 Wallet will include credit cards, tickets and passes, but will also add support for store-specific cards. Apple also announced that transit in the U.K. will have compatibility with Apple Pay.

News, meanwhile, is a personalized way to access information, including interactive and personally curated content, much like Flipboard. Using a proprietary intelligent system, News learns what content you like and delivers it.

Beyond print and traditional news outlets, News will also support local newspapers, blogs, specialty publications, and more.

Notes has also been improved with the ability to sketch and include images within the app. Share Sheet support allows users to quickly add a link back into their notes. And a new attachments view shows everything included in a note.

Apple's Maps will also include built-in transit information, including buses, trains, subways and more. It also features multi-modal routing, allowing users to combine forms of transportation.

Apple Maps will also include step-by-step directions with estimated walking times. These include underground maps for subway stations and more, allowing users to more easily find where they are going.

Siri is also compatible with transit in Maps, but transit support will be limited at first to a handful of cities across the world.

Maps in iOS 9 also include easy search for nearby merchants, and even show if those businesses accept Apple Pay.

iPad-specific improvements




iOS 9 will have a number of features specific to Apple's iPad lineup. These include special shortcut buttons for cut, copy, paste and more in the QuickType menu bar.

Users can also use two-fingers to drag a cursor around conveniently. There are also new enhancements for hardware keyboards, like quick app switching and more.

Apple is also introducing split-screen multitasking for the iPad, including a feature dubbed "slide over" that allows quick access to built-in apps like Messages, Notes, Calendar, Photos, and more.

In addition to an overlay mode, users can also display two apps at once on the screen, pinning one app to the side. Both apps can then be interacted with at the same time, offering multi-app multi-touch.

In an onstage demo, Federighi showed how iPad app multitasking allows for two apps to be displayed in a variety of ways, whether each takes up 50 percent of the screen, or in a 75-25 split.

iOS 9 also includes a picture-in-picture mode that allows users to watch a video, listen, and even resize it while accomplishing another task. Videos can even be pushed off the screen to prevent obstructing content, and the video can be removed with a quick tap.

Developers who have adopted auto layout and slide classes in their iPhone app will be able to easily support slide over. Slide over will be available on the iPad Air and newer, as well as all iPad mini models, while split-screen simultaneous apps are limited to the iPad Air 2.

Performance improvements

iOS 9 will offer on average an extra hour of uptime on the iPhone, thanks to improvements. Apple is also introducing a new low-power mode that can extend battery life for an additional three hours.

The amount of free space required to upgrade to iOS 9 has also been improved, drastically reducing from over 4 gigabytes for iOS 8 to 1.3 gigabytes for iOS 9.

Availability

iOS 9 will be supported by all devices that can run iOS 8. Developers have access to the first beta starting today, the public beta will start in July, and the official launch of iOS 9 will be this fall.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 128
    sirlance99sirlance99 Posts: 1,293member
    sog35 wrote: »
    NEWS looks great

    I've seen this done several times before. Nothing really new. I'll still look forward to using it. She needs to say "it looks great" 500 more times after the first 1000 times.

    Wallet? So funny.
  • Reply 2 of 128
    evilutionevilution Posts: 1,399member

    It's great that Apple have been actively pointing out that they aren't collecting data or spying on what you are doing. A real kick in the balls for Google.

  • Reply 3 of 128

    So basically Siri is still pretty ridiculously dumb and nowhere near something like Hound.  -_-

     

    What I'd like to see is Siri having some functionality that doesn't rely on an Internet connection so I can do things like shuffle the songs on my iPhone when I'm pulling out of my driveway and my iPhone is still trying (and failing) to use my home wifi.

  • Reply 4 of 128
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    Sammy to announce Sammy Pay is SammyWallet.
  • Reply 5 of 128
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member

    Windows 8 finally arrived on iPad Air 2. 

  • Reply 6 of 128
    totaltotal Posts: 83member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

    hot damn! 

     

    true multi-task!


    yea, but stock price is $127 instead $140 your forecasted for now couple of weeks ago. 

  • Reply 7 of 128
    sirlance99sirlance99 Posts: 1,293member
    sog35 wrote: »
    hot damn! 

    true multi-task!

    It's about gosh darn time. Took them long enough. Now I might be able to be more productive.

    Funny. I just heard someone say " Samsung has already done all of that". It's is a true statement but you guys will say Apple did it better.
  • Reply 8 of 128
    Quote:



    Originally Posted by jungmark View Post



    Sammy to announce Sammy Pay is SammyWallet.

     

    If you really want to get picky, Google Wallet has already been around for a few years...

  • Reply 9 of 128
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Split screen view only available on Air 2. And people here say RAM doesn't matter.
  • Reply 10 of 128
    sirlance99sirlance99 Posts: 1,293member
    MathieuLLF wrote: »
    If you really want to get picky, Google Wallet has already been around for a few years...

    This reminds me of lasts week debate over Apple pay/Android Pay/Samsung Pay. Now it's Google Wallet/Apple Wallet.
  • Reply 11 of 128
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

    hot damn! 

     

    true multi-task!


    Too bad "split-screen simultaneous apps are limited to the iPad Air 2". That's BS imo.

  • Reply 12 of 128
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    sirlance99 wrote: »
    This reminds me of lasts week debate over Apple pay/Android Pay/Samsung Pay. Now it's Google Wallet/Apple Wallet.

    To be fair, it's not called Apple Wallet. It's just called Wallet.
  • Reply 13 of 128
    sirlance99sirlance99 Posts: 1,293member
    fallenjt wrote: »
    Too bad "split-screen simultaneous apps are limited to the iPad Air 2". That's BS imo.

    Need that RAM man.
    rogifan wrote: »
    To be fair, it's not called Apple Wallet. It's just called Wallet.

    True but when you refer to it people will say Apple Wallet. If you just say Wallet people will ask what and you'll have to say Apple Wallet by default.
  • Reply 14 of 128
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Bummer for Air 1 users not getting split screen.
  • Reply 15 of 128
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    Split screen view only available on Air 2. And people here say RAM doesn't matter.

    Maybe it matters NOW only. However, limiting these to Air2 is considered BS to me. Give customers a choice at least with warning. I want to be able to see FT display while doing something else.

  • Reply 16 of 128
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SirLance99 View Post





    Need that RAM man.

    True but when you refer to it people will say Apple Wallet. If you just say Wallet people will ask what and you'll have to say Apple Wallet by default.

    Did you prove it due to RAM or Apple try to play the Siri game again to push customers to buy the Air2. After a few updates, they will make it available on older devices.

  • Reply 17 of 128
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    fallenjt wrote: »
    Maybe it matters NOW only. However, limiting these to Air2 is considered BS to me. Give customers a choice at least with warning. I want to be able to see FT display while doing something else.

    Obviously the experience is crap. Or Apple needs a way to increase iPad sales.
  • Reply 18 of 128
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SirLance99 View Post





    This reminds me of lasts week debate over Apple pay/Android Pay/Samsung Pay. Now it's Google Wallet/Apple Wallet.

    Exactly! There are only a certain number of names you can call these things. Google still has Google Wallet going as an app and Android Pay is the framework. 

     

    It's just being nitpicky, but there was no reason to make a Samsung jab here.

  • Reply 19 of 128
    joelsaltjoelsalt Posts: 827member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by fallenjt View Post

     

    Maybe it matters NOW only. However, limiting these to Air2 is considered BS to me. Give customers a choice at least with warning. I want to be able to see FT display while doing something else.


    You mean you want them to write on the box



    Warning: future upgrades may not work on this product

     

    ?

  • Reply 20 of 128
    totaltotal Posts: 83member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post

     

     

    obviously you don't know the stock market.

     

    no one can predict short-term stock movement.

     

    And while I wait for it to reach $140-$150 I still collect a nice dividend 4x a year.


    that is definitely true, but it depends how you define short-term, for someone it is days, for someone months or even years. but if stock price should stay under $130 for next 5 years for example, im not sure if only dividends would pay off.

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