iOS 9 release date confirmed as September 16 for existing iPhone and iPad
owners
Forget the new iPhone 6S - if you want a next-gen smartphone experience, you
can simply transform your existing handset with the upcoming iOS 9 release.
And if you're not planning on plumping for Apple's latest handset you don't
have to be behind the curve, in fact, you'll be ahead of it, with the iOS 9
release date having been pencilled in for September 16.
That's more than a week ahead of the Friday, September 25, iPhone 6S release,
so not long to wait.
Not limited to the latest handsets, the iOS 9 update is compatible with all but
the earliest of iPads and every Apple-branded smartphone from the iPhone 4S
onwards.
Brimmeding with new additions, the software will bring always-listening Siri
support to the mix alongside a fleet of new multi-tasking features.
From ever-present Notes access and Apple's new News platform, to security
enhancements and battery-boosting tweaks, iOS 9 is a serious update, even if it
won't completely overhaul the look of your beloved iDevice.
Although the exact time of next Wednesday's iOS 9 release has yet to be
confirmed, traditionally Apple rolls out its new OS at around 5pm BST (9am PST).
And if, like last year, you're fretting about having enough storage for the
update, worry not. Apple has put its iOS refresh on a diet, with the new
software patch lining up at just 1.3GB in size, down on last year's bloated
4.58GB offering.
Updated: iOS 9: Everything you need to know about the new iPhone and iPad
software, from release date to battery life
Apple will update its smartphone and tablet lines in the coming weeks, not only
with the likely introductions of the iPhone 6S and iPad Air 3, but with iOS 9,
a new software update set to transform existing iDevices.
Introducing a number of new features, functions and services, the software
patch will offer a variety of enhancements, from an improved Siri experience,
to battery life benefits and revamped multitasking options. Set to be rolled
out on September 16th, iOS 9 will revitalise iPhone and iPad ownership for
millions of users. Here's what you need to know.
What's new in iOS 9?
Unlike in recent years, the iOS 9 update is more about adding new features than
a new look and feel. The Apple Watch maker has claimed the update will "elevate
the foundations of the platform", addressing everything from search and maps
and Many of the new iOS 9 features are about bringing the platform into closer
competition with Google and its Android OS.
This is no more true than with Apple's reworked search offering. Populating
your screen with contacts, apps, news feeds and nearby services, Apple wants to
give you instant access to the most relevant data possible.
Taking things to the next level, it doesn't want you having to search for
information at all where possible. A smarter caller ID system will do all of
the leg work for you, looking through your emails in a bid to pair unattached
numbers to a name you might recognise. This is just the tip of the iOS 9-themed
offering, however.
Notes
Ignored by some, loved by many, Apple's Notes app is set for a sizeable
refresh, becoming more relevant and useful to your daily life.
Gaining access from whatever app you're in, Notes will be about far more than a
simple location to jot down your latest musings, with checklists, category
headings and image, map and URL support all being added. With iCloud backing
also joining the mix, the new Notes app will even let you use your finger to
create handwritten reminders and image annotations - just like a real notebook.
Maps
Once the laughing stock of Apple's app line-up, Apple Maps has moved on from
warped roads, lost locations and bendy buildings. Now a legit challenger to
Google's market-leading free service, it's gaining transit directions in iOS 9.
Throwing public transport into the mix alongside walking and navigation, nearby
points of interest, including landmarks, restaurants and cafes will now also be
highlighted.
News
One of the biggest new additions to Apple's next software refresh is the
introduction of an all new News platform. The company's latest can't-delete app
is an imitation of sorts of Flipboard or HTC's Sense skin on Android. News will
collate all of the articles you might be interested in, presenting them in one
stylish, easy to access location.
With thousands of leading news creators on board, Apple will package the
written word alongside all manner of high-production image and video content.
The more you read, the more personalised the service will become, learning your
interests and better attuning the promoted content collection to you.
Wallet
Replacing Passbook, Wallet will be the new one-stop app for all things
payment-based. Apple Pay - the company's contactless mobile payment service
will be managed through the new Wallet platform, gaining new features courtesy
of the latest iOS push.
Joining your banking information in your digital wallet, store cards and reward
cards are also being cloned, living in your handset for more convenient
shopping.
iPad-exclusive iOS 9 features
Introducing something that users of Apple's slates have been requesting for
years, iOS 9 will finally bring split-screen multitasking to the market-leading
tablet line.
Echoing a number of Android slates, the single-screen, multi-programme options
will see users able to have a second app share the screen space equally with
another, or display as a small sidebar. The result - more natural, intuitive
cross-app collaborations and a smoother, quicker working experience.
What's more, FaceTime will no longer be an all or nothing affair, with the
video calling service able to run as a picture-in-picture option while
performing other tasks - such as checking your calendar while on a work call,
or searching for gig tickets while chatting with your beau.
Forget 0 ÷ 0-themed backchat, Siri is about to become less gobby and more
helpful. iOS 9 will see the voice-activated personal assistant become 40%
faster and far more accurate in its feedback. In true Her fashion, it will soon
understand context too, allowing for a more conversational tone - creepy.
Siri's updates aren't just about polishing the service, though. In a slightly
sinister Google Now fashion, the digital PA will soon be able to pre-empt your
likely requests, surfacing information it thinks will be useful before you've
even asked the questions.
It does this by monitoring your daily activities, picking up on your regular
habits - say, playing music when you get home - and learning when to
second-guess your next move and cut out the middle man.
Gaining the ability to search your image library for people and places, in iOS
9 Siri will also gain the skills required to automatically add events to your
calendar based on details received in email. She's getting smarter.
iOS 9 will make your devices more secure
If, like many, you use the same four-digit code to unlock your iPhone as you do
to get money from a cashpoint, things are about to change. Doing away with
four-figure codes in favour of a new six-digit method, Apple is switching the
number of possible passcodes from 10,000 to a cool million.
This isn't the only way the Cupertino-based company is keeping your data
secure, either. Having pledged not to share your personal information, even
between internal Apple services, the company is also adding dual-factor
authentication for those with multiple Apple products.
iOS 9 will boost your battery life
Draining batteries are the bane of any smartphone owner. Apple is looking to
address this with iOS 9, introducing some clever software tweaks which will
better manage your handset's staying power, all without you noticing the
difference.
Instead of simply throttling the device in order to conserve power, iOS 9 will
use your iPhone and iPad's ambient light and proximity sensors to work out when
the device is face down, preventing the screen turning on, even when you
receive notifications.
This is just one of a number of batterry usage trimmings which will add up to
around an hour's additional use on a single charge, a figure not to be sniffed
at.