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Apple introduces a smarter and powerful iOS 9

Posted on June 18, 2015


Apple just recently announced the next version of iOS called iOS 9. A smarter and more powerful iOS is waiting for Apple users with its new exciting upgrades. Here are some things that you need to know about the new iOS.

SIRI’S UPGRADES

Siri’s new upgrade is described as smarter and very helpful. With Proactive, Siri is able to help you find the useful app that will help you with what you are doing.

Moreover, iOS 9 is now linked to Spotlight searches with additional features such as accessing contents within apps whenever you do a system-wide search, do unit conversion without opening a web search and type additional queries

APPLE PAY AND PASSBOOK UPGRADES

Together with this new iOS are new updates for Apple Pay and Passbook. Apple Pay is partnering with Square to develop new contactless card readers that will enable independent merchants to accept Apple Pay in their stores.

Moreover, Passbook now gets a new name; it’s now called Wallet. Wallet can now also hold loyalty and reward cards, as well as Discover and store cards.

NOTES AND MAPS UPGRADE

The Notes app is also getting upgrades such as image insertion, checklists, and sketches. Some of the much-requested upgrades have been applied to the Maps app, including support for transit directions. It feature supports trains, buses, subways, and is launching in more than 20 cities, including New York, San Francisco, Beijing, London, Berlin, and more.

ADDITIONAL APP

iOS 9 also comes with a new app called ‘News’. Pretty much like Flipboard and other reading apps, this provides news contents and displays informative animations and images. This app will be first available in the US, UK and Australia.

iPad UPGRADES

With iOS 9, iPad’s on-screen keyboard now allows you do command shortcuts such as cut, copy, paste, and more, as well as turning the keyboard into a trackpad. You can also do multi-tasking and run two apps side-by-side at the same time.

A redesigned task switcher allows you swipe apps in to the same screen and remain fully active at the same time, much like Windows 8. Also, videos can be watched in a picture-in-picture viewer that can be moved around the screen.

However, this feature will only be available on the iPad Air 2 and upcoming versions of iPads, while picture-in-picture and the ability to swipe in apps from the side will come to older iPads.

OTHER FEATURES

iOS 9 is more efficient and smaller in size. It only needs 1.8GB of free space to install, compared to iOS 8 which needs 4.6GB to be installed.

This new iOS also has a “low power mode” that allows you to store another three hours of battery life out of a single charge. This iOS also include new system font and upgrades to Apple’s HomeKit and CarPlay services.

The new iOS will be available this fall and is compatible with old devices such as iPhone 4s and iPad 2.