If you missed any of our WWDC 2012 coverage and what iOS 6 will bring with it this Fall, here's your chance to catch up on everything we've covered when it comes to Apple's next iteration of iOS.
Maps
Probably the biggest news was the addition of Apple's own Maps app which will be powered by TomTom. Maps will come stock with turn-by-turn navigation, traffic info, and a new feature called Flyover.
Siri additions and enhancements
Siri received quite a few updates under iOS 6 including iPad support, integration with many car manufacturers, and several new features. Here's what we know so far:
- Eyes Free will bring Siri integration to your car
- Siri for iPad, offers sports, movie, and restaurant information, and can launch apps
Passbook
Passbook is a brand new way to store and save airline apps, boarding passes, and more all in one place. Many different services and Passbook apps are already available such as express check at hotels, Target cards, movie tickets, coupons, and more.
Photo Stream sharing
Photo Stream sharing will allow you to create separate streams (similar to how you'd create albums currently). You can then share those separate streams with whoever you'd like. Have one with family for vacation pics and one with mom and dad for baby pics. They'll also be given the ability to comment and like photos native in iOS.
Mail enhancements
Multiple e-mail signatures - Finally! If you want a different signature for your work, home, and other e-mails you can do so by adding signatures on a per-account basis.
VIP Mailbox allows you to add all the important people in your life to a VIP list and their messages will automatically be filtered into a new VIP mailbox that appears under your default inbox.
Apple has also made adding attachements and files easier in iOS 6. Just tap like you would to add rich text or highlight and you'll see an option to add an attachment.
Facebook integration
In iOS 5 we saw Apple integrate Twitter into iOS natively. This year the same will happen with Facebook. Post status, upload pictures, and more without needing a third party app.
Additions to Notification Center
Notification Center didn't receive a ton of attention during the keynote but two new features did make an appearance:
FaceTime over the cellular network
FaceTime has only ever been available for us on a Wi-Fi network since it's release in iOS 4. iOS 6 is about to change all that and you'll soon be able to FaceTime wherever you are, Wi-Fi or 3G/4G.
Even more iOS 6 coverage
- Guided Access accessibility options coming will be available in iOS 6
- What devices will be supported under iOS 6
We'll be keeping an eye on additional features of iOS 6 and updating this list as we hear more. If we missed anything, let us know!
Reader comments
iOS 6 roundup: Maps, Facebook integration, Passbook, Siri enhancements, and more
lassen Sie mich Ihnen sagen, Sie haben den Nagel auf den Kopf getroffen. Ihre Idee ist hervorragend, deze Frage ist etwas,
Anyone know how to get safari fullscreen on iPad with iOS 6? I've tried going from portrait to landscape and I don't get the option on screen. Thanks
It's a dumb move to not include certain features on the iPhone 4 considering they are still selling it around the world. Apple used to produce something outstanding that people would WANT. Now they are telling us we have to upgrade all the time. It's lame. This isn't the time to give the other players ammunition.
I'm not sure I like the arrogance. To say certain key features won't be ported back to first iPad, and only 4S phones, that's arrogant. If there are technical reasons, then ok, but I don't think so. I'm just to my upgrade time with an iPhone 4. I'm not going 4S since "something" new is going to be announced early fall. But I'm not sure I like the prospect of a larger screen either, so an iPhone 5 is not a given in my future.
I'm sorry but I was not impressed. I was hoping that they would at least add BT option to allow us to get text messages from everyone regardless if they have an iDevice or not.
Jumpting to Windows Phone 8, unveil next week, yeaaaaaaaaa
I think nobody would have been overwhelmed with implementing a proper blacklist and whitelist in addition to this mediocre "do not disturb" feature. I mean regular expressions would have been perfect, but I totally understand that the majority of the users like simplified features
Apple no longer is targeting the early adopter/technology buyer.
They are more worried about alienating grandma with any significant UI change.
Paradigm shift.
Apple once stood for cutting edge, innovation, wow-factor.
Now Apple stands for tweaks, minor 5.x upgrades, stale.
Where's the innovation and excitement?
They've become "incrementors" instead of innovators.
Meanwhile Android is creating more visually appealing UIs that have me (as a 5 year iPhone user) drooling.
Well they managed to alienate anyone who lives in the city and relies on public transportation by completely doing away with those features in the new Maps app! That's kind of innovative in a way, right?
Boring.
The 1 new feature I had hoped for was some refreshed UI/home screen changes.
Fail.
I'm just upset that my wife still insists on using Apple's garbage. Her reason? "It's simple."
Well, she's right. It's certainly simple... TOO simple! For me, it's absolutely worthless, and this latest iOS 6 "update" just goes to show that Apple is asleep at the wheel.
Meh.
Wow, so lame. So SIX versions and YEAARS after the original iPhone 1, and they STILL haven't figured out how to put the Bluetooth, WiFi, and 3G switches on its own easily accessible menu? You still have to bury into menus in different places to play around with these three? They are so rigid, turgid and arrogant I can no longer take it.
And still no fix to iTunes, the absolute worst and most frustrating part of owning IOS devices. Why do I have to still link to a main desktop PC at home to iTunes and then "Synch" entire folders when I want to just take a flash card or plug a hard drive outside the home and import a movie or picture or file. SO LAME. I want to just add and remove things from the iPad like any normal device can, no more synching. LAME.
OMG!! Turn by turn!! So new and innovative. Multiple signatures? Dare to live on the edge. I think this company died along with Jobs. Just like the first time he left. Only problem is. This time he ain't coming back. The big fellas was smart to sell huge amounts of shares before this announcement.. I bet they are lining up to drop a bunch more now. " Siri, find me something to care about in this ios6."..... Silence..
Not impressed with ios 6 at this point. Bite SMS style messaging included would have impressed me a lot more than this.
Come on iOS 6 just disappoints me a lot it look like I have to leave the iPhone wagon and jump to another .Will be waiting for WINDOWS PHONE 8 update.
Very nifty site idea. I was just wondering if it'd at all be possible to add a function where we can plug in our own build and search for its popularity directly? Perhaps by copying and pasting the address of it from the official or WoWHead talent calculators?
I am day one iPhone owner and I just divorced the iPhone for android wife did also and we haven't looked back.. The features on android are great and the overall experience has leaped forward with the huge spec phones out there now. I waited to see what iOS 6 would would bring maybe it would pull me back but it just didn't deliver the goods.. I have a great phone now and looking at the iPhone compared to it they really need to increase screen size and need a full rework of the iOS people have a short attention span these day and bells and whistles are what everyone wants.. I know a lot of people will line up this year for the latest iPhone but I'm talking long term they will start to lose steam the options have grown and they need to understand some people want big phones just as they offer multiple MacBook options as far as sizes and iMac options they need to have multiple options in the phone world as well or they are just telling customers to either buy it or don't and how long can that last.. They have a nice Eco system in place but google is on their tail you even have windows coming looking beyond android so to basically have the same infrastructure of a phone that was very revolutionary in 2007 is looking a bit dated in 2012 - 2013 I love the iPhones simple interface and that it works but really just has a general simplistic feel to it that some like but others want more information at a glance weather updates and so on.. I like that one whole page of my home screen is a month view calendar that is as easy as sliding one page over to see weather widgets on my unlock screen live wallpapers are cool.. Just a lot that allows it to be yours.. I was all in with apples products but have started to drift away unfortunately from what I feel to be a lack of what made them the giant they are.. Innovation just my opinion on a sleepless night
I'm surprised that so many people are disappointed. But then again, it's like this with every launch of new software and products. People complain and say they're jumping over to Android. So far, I'm convinced people are all talk and the numbers suggest people still like Apple.
Looks like it's the beginning of the end for the apple empire. Lot of these things introduced I was able to do on my windows phone since 2010.
Tell that to Windows Phone's 5.1% Marketshare. :)
Apple robs us of Street View, a worldwide extensive database, street level coverage of nearly every MINOR city in the world. They give us back a gimmicky 3D view WITH NO REAL PURPOSE (go ahead, TELL ME what practical purpose this will have), a mapping provider that DOES NOT COVER ALL ITS MAJOR MARKETS, and then says WE should be HAPPY?!?
Last Apple product ever for me unless Google busts out the gates with a good native iPhone app, and Apple doesn't do what they ALWAYS do and reject anything that makes them look bad. I am SICK of Apple's crap. Enough... you burned your good will. Japanese users are getting SCREWED
Well 3D view is use full if your flying a plane over a unfamiliar city. :)
3D buildings helps you orient yourself especially in areas where the compass is acting wonky
It is interesting to see Apple's mapping solution considering the fact that Google's move to offline maps and Nokia already has offline maps.
Gotta start somewhere...
Am I the only one that is happy about a free update?
Wow, I'm really surprised at all the hate. I think it will be a pretty good update. And those are just a few features out of 200. Ok, realistically about 100-150 new features the rest are just existing ones being brought to other countries. But I like what I saw. Only thing I didn't see is quick access toggled to wifi, Bluetooth, etc...
Judging by most of the responses on this site today, it don't look good for apple. Looks like they have peaked and now face the long slow trip downhill.
Based on Palm and RIM, it may not be a long or slow trip. Apple needs to do something to restore faith quickly or they could be irrelevant in 3 years. People who don't think that could happen don't know their history. No company is unstoppable in the consumer technology business, it takes constant innovation and hard work to stay competitive. Once you fall behind it can be very difficult if not impossible to restore momentum, regardless of how good your product is.
Now the difference between Apple, RIM, and Palm is that Apple has a well entrenched ecosystem and more cash than they know what to do with. But that doesn't mean they can stagnate indefinately.
I don't know about all that. We murmur on sites like this but Apple still has the mindshare of the people. Still viewed as the premium product maker, still viewed as the best smartphone experience.
That won't happen until something better emerges.
I for one am happy to have a new map program, but I can understand why those who live in the city would be let down by the removal of mapping extras that were offered by Google.
I'm extremely disappointed to learn that my original iPad will not be updated. Really Apple? I have to wonder if the greed you're exhibiting isn't going to catch up with you as people start to realize that Apple isn't working with their loyal customers but against them. I like my iPad, but a forced upgrade will only lead me to jump off the Apple ship and find an alternative.
it's sad because they don't care. They have more money than god and they still try to nickel and dime you. It doesn't matter though because there will be lines outside the stores on launch day just like there is every year. It's like they have people brainwashed to buy their products just like in the movie Halloween III with the Silver Shamrock song. Instead, they use marketing triggers like amazing, absolutely beautiful, groundbreaking, etc.
I can't believe that this is what Apple came up with in a years time. As someone posted earlier, this should have been a .5 updated and not a full version number. The only major announcement was the maps app and even that was not groundbreaking. If anything, they took away features to their existing map app. Passbook is a joke that no one will ever use and is gonna go right into my Apple folder with the rest of the useless apps I can not delete. Multiple email signatures, improvements to Siri, Facebook integration, photo sharing and Facetime over 3g/4g....really? That is all you have to compete with Android, Windows and RIM? Where is a fresh UI or something innovative to compete with widgets, live tiles and live cards. You are not going to update the original iPad? It's newer that the 3gS! How many of us early adopters are getting screwed? I can see why Apple stock took a tumble today after the keynote. They have lost their touch and people are getting fed up with these incremental updates that they are calling new and exciting and beautiful and amazing. All they have been doing is trying to play catch up and they are not even succeeding at that I don't care what the hardware looks like at this point. They can keep their LTE and 4' screen. The Razr HD looks very enticing at this point. They have just lost a long time customer.
Just a couple points. They are upgrading all currently sold hardware. Hence the 3GS and not original iPad.
Second, there will be features that even the dev previews will not contain, and will be announced with the new iPhone.
We understand your bitterness. Apple just crushed the life out of Google on iOS.
Maps: Google can kiss that revenue stream goodbye.
Facebook integration: final nail in the Google+ coffin.
Passbook: first step in the destruction of Google Wallet.
Siri integration: best natural language AI in the business. Period.
So yeah, we expect to hear a lot more whining like yours at Google I/O. But from Google executives instead of astroturfers and naughty kiddies.
One more thing: Siri will cut deeply into Google's search-based adspam revenue. Because she gives you an answer, not a paid-for-placement Google ad.
Good points, but the Google+ one is unfounded. The iOS app SUCKS, but even then most people will just get on the website to post and such. By no means whatsoever does iOS kill G+.
People still use Google+?!?!
Really not too excited at all not even widgets same old ios i probably will be going android. Losing interest in Apple. :( am doing a lot of research and andriod ICS is looking better and better.
LOL. Tell that to the 92.9% of Android users who won't (or can't) install ICS.
Only 7.1% adoption after seven whole months on the market.
Pitiful. Let's see Google do a song and dance about that pain point at Google I/O in a few weeks.
But all the newer devices worth a damn are coming with ICS preloaded anyway so now is a good a time as any if one were to decide to jump ship.
Who cares? Gingerbread is still more advanced than the latest and greatest iOS 6, and like Bla1ze says any new premium-level phone will be ICS.
I prefer looks over features. Square icons. Bleh
It was really funny Apple comparing the adoption rate of Windows 7 with Mac OS X... Percentage wise the Mac might look better but they spoke to 23M vs 450M Win 7!!!! :)
Also they said that around 80% of iOS devices are on iOS 5, well, based on the fact that Microsoft shut the door to all devices that are not on WP 7.5 I can guarantee that almost 100% are on the latest OS.
On the "latest OS version" war Android are the big losers since the companies need to deploy a different build for each device... with iOS and Windows Phone work just like with Windows Update... it doesn't care about your hardware, if it is supported, you get it, period.
iCloud has a long way to go before it get near SkyDrive or Windows Live Mesh. I use both on 7 different machines, including folders shared with friends and family and all is always up-to-date without me even thinking about it. Not to mention the free 25GB of storage online.
The maps update... well WP 8 is expected to have the Nokia Maps service integrated for all phones, includes drive and WALK turn-by-turn navigation!
Even if not an Apple fan (I "only" have an iPod (4th gen - I will be able to get iOS 6)), I always watch the keynotes with interest and the only thing that made me think "this would be cool to have" was the Passbook app.
Other features I saw - Facebook integration - already there in WP 7.5 including Twitter, Gmail and LinkedIn integration with all details and profile pics going to the People hub... I had never before had so many of my contacts have a pic! Absolutely loved the experience of linking the accounts. And it actually did it itself for the people that it was able to match the emails!!!
Photo Stream Sharing - SkyDrive, period!
Siri - I do not know about you but for me, the idea of talking to the phone is when I do not want to look at it... so it is OK that it gives me all the nice results but come on... are you that lazy? And who cares who is taller? This for me is 90% marketing and 10% usefulness! And I think the reactions of the devs in the room shows they agree with me.
Email:
Multiple email signatures - Windows Phone supports this FOR Exchange accounts... I hope and guess that they will bring it for the POP and IMAP accounts as well.
VIP Sender - really?
Flagging of messages - again, available for Exchange accounts.
Facebook instegration - like I said before - waaaaaaay behind WP in this.
Notification center - this was another good feature (Do not Disturb), speacially with the scheduling possibilities. I wish they could separate the different sound levels for call ring, notifications and multimedia & games.
FaceTime - I can use Skype over cellular just fine... including video calls, even if in front of a mirror due to lack of front facing camera.
And of course... who can pass those "More features for China"? At least with the Korean language there were some "Yuu Hooos" in the room.
Anyway... the lack of Steve Jobs is starting to show... I though it would take 3 to 4 years but it is more 8 to 10 months.
Good luck everyone...
ios 6 really hmmm ok nothing here that i dont have all ready...guess for iphone users its great but people on android,dont think that many will be leaving android for this...ps not hating just was expecting more from ios 6. will say that siri with the new sports and movies feature seems cool and wouldnt mind that at all...
i will be. i can't wait to ditch my android for and iPhone the moment they allow me to upgrade my phone. I'm so tired of my phone never working right..
Wait for next week and get a Windows phone :)
This feels more like a 5.5 than a 6.0. Photo Sharing is more of an update to the service than to the OS, Facebook another way to advertise, Facetime over cellular is the lifting of an artificial block, Mail.app is still several years behind Sparrow, and Passbook is just another app that we undoubtedly will not be able to remove from our home screens.
Maps is closer to a system update, since it is an app with system hooks; we will just have to wait and see how good it is. It seemed like there will be regressions in some features -- I did not see bike/pedestrian directions like Google Maps has, something which city dwellers appreciate, but it also has some badly needed new features.
The system level features are underwhelming. For notification center, a "Do Not Disturb" restores what was lost when Notification Center debuted, and there is nothing else to excite any consumer or developer on that front. The Siri hooks for sports and movies received just about the reception it deserved in Moscone -- nice, if really a detail, and really an improvement to Siri the service, not Siri on the device, and the crowd seemed to throw a collective so what? into the air. The ability for Siri to launch an app is overdue, but really not that earth shaking; certainly developers were hoping for much, much more.
Forgot to mention Guided Accessibility (because it wasn't in this article), but that is very intriguing -- not for parental access restrictions, but for using iPad in kiosk or other single-use vertical application settings.
I was thinking more of a 5.2, the only thing new is maps and PassPunt. I sincerely hope y'all find stuff in the beta that they are hiding for the new iPhone. If this is it, I am not spending my money on an iPhone 4S-S/4GS/4PeatsSake.
Isn't it global knowledge for [major revision].[minor revision].[bug revision]. This doesn't seem anywhere near [major revision]. Better be some good stuff hidden.
So it says ios6 will come to the iPhone 4 and ios6 has Siri improvements. Does that mean that it's bringing Siri to the 4?
Small Print: http://www.apple.com/ios/ios6/
Hmmmmmm, Nothing really interesting at all. Apple understandably dumping those Google rats but nothing special in iOS 6.
Also means no iPhone with a larger screen! Wouldn't developers need time to deal with such a major change and WWDC would be the perfect place.
AAPL stock is gonna drop like a rock now!
Troll
Actually i hope there isn't a larger screen, i don't think a phone needs a bigger one, i think the phones the perfect size and one of the reasons I'm ditching my android to get it.
however that doesn't mean the iphone5 won't have a larger screen, it can be done where nothing needs to be changed for developers. just wouldn't be optimized for the bigger screen.
sure glad i still have 382 shares of apple stock...#nottooworriedaboutit
Did I see something about being able to attach photos in sites on safari?
Yes
PLEASE have a way where SMS texts on my iPhone will go via iMessages to my iPad and Mac! Please?
That would be great!
I think that's coming with your phone number being tied to your iTunes account.
Yes, they're adding that through unified IDs.
"Probably the biggest news was the addition of Apple's own Maps app which will be powered by TomTom. Maps will come stock with turn-by-turn navigation, traffic info, and a new feature called Flyover."
And the elimination of public transit, pedestrian and bicycle directions! Way to go, Apple; ditching Google Maps was clearly the way to go!
Google maps sold the iPhone back then. I am clearly not impressed with this. Now I will definitely buy another iphone. I will not buy it just so apple can make more money. All these new features they are introducing are laughable. I'm done with with iOS it's boring same thing. They just change a few things and call it a new phone. I won't fall in the trap again. I've bought 8 iPhones so far and will not buy another one. Nowadays there are a lot better choices out there. And even better hardware. Apple is getting too greedy. Their not getting my green.
Not a whole to get excited about in IOS6 in my honest opinion. I was expecting much more than this and my expectations werent even all that high. Im officially disapointed :(
As Michael Jacksone once sang " You are not alone..... "
As Michael Jackson also sang, "Hee heee...."
You sir deserve a high ✋ (five) because I am truly disgruntled in the lack of features they are giving!!!! Really they give a quick post to Facebook and Twitter right in notification center but didn't even think to give us quick reply!!!!!
F#€£ing garbage apple!!! WTF is taking so long!!!!!!!!!!!
Couldn't agree more. I didn't have massive expectations but quick response should have been a given. I can only hope that this is one of the features they held back for the new iPhone launch. If they could sort out a better form of multitasking that would be great too.
It's a shame IOS still doesn't support something as basic as true multitasking for user apps..
No native File Manager
No Integration among applications.
siri, maps and other crap is only secondary!