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What’s iOS 6 Doing in iPhone 5?
… and why don’t the numbers match??
Well, the latter question is relatively easy to answer.
They’ve released a new iOS (iDevice Operating System – for iPhone, iPad & iPod touch) with each model of the iPhone since its launch in 2007.
So:
- 2007 – iPhone – iOS 1
- 2008 – iPhone 3 – iOS 2
- 2009 – iPhone 3GS – iOS 3
- 2010 – iPhone 4 – iOS 4
- 2011 – iPhone 4S – iOS 5
- 2012 – iPhone 5 – iOS 6
Now, don’t ask me why Apple decided to name the phones that way. They can be whimsical when they want to (or is it capricious?)
Anyway, let’s get to the heart of it, shall we? What can we all expect from this new iOS? This is much easier than guessing at what the new iPhone will be like, hardware-wise, as Apple spilled the beans on at least some of the major features of the iOS at its Spring 2012 WorldWide Developers Conference (you know, the good ol’ WWDC).
Passbook - Well, this is a pretty new and pretty cool thing. Could smooth out some of the rough edges in your day. It’s an app that kinda acts like a digital wallet. It lets your iPhone (or other iOS device, I guess) store things like movie tickets bought from Fandango, airline boarding passes, sporting event tickets, your Starbucks Gold Card, etc. When you need these things, you just whip out your iPhone and these get scanned and voila, you’re in! But wait, there’s more: if there’s say, a gate change or new departure time, it will automatically show up on your ticket within Passbook! Slick! This technology is open to other vendors to take advantage of and you can bet they will. Maybe someday iSensei’s wallet won’t be 2 inches thick with cards and the like. Be nice.
New 3D Mapping System – Apple, as part of its ongoing battle with Google, have developed their own, more visually sophisticated, and faster mapping technology, dumping Google Maps. It’s all new data and images and very impressive from what iSensei has seen.
The late great Steve J. felt Google had stolen the major concepts, look & feel of the iPhone for the Android OS while the head of Google was on Apple’s Board of Directors (they used to be quite chummy).
The big news within the news is that there will now be turn-by-turn driving instruction, with Siri helping for voice guidance. Goodnight, Garmin. Goodnight, TomTom.
Facebook integration - Yes, for those crazy enough to want to spend their days lost in their Wall, you’ll now be able to post from within other apps, as you can with Twitter now (if you’re running the presently current iOS 5.1.1). It’ll be integrated with your Contacts, Calendar, Maps location, etc. Man, we’ll never be out of touch now! Oh well.
Siri - As we mentioned in the iPhone 5 hardware review, Siri is being kicked up a notch or two. You’ll be able to make OpenTable or Yelp restaurant reservations vocally, along with searching for local movie times, sports scores and game schedules. Best of all, iSensei thinks, is that you can finally launch apps just by speaking. Much better than fumbling around numerous folders and many pages of apps! Oh, and happily, we’ll now have Siri on the iPad! Yay!
Do Not Disturb - Well, iSensei definitely likes the sound of this. Though not a dramatic addition, certainly a welcome one. You’ll be able to choose when you get beeps, alerts and notifications (well, you’ll still get them, albeit silently and no flashing lights). You’ll also be able to send a one-button pre-formatted text reply or a reminder to return that ignored call later. Or not.
Shared Photo Streams - You’ll now be able to select certain pictures in your photo stream to share with specific friends, family, acolytes, etc. which will be viewable via iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, iPhoto or Aperture on a Mac, or on the web and of course, Apple TV (You DO have an Apple TV, right?) This could be big, actually. Something people have always wanted to do but you needed a third party, complicated setup to do it.
3G FaceTime - Meaning, if you ever want to use FaceTime (iSensei is shy… yeah, right) you won’t have to have WiFi or 4G. Interestingly, someone calls you from their iPhone, you can now answer it on your iPad or even your Mac! That IS kinda cool. Maybe now iSensei can stop being such a wallflower.
And as for the inevitable and very righteous concern of what hardware will work with all this, iSensei’s been told:
- iPhone 3GS and later
- iPad 2nd Generation (2011) and later
- iPod touch 4th Gen and later
OK, devoted Followers, that’s it for now. A bit late in the (guessing) game for this given the 9/12 announcement but not everybody’s going to be glued to their computers for an hour and a half to watch the whole thing, and the phones won’t be available for weeks, we’re pretty sure. (Though, the iOS might be downloadable that day.)
Still, after the 12th, iSensei will update this posting to reflect whatever reality we’re dealt by Apple.
Or as Hank Kingsley used to say: “Exciting, isn’t it?”
And how correct WAS iSensei? Find out here!
