New Delhi: Giving a preview of the latest iPhone, iPad and iPod touch software at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Apple unveiled iOS 9 which it says will be available this fall.
The new software will work with all phones and tablets that currently support iOS 8, though not all features will work with older devices. Also to get iOS 9, you'll need less free space than before to upgrade wirelessly. That was a complaint with iOS upgrades in previous years. Here is what all the next version of iOS has to offer.
Siri
Apple promises that Siri will be an even better virtual assistant. Siri will try to be more proactive — akin to what Google already does with Google Now and has plans to do with the upcoming Now on Tap feature. For instance, when a call from an unfamiliar number comes in, Siri will look through your email and give you an indication of who that might be. Siri will also give you reminders to leave for meetings, factoring in current traffic.
Siri can also handle more complex requests, such as ones to show you all photos from a particular place and time. The responses are context and device sensitive — so what Siri gives you to listen when you're out for a run might be different from when you enter a car.
Apple Pay
The technology giant says it's expanding its Apple Pay mobile-payment service next month to the United Kingdom, the service's second market after the US.
In the US, Apple says 1 million retail locations will accept contactless-payment services such as Apple Pay by next month. The locations will include chains such as Trader Joe's and JC Penney.
It's still just a fraction of all retail outlets, but it's up from 700,000 in March and 2,00,000 when the service launched in October. Apple is working with payment service Square to get even more merchants to accept such payments starting this fall.
In the UK, Apple says there will be 250,000 merchant locations.
With this fall's upgrade to the iOS mobile operating system, Apple Pay will let people add store credit cards, such as loyalty and gift cards from Dunkin' Donuts.
Apple Pay injected new life into mobile payments. Although it was long possible to make payments at retail stores with the tap of an Android phone, it wasn't easy to use. Apple changed that by bringing several banks and retailers on board from the start.
Maps
Besides, Apple is also finally bringing public transit support to Apple Maps. It was one of the biggest gaps when Apple replaced Google Maps as the default mapping app on iPhones and iPads in 2012.
Tapping on a station will show you all the lines that run through it, along with upcoming departure times. You can also get step-by-step directions that include the walk to the station. The transit feature will be available in select cities around the world initially.
News app
The Cupertino giant will also offer a new app for news. Called "News", it will ofefr a personalised feed based on your interests and choices.
The app pulls text, photos and video from a variety of sources. Stories that use Apple's new News format will look best on the app.
Other features include the ability to save articles to read later and to get suggestions on new publishers and topics by selecting "explore."
It's not immediately clear how Apple will handle news sources that require subscriptions. Apple says it has worked with leading organizations such as The New York Times and ESPN to bring stories to the app. The News app will initially be offered in the US, the UK and Australia.
New iPad features
The iPad tablet will look and act more like a Mac personal computer starting this fall. A key feature is the ability to run multiple apps side by side. It's already possible to run multiple apps, but you see one at a time and have to keep switching. Now you can be browsing in Safari and slide in a second app such as Mail or Calendar from the right side. There's also a split-screen view similar to what's coming to the new Mac operating system this fall.
You'll also be able to watch video in a small window while doing other things on the iPad. Other features include the ability to turn the on-screen keyboard into a trackpad, similar to a Mac. There are also shortcuts for switching between apps.
Some of the new features won't work with iPads that are more than a few years old. Windows tablets and many Samsung Android tablets already support side-by-side apps.
Others
The iOS 9 update coming this fall will also have battery improvements and improved security.
Health-related improvements include tracking for hydration and ultraviolet exposure, while smart-home features include supporting sensors for carbon monoxide. App developers would take advantage of these tools in building new apps and devices.
In future cars that support Apple's CarPlay, you'll be able to do more on the car's dashboard without taking the phone out of your bag or pocket.
(With inputs from Associated Press)
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