With recent tension surrounding Google and Apple, users won’t be surprised to hear that with no Youtube, no Google Maps, Facebook integration, 4G LTE on the iPhone 5 (hopefully,) the iOS 6 release this September is on its way to being the most revolutionary and altered update since the addition of Apple’s App Store.
Apple is shaving away what they think they can do better. This is an often-repeated strategy by Apple. The new iOS 6 will feature Apple made maps, an optional Youtube App, and promises faster performance. It will also bring the new Passbook, a new Safari App, and the much awaited FaceTime over cellular. You can also look forward to Siri on the iPad. Siri is really a focus point for this next release. Hopefully if expectations are met, the old Siri that premiered on the iPhone 4S should look like just a fun toy compared to the new one. The new Siri will allow for sports updates, restaurant reservations, check movie times, and of course the all important, tweeting by voice. That’s right, feel like broadcasting a few characters to the world? Just speak them to your iPhone 4S or iPad 3. However keeping the character limit should be interesting when it’s being done with voice instead of typing and seeing the character limit go down as you type.
The New Siri on iOS 6
The question now becomes, do you upgrade immediately to iOS 6 or wait for the iPhone 5 to be in your hand? If you’re on a two-year contract, there’s a good chance you have the iPhone 4. Currently FaceTime over cellular will only be supported on the iPhone 4S, so instead of upgrading, get over to your closest Apple store and get in line for the iPhone 5.
Assuming Apple follows the same pattern, iOS 6 should be available around the same time that the new iPhone is released.
Get ready, be prepared, and if for some reason you don’t have an iOS 6 compatible device, (older than iPhone 3GS or iPad 2) then get on it!