Features
If you thought Apple's initial release of iOS 8 was feature heavy, think again. While it’s normal for the company to release small updates and bug fixes of their flagship mobile OS throughout the year, rarely do they add new feature after new feature with each patch. New features, after all, are usually reserved for the next major release of iOS.
But that’s already not been the case this year. Not long after iOS 8.0 shipped, Apple dropped iOS 8.1, which added Apple Pay and support for Continuity. While it’s true those features had previously been announced as part of iOS 8, the same can’t be said for the new features coming in the next three major point-release of iOS 8. And they’re all leading up to iOS 9, whose biggest feature may not be a “new feature” at all. 2015 is indeed shopping up to be the year of iOS. Here’s what to expect.
iOS 8.2: Here comes Apple Watch
The next release of iOS 8 will be iOS 8.2. There’s a lot known about this release because Apple has already seeded five betas of it. The software is rumored to ship in March even though its primary purpose for existing--the Apple Watch--won’t be shipping until April.
So what does iOS 8.2 add? As mentioned above, the main feature is support for Apple’s new Watch. It will allow the iPhone to pair and sync with the Apple Watch. We also know it will have a dedicated companion app for the Apple Watch where you’ll be able to organize and customize your Apple Watch’s home screen.
iOS 8.3: CarPlay and Apple Pay China
What’s unusual is that before iOS 8.2 has even shipped, Apple has released the first beta of iOS 8.3 to developers. I can’t think of a time this has ever happened before. The first iOS 8.3 beta was released just yesterday and though devs haven’t had a lot of time to dig into it yet, there are some major new features in it.
iOS 8.3 will add wireless CarPlay support. Currently CarPlay requires you to plug in your iPhone via a Lightning connector, but with iOS 8.3 your CarPlay features will be able to interact wirelessly with your car (if you car supports it). iOS 8.3 now also sees a new emoji picker, which allows you to search emojis in a scrollable list. Finally, iOS 8.3 adds support for Apple Pay in China. This last bit is a little alarming to those of us in Europe that are still waiting for Apple’s payment service.
iOS 8.4: Beats Streaming Music Service
But Apple’s still not done with iOS 8! As 9to5Mac revealed yesterday--and multiple websites log files show--Apple is actively working on iOS 8.4. There’s not a lot of hard evidence as to what iOS 8.4 will include, but 9to5 says it is codenamed “Copper” after a ski resort in Colorado and its possible it will add Apple’s Beats-based streaming music service to the OS.
iOS 9: iOS’s “Snow Leopard” Moment
But the biggest news comes on the iOS 9 front. While it’s no surprise Apple is releasing iOS 9 this year, what is a surprise is what it will lack: a slew of major new features. 9to5Mac broke the news yesterday that instead of piling on more new features as Apple has done with every iOS release, iOS 9 will instead focus on stability and optimization.
Apple releasing an operating system featuring mainly stability improvements and optimizations isn’t new. The company did the same thing with its OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard” operating system in 2009. Until that time Apple had been cramming in new feature after new feature in OS X 10.0-10.5. But in 2009 the company decided to go light on new features and instead concentrate on working all the kinks out of the OS. The result was the most stable OS in the company’s history and one which remains a favorite of Mac users to this day.
Now, 9to5 says, Apple is hoping to have a “Snow Leopard” moment with iOS 9:
“For 2015, iOS 9 is going to include a collection of under-the-hood improvements. Sources tell us that iOS 9 engineers are putting a "huge" focus on fixing bugs, maintaining stability, and boosting performance for the new operating system, rather than solely focusing on delivering major new feature additions. Apple will also continue to make efforts to keep the size of the OS and updates manageable, especially for the many millions of iOS device owners with 16GB devices.”
That’s not to say there won’t be any new features. It’s known Apple is working on indoor mapping and transit directions in its Maps app. It’s possible these could make it into iOS 9. But don’t expect iOS 9 to feature radical new enhancements like the new iOS has every year. It seems Apple wants to take a breather and address some of the criticism it is getting that the OS is becoming less stable and more buggy. And I for one think that is the best feature improvement they could offer.
13:07, 10 Feb 2015
by michaelg via Featured Articles
Posts
No comments: