Apple shared new details on iOS 9, the next update to the operating system powering the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi took the stage to show off iOS 9's new features. According to Apple, it will extend battery life, increase general performance, enhance security, and improve the user interface(UI), starting with the most-used apps.
One new feature is the "proactive assistant," which makes several quality-of-life changes to the operating system.
For example: If an unknown phone number pops up, Siri can now look through your email and suggest who the caller might be. Or, if you're out for a morning jog, plugging in headphones can instantly bring up a "now playing" music list. If you receive an event invitation via email, Siri can automatically set up calendar events and reminders.
Siri in iOS 9 is over 40% more accurate over last year, and 40% faster as well. You can now set reminders for nearly anything, including something as small as fetching the coffee off the roof of your car.
Photos in iOS 9 are easier to search. Simply saying something like "Show me photos from Utah last year" can bring up the images you're looking for. The new Photos app also has a scrubber bat at the bottom to more easily search through your collection.
The Maps app includes a new Transit map, which uses multi-modal mapping to give accurate, step-by-step directions, even when walking. Transit is rolling out to 10 cities across the world: Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington D.C.
Notes will feature a new toolbar update with more formatting options. You'll have the option to add checklists, pictures, and drawings.
A new app, simply called News, creates a custom news feed based on articles and publications you read most. When you first launch the app, it asks which topics and websites you're into. Every time you launch the app, it updates with new news and features. This isn't just for the biggest of the big; you can include small blogs, local papers, and more.
News is rolling out first in the US, UK, and Australia.
For the iPad, iOS 9 includes a new multitask switcher that pops up when you double tap the home screen. By single-finger swiping from the side of the iPad, you can have two apps active at the same time. In the demo, Federighi had Notes open so he could type while also browsing Safari.
For example: If you're watching a video and you receive a notification, tapping the notification can minimize the video into a smaller picture-in-picture form. The video can be moved, re-sized, or moved off screen if you only want to hear the audio. When you're done with the video, you can close it out without returning to the app it's playing from.
Apple says iOS 9 adds one hour of typical use to a full iPhone charge. It's adding a low power mode that can extend battery life for an additional three hours of normal use. The amount of free space required for the operating system update is 1.3 GB.
iOS 9 will support all devices supported by iOS 8. The developer beta starts today, and the public beta starts in July. iOS 9 will roll out as a free upgrade this fall.
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