iOS9
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Pressing issues: Our first look at the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
So those new iPhones -- the 6s and 6s Plus -- took their tour of the stage here in San Francisco and are being prepped for a worldwide launch on September 25th. Now the question is whether or not all the new goodies Apple crammed inside them make these updated phones worth some more of our collective dollars. The (very) early answer? Yes, but it'll take time for these things to really shine.
iOS 9 will be available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch September 16th
An official announcement of new iPhones usually means a release date for the latest version of Cupertino's mobile operating system as well. Today was no different as Apple announced that iOS 9 would be available as a free download September 16th. When it arrives next week, you'll be privy to new features like a new and improved Siri, system-level security settings and split-screen multitasking on the iPad (hello, iPad Pro). Native apps like Maps (now with transit info), Notes and others have also been refreshed, so if you haven't been adventurous enough to test-drive the public beta, there will be a load of new stuff for you to try. And there's that brand-new News app too, serving up personalized content to your devices for reading on the go.
Twitter's unifying its apps across iPhone and iPad
Everybody's getting ready for tomorrow's big Apple event and that even includes Twitter. While the media briefing is likely going to focus heavily on a new iPhone, the microblogging service is looking to improve its app on the iPad and bring it more in line with the experiences users currently have on Cupertino's handset. The update hopes to bring responsive design (how websites adapt their layouts to different screen sizes, automatically) to the forefront by focusing on a few key aspects: canvas, device, orientation, size class and typography. While some of those might seem a bit arcane and more for user interface designers than you or me, the long and short of it is Twitter's what it hopes are smart, instantaneous decisions to make using its app on different-sized iOS devices a comfortable experience.
What to expect from Apple's 'Hey Siri' iPhone event
Gosh, is it September already? The impending leaf death and the moaning of young'uns going back to school are usually accompanied by shiny new Apple gewgaws to gawk at, and this year is no exception. We'll be schlepping cross-country to bring you all the news from Apple's "Hey Siri" event at 10AM Pacific/1PM Eastern on Wednesday, but before we grab our boarding passes and all our cameras, let's recap what we think the company's got in store for us.
The next versions of iOS and OS X will track your flights
Apple has made much ado of Spotlight's smart, info-fetching abilities in iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan, but one relatively undersold feature might just prove a lifesaver if you or your friends are frequent travelers. Both of the upcoming operating systems include a "flight data detector" that can spot mentions of flight numbers in apps and let you peek at that trip's details (a feature Google Now and Cortana users are already familiar with). This doesn't just mean the departure or arrival times, either -- in many situations, you'll also get a map showing you where the aircraft should be at that moment. While this won't replace a dedicated travel app, it'll be handy if you want to check for flight delays or satisfy your curiosity about an airplane's location.
Apple's Home Sharing for music returns in latest iOS 9 beta (update: public beta 2)
Well, would you look at that. Not long after it was reported that Apple had killed Home Sharing for music in iOS 8.4, the company appears to be ready to bring the feature back to life. As MacRumors points out, Home Sharing for music is now included in the fourth beta of iOS 9 for developers -- sorry, public testers, this isn't for you. Apple's SVP of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue, said earlier this month that his team was working on restoring the feature, even though there was no indication of when that would be happening. But now it's here, so go have at it if you're part of the iOS dev program. Update 7/22: A day later, Apple has released a second iOS 9 public beta that gives you Home Sharing and other fixes from the latest developer version.
A first look at iOS 9: Little changes add up to something big
Apple's still pretty new to this whole public beta thing, but that didn't stop it from dropping two consumer previews today. We've already taken a closer look at Apple's latest desktop OS, so it's high time we dug a little deeper into what it's like using an early version of iOS 9. Spoiler alert: It's pretty damned solid. Before we go any further, though, keep this in mind: As stable as the iOS 9 beta seems right now, it's still not ideal for use as a daily driver. If you're itching to taste the future, you might want to use a spare, sacrificial iDevice just in case. I'm testing this build on an iPad Air 2, which has a few tweaks that won't show up on the iPhone, so I'll flag those when the time is right. Ready? Let's go.
The iOS 9 public beta is here
If you're eager to get your hands on Apple's latest mobile OS, and you don't mind running unfinished software, you can now snag an iOS 9 public beta for your iPhone and iPad. To refresh, iOS 9 includes a significantly smarter version of Siri (which seems a lot like Google Now, at this point); better system-level privacy; and split-screen multitasking on the iPad. And of course, there will be a slew of other performance upgrades. This slightly more polished beta -- which supports the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and later devices -- comes after developers have had a chance to test out iOS 9 over the past month. That means most of the major issues have hopefully been ironed out. If you haven't yet, you can sign up for the iOS 9 public beta on Apple's website. As always, we can expect the final version of iOS 9 to land alongside new iPhones later this fall. We downloaded the beta here at Engadget HQ, so if you're feeling adventurous, you should be able to do the same from the source link below.
Apple will bring back Home Sharing for music on iOS 9
It sucks that Home Sharing for music isn't available on iOS 8.4, but don't worry -- Apple isn't permanently getting rid of the feature to boost its Music subscriptions. Eddy Cue, the company's SVP of Internet Software and Services, has divulged on Twitter that he and his team are working on bringing it back on iOS 9. He made the revelation on the social network as a response to this amusing tweet: "Hey @cue, I hope I don't have to be @taylorswift13 to get you to restore Home Sharing for music!"
iOS 9 will delete apps to make room for system updates
Early adopters of iOS 9 beta 2 have discovered a new feature that will temporarily delete apps from overloaded devices when there isn't enough space to install system updates. Many users with the smaller 8GB and 16GB iPhones reportedly had difficulty fitting the last upgrade onto their mobile devices. And while iOS 9 is only a fraction of the size of iOS 8 (they're 1.3 GB and 4.3 GB, respectively), Apple is clearly trying to nip similar complaints in the bud this time around. The new feature will of course reinstall the deleted app once the update has completed -- plus, presumably, any user data that was deleted along with the app itself.
Alternate iOS 9 keyboard hints at larger iPad
Whenever someone talks about the 12.9-inch iPad, we pull the same nervous, hopeful gaze that we do when Half-life 2: Episode Three is mentioned. Deep down, we know in our hearts that neither are very likely to happen, but no matter what, they'll never be able to take the hope from us. Now, iOS expert and friend of the site Steve Troughton-Smith believes he's found a nugget of proof that the iPad "Pro" exists. Oh, put your tongues in your cheek and grab a handful of salt, because we're venturing into tangent territory, here.
iOS 9's web browser can block annoying ads
Don't like having to wrestle with pop-up ads and similar intrusions when you're browsing the web on your iPhone? You might not have to when iOS 9 rolls around. Apple has quietly let slip that the operating system's version of Safari includes support for content blocking extensions, much like its Mac counterpart -- in other words, it can block ads. You only have to install an app with the right Safari extensions to make cookies, images, scripts and other unwanted material disappear. It's not certain how Apple will police apps with these add-ons, but it's feasible that at least some ad blockers will get approval.
T-Mobile customers can use iOS 9 beta's Continuity over cellular
The Continuity feature that allows you to continue text convos and calls across devices used to require those gadgets to be on the same WiFi network. With the iOS 9 beta, though, the functionality can be used over cellular and T-Mobile is the first to flip the switch for its customers. The tool allows users to send texts and make calls from your iPad or Yosemite-equipped Mac if you don't have that iPhone handy -- so long as you also have the iOS 9 beta software installed, of course. If you aren't the adventurous type and want sit out the public beta, you can rest easy knowing that the feature will arrive for everyone when the final version of the mobile OS becomes available later this year. And yes, we'd imagine other carriers will follow suit shortly.
iOS 9 code hints at an iPhone with a front camera flash
Like it or not, selfies remain A Thing -- and there are signs that Apple is about to embrace those narcissistic photos through a hardware upgrade. Programmer Hamza Sood has discovered code in iOS 9 which suggests that the next iPhone's front camera will get a flash (increasingly common on camera-centric phones), so nighttime won't prevent you from putting yourself in the frame. You could also see some big improvements to video and software-only features, including 1080p recording, 240 frames per second slow-motion capture and panoramas for those extra-wide group shots. There's no guarantee that any of these features will make the cut in future devices, but they hint that Apple is eager to move past the creaky 720p front cam it offers today. Photo by Will Lipman.
Apple's 'Move to iOS' app makes it easy to switch from Android
Apple's upcoming mobile platform apparently comes with a new app called "Move to iOS" that wirelessly transfers data from Android devices to iPhones and iPads. It was curiously skipped over during the company's WWDC keynote earlier, but Daring Fireball points it out buried underneath all the new features on the iOS 9 preview page. The page doesn't go into details, but "Move to iOS" will presumably be available on the Play Store, so you can download it on an Android device -- right next to Apple's other upcoming Android app -- to enable wireless transfer.
Apple's iOS 9 update will require much less free storage
Even though iOS 9 will include a new version of Siri, Maps and other features, Apple said that it'll be a much lighter update than iOS 8 was. Software VP Craig Federighi revealed that the incoming OS will take up just 1.3GB of extra space on your iPhone or iPad, compared to nearly 4.6GB for the previous version. Given how much trouble folks had getting that update on their devices over-the-air, that's no doubt a smart move on Cupertino's part.
iOS 9 public beta available in July
On stage at WWDC today, Apple announced that a public beta of iOS 9 would be available in July. The beta will include an enhanced Siri; a more proactive experience based on your location, time and recent apps; updated Apple Pay with support for loyalty cards; and transit directions in Maps. The beta version of Apple's mobile operating system will be available on the iPad 2 from 2011 and later and iPhone 4s and later. Apple launched the public version of its beta program last year with access to early builds of iOS and OS X. You can sign up for the beta today.
Apple brings side-by-side multitasking to the iPad in iOS 9
Frustrated that your iPad has all that screen real estate, but you still have to use one app at a time? That won't be a problem when iOS 9 arrives -- Apple has revealed that its new mobile software will bring side-by-side app multitasking to its tablets. The feature will let you display two live apps at once, Windows 8-style, if you're using an iPad Air 2 (which has extra memory and performance); otherwise, you can pin apps to the side of the screen to get back to them quickly. There's a picture-in-picture mode that will let you watch a video without disrupting what you're doing, too. This upgraded multitasking will only be available for the iPad Air, iPad mini 2 and other relatively recent Apple slates, so you'll definitely want to ditch that old iPad 2 if you're eager to juggle multiple programs.
Apple News app brings 'beautiful' personalized content to iOS
. Today at WWDC Apple announced a Flipboard-like news curator called, wait for it, Apple News. Like Facebook's Instant Articles push, it includes articles specifically built for the app, but can also pull in content from elsewhere on the internet. The New York Times will push 30 free articles through the app every day, while other partners, like ESPN, will bring videoclips and infographics. The secret to the app is the new "Apple News Format" that allows for custom fonts, multitouch gestures and layouts that scale from phones to tablets.
Siri's 'proactive' overhaul makes it Apple's answer to Google Now
No, it's not the Rodan + Fields, Katy Perry-backed acne solution. At today's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of Software Engineering, revealed a new "proactive" Siri, one with an overhauled UI and a feature set on iOS 9 that makes it Apple's take on preemptive search. With this new Siri, users can expect both a 40 percent reduction in word error rates for spoken commands and faster research results. It'll also surface user photos from their libraries with a simple voice command and even set "intelligent" reminders based on context-specific actions.
