Apple Introduces iOS 6

Today at Apple’s WWDC keynote, far and away the most exciting product announced has to be refreshed and replenished mobile operating system. The days of iOS 6 are upon us, and the platter of 200 new features Apple is serving up is more than enough to make any fanboi’s mouth water.

Up until now, we’d swallowed down a hearty rumor stew, complete with trusted source claims, leaked beta sites, rumors, and pure speculation. We’ve more-than expected Apple Maps, iCloud features, and Facebook integration, but the rumor mill had taken us further than that, with hopes of Siri APIs, Siri for iPad, and even deeper customization, with live apps not unlike the live tiles seen in Windows Phone’s metro UI.

So which dreams came true, and which will be left for later generations of the software?

All that after the break (and I’ll be updating as the announcement is made so be sure to hit refresh).

New Siri Abilities:

• Siri pulls in sports info from Yahoo, allowing you to get game updates.
• Sports include Football, Baseball, Basketball, and possibly more. Those were the sports demoed.
• Siri has also gotten better at restaurant/Yelp integration, offering average price per menu item, reviews and Yelp rating.
• Siri also partnered with Rotten Tomatoes to watch trailers, etc.
• You can ask for “movies with Scarlett Johansen” or “movies playing at the HERP DERP theater.
• And the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Siri can launch apps. Simply say something like “Play Temple Run.
• Siri will also let you Tweet by voice.
• Siri may come packaged nicely in a button on some car’s steering wheels. Brands include BMW, GM, Land Rover, Audi, and Honda, among many more.

Some Thoughts: The fact that Siri is tapping into other apps to launch, and playing so nicely with Twitter leads us to believe that Siri APIs aren’t far off, even if Apple doesn’t announce them today. That’s clearly the direction we’re headed in.

Siri for iPad:

• Siri is now available on the iPad.
• You can access Siri by hold-tapping the home button on the iPad.
• Siri only takes up a small portion of the bottom half of the screen, popping up with rounded corners and the same blue linen finish as on the iPhone version.

Some Thoughts: We always knew Siri would make her way over to the iPad. We just didn’t know when. But alas, today is the day. Unfortunately, most users report that their main tasks for Siri involved placing a call or setting a reminder. Email, which should come in handy on the iPad, seems split down the middle with around a quarter of users saying they email with Siri daily, and another 30 percent saying they don’t use Siri for email at all. That said, watching how people use Siri on a tablet rather than a phone should prove interesting.

Facebook Integration:

• Facebook is now a baked-in part of iOS
• Just sign-in once through settings and everything is set up
• You can share photos, links, maps, iTunes links, and Game Center content.
• Maybe and RSVPed Facebook Events are automatically added to Calendar
• Birthdays, too.
• Phone numbers will appear in Contacts list.

Some Thoughts: Facebook and Apple have always shared a happy relationship. But with Tim Cook’s loaded “stay tuned,” at D10 this year, we more than expected a marriage between the two companies.

Considering that it was beneficial for Twitter to be baked in to iOS 5 (with three times the sign-ups), Facebook will surely enjoy getting in on that fun.

Plus, Facebook won’t have to spend as much time, energy or resources on its Facebook app as usage will slowly be divided between the app and the operating system. Win for everyone.

New Phone app:

• The app will set a reminder to call someone back if you don’t want to pick up when they’re calling.
• You can choose to send a message instead of pick up the call.
• Geo-fence feature allows you to be reminded to call someone when you leave a certain area.
• DO NOT DISTURB feature: Lets you tell your phone not to bother you with alerts or badges. Messages come through but there is no alert paired with its delivery.
• A little like Mail VIPs, the DO NOT DISTURB feature lets you assign certain contacts to let through during DO NOT DISTURB mode.
• Two calls in a row will be sent through, in case of emergencies.

FaceTime over Wireless:

• FaceTime has long been a Wifi-only experience, but iOS 6 brings it to wireless status.
• You will have a unifying phone number and Apple ID for FaceTime, as well as Messages.

Safari/iCloud Tabs:

• iCloud Tabs will work in Safari only. (Duh.)
• The feature does not automatically synchronize browser tabs at all times. Instead, it offers a synchronized list of tabs open across all iDevices.
• The feature is exclusive to OS X Mountain Lion and iOS 6
• Safari will add an offline reading list.
• You’ll be able to upload photos straight from Safari.
• Smart App Banners will let people know about your native app in the App Store.

Photo Stream:

• Shared photo streams: “Choose your photos you’d like to share, choose the friends you’d like to share it with, and you’re done.”
• Commenting is built-in.
• Available on Mac, Apple TV, and via web.

Mail VIPs:

• The feature essentially offers you a way to “star” email correspondents that are most frequently contacted or “very important people.”
• Mail VIPs will not be pushed to the top, but rather be starred off in chronological order among other inbox contents.
• Mail VIPs will be hooked into iCloud, meaning that all VIP Contacts will be synced across devices.
• You’ll have two extra inboxes: VIP inbox and a flagged inbox. .

Passbook:

• Get all your passes in one place, including boarding passes, tickets, and coupons.
• It works with other apps that make natural sense, like the Starbucks store app or various apps to buy movie tickets with.
• Brands include Starbucks, Fandango, United, Amtrak, and Apple Store of course.
• Shows gate changes, account balances, etc.

Read more : Apple Introduces iOS 6