iOS 9: Little Change But The Revolutionary One: Apple ninth installment iOS 9 is finally about to end as its over a year Apple to release iOS is the soul of iOS devices and most favorite among user as Apple recently crosses 1 billion mark and iOS devices are know for its stability and simplicity. iOS 9 successor over iOS 8 with same design element from iOS 7 and best software feature from iOS 8 with some software tweaks and improvements over predecessors. iOS 9 was released for developer at WWDC 2015 which is annual developer event of Apple and iOS 9 was released for public in September release along with iPhone 6s. After that there are 3 minor installment of iOS 9 with bug fixes and new software features and still is not enough to end soon as this iOS 9 update is may last for devices like iPhone 4s,iPad 2,iPod Touch 5th gen and iPad mini.
Despite all these iOS 9 is big release for user and developer to as the update brings many refinement and API for developers to make the system perfect. iOS 9 is deeply focus for user with simplicity features like 3D Touch for do things even faster, Night mode to care about people health, apps improvement in notes, maps soon, split screen in iPad for more multitasking and much more. iOS 9 is most beloved among user as its adoption rates croses above 80% which is more significant as compared Android latest installment Marshmallow which only have 6% of user devices.
iOS 9: Little Change But The Revolutionary One:
Features:
The WWDC 2015 for iOS was devided mostly two part one for improvement for iPhones and other for iPad functionality which add features like multi window, split screen, picture in picture and much more.
Multitasking:
Multitasking is always significant for a device which have more power and Apple are veteran in it as there own Soc’s like A9 chipset in iPhone 6s which really a beast. So Apple has increase multitasking capacity for devices with new multitasking UI which looks like books in library stand.
Multitasking for iPad is much more important as they are most capable in terms of screen size and processor so Apple adds split window support only in iPad Air and after. Apple also add picture in picture features to run videos while using other apps. Split Window support extremely incease capabilities of iPads to another level.
3D Touch:
As this feature is only for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus user but its a part of iOS 9. Apple adds new dimension for touch by the introduction of 3D touch as we earlier touch only screen with some touch gesture but by adding pressure touch surface its truly adds new dimension to interact with device. From starting Apple uses two basic features from force touch as peek by light pressing and pop with hard press with creates new gestures for apps to use. By implementing these features developers significantly changes app gesture as like photos apps of Apple just by pressing light peek the photo and by pressing hard just pop the image and there are other apps which also changes including 3rd parties apps like facebook, intagram, twitter and also games which makes 3D Touch a day to day gesture.
Apple also add quick app launch from home screen by simply pressing apps opens specific feature of apps which saves time while earlier we have to open app and wait to launch then drove to part we look for which is time taking jobs for example if you want to open wifi menu you open setting then go to wifi while 3D Touch help you to simply press setting icon and go to wifi which hardly takes a blink further there more implementation of 3D in whole UI which make its position in iOS while next iOS 10 also have more significant for 3D Touch and add more feature to it.
Night Shift:
Night Shift a step toward for care of users eyes so Night Shift makes its appearance in iOS 9.3 update and use by many people all around. As Night Shift reduces blue color in night which earlier affects our eye and cause late night sleep while update help user to fall sleep earlier even they use phone late night. Its basically shifts the colors of the device’s display to be warmer
Proactive:
Proactive features is one of the best features among all as this feature is quite interesting in terms as it tells user which app to use certain interval of time, whom to call more, automatically recognized which song to play while in car and home, which contact related specific data and much more. As this feature add capability to become self dependent and work flawless even user is there or not.
Proactive feature add more capabilities for Siri command as say remind this will remind certain screen from app and much more.
Wallet:
Apple introduce Wallet app while removing passport as this app stores each and every types of cards and tickets of games, movies it also use for Apple Pay.
News:
iOS 9 introduce a new news app replacing newsstand app which display news from user relevant channels such as CNN, ESPN or any other type of blogs channel or RSS feed from safari can be add and get all new and greatest news on the go. Apple tries to takes place of many popular apps like Flipboard which is also made for same purpose.
Intially News is available in US but after release of iOS 9.1 it makes it reach to UK and Australia.
Notes:
Apple built in Notes app which makes users easily create notes including list or notes which quite good. But this version Apple adds enhancements like ability to draw sketches with a number of different tools, including a ruler for straight lines.
Images can also be added, and links to websites and Map locations get a more prominent, visual appearance when added to notes. Attachments including images, links, locations, documents and audio across all notes can be viewed in a single view from the notes list.
Notes app now syn data with iCloud Drive which never lost data even device to while this allow to use and edit on other devices like macs or web.
Apple adds features for locking notes with Touch Id or code which ensure protection in iOS 9.3.
Maps:
Apple maps also get update with introduction of transit which help to find out city nearby transit like metro, bus etc which helps traveler to easily find place. Apple add transit support to Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York City, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Shanghai, Toronto, and Washington D.C., along with several other cities in China at launch, which will expand as Apple maps out more cities.
Maps also add feature for recommend use for near by places based on what time of day it is or the users’ interests. Map comes with new display place cards for landmarks, cities and text taken from Wikipedia. Maps keep becoming interesting as Apple add support for flyover feature to many new cities and also add transit info for many cities.
Keyboard:
Keyboard always been a part of tpuch devices Apple added a feature on iPad, a two-finger drag on the keyboard moves the cursor freely like a traditional trackpad making positioning the cursor and selecting text easier. A shortcut bar has been added including cut, copy, paste, undo and redo. On the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, a force press on the keyboard also allows the user to move the cursor like a trackpad.
Apple also allow to show lowercase when shift is inactive while this feature was remove in previous instalment.
Other features:
1). Battery:
Apple add most requested feature in iOS 9 low power mode which is 3 hour of extra battery life which gives more power to use even a low battery. In addition to this Apple also add face down detection on iPhone 5S or newer which don’t light up screen when notification is arrive. These features will add Apple devices to run longer.
2). Performance:
Performance sector is one of the major issue for OS iOS 9 bring some improvement to Metal API through out system which runs app and games seamlessly which really gives bump to overall UI.
3). Security:
Security of Apple devices are best among others so Apple improve security in iOS 9 which bring 2 step verification which hardly leaves any loop holes for hacker. Apple also add 6 digit passcode to strengthen further security.
4). Safari:
Safari comes with improvement of 3rd parties extention and ad, content blocking app. Which blocks injecting and over through ad to be closed and use get define experience browsing.
5). iBooks:
In iOS 9.3 add support for saving PDFs saved to iBooks app Via safari and iTunes which further support icloud sync feature.
6). iCloud:
User can see iCloud Drive icon on devices itself by enabling in it at iCloud setting. OS 9 is the ninth major release of iOS, the mobile operating system by Apple Inc. It is the successor to iOS 8 and focuses less on new features and more on under-the-hood optimizations, as well as battery improvements. It was announced at the company’s WWDC 2015 keynote on June 8, 2015, and released on September 16, 2015.
On September 21, 2015, Apple announced that iOS 9 had been installed on more than 50% of “active” iOS devices as measured by the App Store, making it the fastest adoption rate for a new operating system.[2][3] As of May 9, 2016, that percentage has increased to 84%.
iOS 9 was introduced at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8, 2015, with iOS 9.0 beta 1 being made available to registered developers straight after the keynote, and a public beta made available to members of Apple’s Beta Software Program in July. iOS 9 was released publicly on September 16, 2015.
iOS 9.0.1 was released on September 23, 2015, as the first update to iOS 9. It fixed a major bug that caused the “Slide to Upgrade” screen to freeze when updating from earlier versions of iOS.
iOS 9.0.2 was released on September 30, 2015, to fix a major lock screen bypass issue.
iOS 9.1 was released on October 21, 2015. It includes support for the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil and the 4th generation Apple TV.
iOS 9.2 was released on December 8, 2015, with new features including adding Arabic language support for Siri and introducing iPhone support for the Lightning to SD Card Reader, which lets users transfer photos and videos from an SD card (commonly used in DSLR cameras) to iPhone without the need for a computer.
iOS 9.2.1 was released on January 19, 2016, with some bug fixes. On February 18, a second version of iOS 9.2.1 was released to fix an issue that could brick iPhones with Touch ID sensors that had been repaired by a third-party.
iOS 9.3 was released on March 21, 2016, with new 3D Touch shortcuts (iPhone 6s and 6s Plus only), Night Shift Mode, Notes with password protection and Touch ID, improvements in News, improvements to the Health app, CarPlay updates for Apple Music and Apple Maps, new languages for Siri, multi-user mode for iPad in education, support for pairing multiple Apple Watches to one iPhone, Wi-fi calling for AT&T and Verizon only, major bug fixes, and improvements in speed and battery life. iOS 9.3’s Night Shift is a significant feature that shifts the display’s colors to a warmer, less blue, light so that it lowers the effect of the screen’s light on a user’s circadian rhythms.
iOS 9.3.1 was released on March 31, 2016, fixing a bug that causes Safari and other apps to crash and become unresponsive after tapping on links in the app.
iOS 9.3.2 was released on May 16, 2016, restoring the ability to use Night Shift and Low Power Mode simultaneously, fixed a Bluetooth issue for iPhone SE, fixed various bugs and improvements to speed and security.
7). Multitasking
iOS 9 also adds a number of features to the iPad to improve productivity. These include Slide Over, Split View, and Picture in Picture, for enhanced multitasking, similar to the experience found on OS X El Capitan. Slide Over allows the user to pull in a second app with a swipe from the right edge of the display. This app takes up the width of 33% of the screen size, and disables interactivity within the full screen app, which takes up 66% of the display, allowing users to perform quick tasks and then dismiss the app again. If the user taps on the handle next to the Slide Over window, or extends it further towards the left of the screen, the user enters Split View, which allows users to interact with two apps simultaneously side-by-side in a 50%/50% split. Users can switch to another app in either Slide Over mode or Split-Screen view by pulling down on the handle on top of either app and selecting another app from the list to replace the existing one. The Split-Screen Multitasking feature is only be available to iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, and iPad Pro. However, the Slide Over and Picture in Picture feature will be available on the iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2 and higher, and the iPad Pro. The iPad 2, 3rd generation, 4th generation, and Mini (1st Generation) will not receive any of these multitasking updates.
When banner notifications are tapped, causing another app to open, a back button at the top-left corner of the screen has been added, bringing the user back to the previous app.
The app switcher is redesigned, with app previews stacked on each other that are swiped through in a carousel effect. It also removes the recent contacts section found in iOS 8.
8). Proactivity
Intelligence is one of the main features in iOS 9, consisting of the newly integrated Siri and Search (previously known as Spotlight), as well as “proactivity” throughout the operating system. iOS is now more aware of contextual information (such as time and location), and proactively provides the user with what they may need in advance to save them time and effort. For example, the Search screen displays suggested apps, nearby points of interest from Maps and current news stories, based on time of day and location. When typing, Search has also been improved to display instant answers in an at-a-glance, widget-like format, similar to that provided in the Siri interface. Search can display current weather, sports scores, news, and more. The Search screen with proactive suggestions can be accessed by swiping to the left of the first home screen, as with the old Spotlight in iPhone OS 3 to 6. The new Search screen is not available on the iPhone 4S, iPad 2, iPad (3rd generation), iPad Mini (1st generation), and iPod Touch (5th generation).[32] However, the Search field and Siri button can also be accessed by swiping down on any page of the home screen (as in iOS 7/8), but doesn’t show any suggestions. The intelligence also extends into apps. For instance, in Mail, events can be automatically added to Calendar if details are found in the message content, and likely additional recipients are suggested during message composition. Siri is also aware of what is currently onscreen when it is engaged by holding down the home button. For example, if a user is shopping for something in Safari, the user can say, “Remind me about ‘this’ when I get home”, and Siri will set a reminder with a geofence and attached link of the current page. The user can also ask Siri “Show me photos I took last June” and Siri will direct into the photos app, similar to the new Spotlight in OS X 10.11 El Capitan.[33]
3D Touch:
3D Touch, which is only available on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, is incorporated into iOS 9. Quick Actions and shortcuts are added to applications that support this feature, and are triggered by pressing slightly harder on the application icon. 3D Touch on iOS 9 also introduces actions known as Peek and Pop, which lets users preview all kinds of content and act on it without having to actually open it. For example, a consumer can “Peek” (preview) at emails in the user’s inbox by pressing lightly on the email, and by pressing harder, the user will “Pop” open the email and see its full content. Users can also preview a webpage if they have a link to it, by pressing the link gently, without having to leave the current application that they are on.[35] The taptic engine in iPhone 6s and 6s plus provide haptic feedback each time users press the screen harder.[36]
Night Shift
Night Shift is a feature introduced in iOS 9.3. The feature, similar to F.lux, a popular program for Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X computers.[37] When enabled, it uses the device’s clock and geographic location to determine when to turn the feature on or off. Optionally, the user can set a manual schedule, or not have a schedule at all. For ease of access, there is a new Night Shift toggle that has been added to the Control Center. The settings for Night Shift are located under “Display and Brightness” in the Settings app, and on top of enabling the feature and setting a schedule, the user can also set the warmth of the display.[38] Night Shift is automatically turned off when Low Power Mode is enabled, although users have been able to find workarounds for enabling both at the same time.[39][40] Only the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad mini 2 and later, the iPad Air and later, the sixth-generation iPod Touch, and the iPad Pro can be used with Night Shift. The iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPad 2 to iPad (4th generation), and iPod Touch (5th generation) do not receive the Night Shift Feature as it requires the 64-bit processors found in the Apple A7 to Apple A9 chips.
Supported devices:
With this release, Apple did not drop support for any iOS devices, with all devices supporting iOS 8 also able to run iOS 9.[67] Supported devices on this release include the iPhone 4S onwards, iPod Touch (5th generation) onwards, the iPad 2 onwards, and the iPad Mini (1st generation) onwards, making iOS 9 have the most supported devices than any other iOS release, with 22 devices. The iPad 2 is also the first iOS device to support six major releases of iOS, supporting iOS 4 to 9. This is the greatest amount of major iOS releases a single iOS device has supported, surpassing the iPhone 4S which supports five major releases (iOS 5 to 9), and iPod Touch (5th generation) supporting four major releases (iOS 6 to 9). However, iOS 9 has limited support on the iPad 2, the iPhone 4S, the iPad Mini (1st generation), and the iPod Touch (5th generation).
Supported devices:
iPhone, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone SE, iPod Touch, iPod Touch (5th generation), iPod Touch(6th generation), iPad. [Source Apple]
