iOS 9 is due to be released in autumn 2015 and it looks set to bring lots of exciting new features to Apple iPhones – it’s going to be compatible with the iPhone 4s or higher – and will also work with iPads and the iPod touch 5th generation.
One of the big improvements will be a completely redesigned interface for the health app, useful for visually tracking fitness metrics over a period of time, especially when used alongside an Apple Watch with it’s built in heart rate monitor.
The news app aims to present users with all the latest information from a variety of high quality content sources all within one app and it looks like Apple is already working with some well known content providers. This should save time for anyone who uses several different news apps to keep up to date, and it promises to deliver the latest news stories with beautifully slick presentation. It looks like the user experience will be excellent and maybe a welcome relief for anyone currently facing disruptive advertising in their chosen news app, something which is often annoyingly prevelent and badly implemented in free news apps.
The maps app has added lots of public transport functionality and other much needed improvements like nearby restaurant info. And that will certainly help it to compete with the excellent free Google maps alternative.
Apple Pay, which will be fully integrated in to iOS 9, is due to arrive in the UK soon. Much needed hardware infrastructure investment is going to be required before we see largescale uptake but it looks like it will be enormously convenient when used with an Apple Watch. Excitingly Apple has already partnered with many major U.S. retailers and it would seem that Apple Pay could theoretically work with most existing wireless payment terminals which support NFC connectivity, subject to retailer agreement. iOS 9 will also feature CarPlay and Siri enhancements.
Better security in iOS 9 will mean that the 4 digit pin code will be replaced with a 6 digit pin code. Battery life should be improved, a new low power mode will be added, and by using something Apple calls “Metal”, the operating system will make more efficient use of the chips in the device to deliver better overall performance.
For the app developers, Swift 2 will bring performance enhancements allowing them to create apps which look smoother and respond faster. You can find out more about iOS 9 here.