Hey guys,
I have been using iOS 6 for a few days now basically non-stop and have had a chance to peek under from a developer's point-of-view at the new APIs we get to play with, so I have a pretty good understanding of how the beta works.
Here are my views on each of the new things.
1) UI Improvements
Some people may not like it, but unless an app developer specifically changes a setting in the app package to use a specific version of the menubar ("black" or the silver one), the color of the top menubar will be the same color as the top title heading.
I like it, but that's just my opinion. Gives us even more control of how the app looks overall.
- I do not like the look of the new phone dialer!
Main complaint from me, however, would be that some people may think this makes the iOS interface seem disjointed and not very coherent. I, personally, like it, as it adds a little variation.
However: I do believe the new bottom-menubar selection visible in the App Store should be everwhere; In that way, I believe it should be consistent.
2) API Improvements
A lot of API improvements that will surely bring higher quality apps to you guys.
A lot of huge annoyances were fixed as well; Not much more to say!
3) Maps
Of course, Maps is one of the key additions in iOS 6.
I've taken it on a 5.5-hour roadtrip, and they were really nicely done. The directions, I mean, not the maps itself. I'm sorry to say but the maps itself (the streets and the views for it) are, at best, lacking. Perhaps 60% of the streets that SHOULD'VE been marked on the map were missing a street name -- and this is right outside of San Francisco to Los Angeles, mind you, not somewhere in the middle of Kansas.
- 3D Mode with the vector graphics seems gimmicky; sorry. Don't see any use for it.
The directions recalculated because I choose not to follow the route Siri gave me, instead opting for a route that was more pleasant for me to drive on.
- I was amazed at how fast the route works, especially over AT&T's "4G."
- Overall, Navigation is fantastic.
4) Siri
This one's big because I don't see many people talking about this at all. And I'm not talking about the new reservation and sports stuff...Siri has been holistically improved. Responses are much faster, dictation is unbelievably quick. And it understands me and my family much better, even though we have quite noticeable Italian accents. It's amazing how much better she understands us. Not only that, but names of restaurants and stores that are fairly difficult for a person to spell just by hearing the name, Siri gets right. For example an Italian restaurant called "Vida Dolce," would never work on the old Siri. Now -- she understands it! And I can make reservations! AWESOME!
5) DND/Phone Improvements/Other stuff
- The Do Not Disturb feature works as expected; it's a great little addition that I'm already using.
- iMessage sending time has been quickened greatly.
- Mail is much more pleasant to use due to attachments being nice and quickly done.
- Apps load quicker;
The overall feel of iOS -- on my 4S -- is generally much snappier. For some reason, my 4S feels brand-new now, and it's really nice and fast. I was amazed.
6) Bugs & Issues
- I have not experienced any issues at all.
FYI: I restored the phone as NEW, and did not "Option-click" Update.
I have not experienced any of the issues I've seen other people complain about, primarily Maps in Landscape view and crashing. Maps works 100% of the time for me; Music Player doesn't have any bugs either; I have been using the phone extensively can't find any issues yet...but will keep you guys posted.
- No stability issues; I've used at least 60 apps (out of my simplistic 110 app collection) or so extensively.
7) BATTERY
This might be something people really want to know about - how's the battery life?
I have my own app that I've written which uses a complex CPU logic flow in order to test the iPhone's battery.
I'm really surprised to say that overall phone usage is up 21% from iOS 5
Really, really nice!
Here's a more simple data point:
- USAGE: 3 hours, 15 minutes. STANDBY: 2 hours, 26 minutes.
Battery Percentage: 96%
Everything is ON - WiFi, 3G/"4G"/Bluetooth/iCloud/etc...
Overall, this is a pretty impressive update -- if you consider it as just that. This iOS would be pretty underwhelming if you thought it would be a complete rethinking of iOS; but it's not! It's a refinement release, with navigation/new maps thrown in because that's what people need and want.
From a revolution point of view; disappointing.
From an evolution point of view; a really nice, modest update.
My rating: 4.5/5
Thanks guys, and I hope you like the review. Let me know if you would like a screenshot or two or for me to try out anything with iOS 6 as I will be using it 100%, updating only to new versions of the beta and the final release. I don't see why not -- It's incredibly stable!
~~ Screenshots ~~
1) New App Store
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2) Attachments in Mail
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3) Menu bars by color (Skype as an example)
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