I came into the iOS scene with the 2nd gen iPod touch. What I've found is that the basic feature set was always there, and even x.0 releases were just incremental improvements. That's fine with me. In my view iOS, even the original, was an outstanding and "fully featured" mobile operating system. I know there are plenty of folks out there who will completely disagree with me on this, and that's fine. Maybe I just don't demand the same level out of my mobile devices. But I also think some of that is just looking through the filter of what we have NOW, which of course is significantly more feature packed and useful than it was before. My whole point is that when you start off with a stellar operating system, the updates aren't going to be earthshattering. While there is always room for improvement, the "wow" factor is going to be much less with each release.
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[rant] Why iOS 6 disappoints some and makes others happy
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I came into the iOS scene with the 2nd gen iPod touch. What I've found is that the basic feature set was always there, and even x.0 releases were just incremental improvements. That's fine with me. In my view iOS, even the original, was an outstanding and "fully featured" mobile operating system. I know there are plenty of folks out there who will completely disagree with me on this, and that's fine. Maybe I just don't demand the same level out of my mobile devices. But I also think some of that is just looking through the filter of what we have NOW, which of course is significantly more feature packed and useful than it was before. My whole point is that when you start off with a stellar operating system, the updates aren't going to be earthshattering. While there is always room for improvement, the "wow" factor is going to be much less with each release.
They probably will announce another feature when iOS6 launches. NFC is a possibility, but it would have to have an apple twist on it (could work with passbook).
We'll have to wait and see if they announce anything else, or if people are able to find hints to it in the beta software.
Guys, you're not going to see the kinds of major changes that we saw in ios 3 or 4 anymore, and that's a good thing. You know why? Because rhe OS is mature now. It doesn't need those major changes. It's a powerful, intuitive, mostly-fully-formed operating system at this point. Continuing to expect the same kinds of major alterations that we saw in years past fails to acknowledge that where we are now is not where we were in terms of necessary changes/additions.
(And yes, there could be more in iOS 6. I'm not saying it has every feature I want. But that doesn't negate my above point.)
(And yes, there could be more in iOS 6. I'm not saying it has every feature I want. But that doesn't negate my above point.)
Not to say that there arent tiny changes that could still be made, but Im just curious as to what kind of earth shattering change people are looking for? is there even anything anyone can think of? or are we just being spoiled and demanding that there should be something mind blowing every year?
They really don't know. All they know is Apple's supposed to pull a rabbit from a magic hat and wow them.
I looked at the slides behind Forestall and saw great features that were pretty much not covered.
Audio guys get to look forward to inter-app audio, multi route audio and AV sampling during playback. I've got 6 apps on my iPad and iPhone that could use these features in a big way.
For the myriad of photo apps theres improvements to HDR, Focus and Exposure control.
Auto Layout (previously a OS X only feature) now is supported
Face Detection (Photobooth) now has an API
iOS 6 supports the Web Audio API. This isn't streaming stereo audio this is more like game style audio or even musical instruments through a web page kind of audio.
There's a lot of little things that are going to make better iOS apps for us asll.
Now folks...in this industry you don't get a lot of earthquakes ...it's more like continental drift. You have to ask yourself
"Hmmmm Photostream can be shared now. Audio routing between apps is improving could the vestiges of sharing in iCloud are forming?"
From a 100% Apple user who has actually zero interest in other phones or OS's this is a great update and I can't wait.
I think that the big feature was meant to be the Maps, but since you already had something similar by google, it does not really seem as big update, but it's one of the biggest for Apple.
Which no one uses.
Apple doesn't care about being first. When they deliver a feature they want it done in their way.
Thanks everyone for replying!
I was looking over the replies, and I think a good way to categorize iOS users now is in two extreme ways (with users falling in between the two). Please add on/modify if you think I'm wrong on this one:
1) At one extreme are iOS users who want the iOS to do more, and thus rely less on apps (aka, feature-filled)
2) At the other extreme are iOS users who want the iOS to be simply a platform that can launch apps (aka, iOS containing the basic/necessary features, with apps taking care of the other "left-out" features so to speak).
Obviously one can tell which iOS users are complaining about iOS 6's general non-change, and which ones are enthusiastic. It's also pretty obvious that I belong more so on camp #1 (iOS being more feature filled).
I think this is a fundamental difference that comes down to personal choice. There is no point in arguing about switching one over from a camp. But I would like to say something about this. Apple seems to be switching to camp #2 (iOS being a platform) ever since they created the App Store with iPhone OS 2.0. Sadly, this is something I'm resisting.
Don't get me wrong. I love the apps and the availability of apps on iOS. With so many apps, there really is an "app for everything." But Apple digs itself into a hole when it simultaneously dedicates itself to camp #2 (iOS being a platform for apps), and at the same time restricts half of the iOS to itself. For example, only Apple could have officially done a Notifications bar with an iOS update (as opposed to there being an "app" on the App Store that would have installed a Notif bar). So while it is great that Apple finally did that, they failed (and still do) to provide developers access to it. By that I mean, there can't be "apps" or "widgets" in the Notifications bar/for the Notifications bar. Only what Apple wants.
Furthermore, there is general inconsistency with what Apple seems to be doing. For example, while they encourage third party app growth, they also, with successive iOS updates, make their own native apps on the iOS that make dozens of other apps obsolete. Prime example: Reminders with iCloud functionality. I had two good apps for reminding me what to do (no cloud/sync functionality) before they were made obsolete by Apple's built in solution (mainly due to iCloud functionality). Why do this if you want to encourage third party app growth? Now with Navigation, they just made other Navigation apps at least partially obsolete, if not completely. Again, what is the reasoning of making apps obsolete with home grown features/apps, if you want to encourage third party app growth? Voice memos is another example I can think of. Passbook I'm sure also made a few apps obsolete. These steps contradict what Apple wants to do with iOS (into making it into an app launching platform), if indeed that's what they want to do.
Also, by making iOS into a platform for apps and apps only, Apple is restricting the possibilities of iOS because it restricts access to iOS. It's not just about customization. For example, by restricting iCloud to Apple only, and by restricting some additional features/APIs to Apple only, they are not allowing apps to employ all the resources and make even better apps. I remember when apps couldn't use bluetooth and had to make multiplayer over wifi only. What a pain that was!
So my point I guess is that if Apple is indeed moving towards (or already is) in camp #2 (iOS being a platform for apps), then why not give apps even more access to iOS so users can make their iOS devices into what they want them to be. I don't mean customization necessarily, but I mean exploiting the full potential of iOS being a platform for apps by restricting less of it to developers. And also, why contradict itself by making native apps that make dozens of other App Store apps obsolete, if the goal is to make iOS into a third party app platform? It doesn't really make sense.
My hope is that Apple still remains on camp #1. The are several reasons I don't want an iOS that is only a platform for apps, but I'll have to post later to better formulate and word my points.
One last thing I'd like to reiterate is the point about what groundbreaking/innovative features I want/expected in iOS. Again, I only have a rough idea/list of what I would like from the iOS. I don't know what those features might be or how they would be implemented, because, again, that's not my job or area of expertise. There are hundreds of more than capable young engineers at Apple who studied in their respective areas for years, and now make their bread and butter by thinking and innovating these groundbreaking/innovative features for the iOS. It is from them that I expect new features from. Buying an iOS device is just another way of saying that you support/agree their efforts and innovations.
Again, feel free to agree or disagree with what I've said!
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Yeah haha, I copied/pasted some of what I wrote earlier in your thread to save my fingers some work
I can only wish that is the case, but I'm not betting on it. They'll definitely add something to iOS 6 once the new iPhone comes out, but my bet is that it'll be for the new iPhone only
I was looking over the replies, and I think a good way to categorize iOS users now is in two extreme ways (with users falling in between the two). Please add on/modify if you think I'm wrong on this one:
1) At one extreme are iOS users who want the iOS to do more, and thus rely less on apps (aka, feature-filled)
2) At the other extreme are iOS users who want the iOS to be simply a platform that can launch apps (aka, iOS containing the basic/necessary features, with apps taking care of the other "left-out" features so to speak).
Obviously one can tell which iOS users are complaining about iOS 6's general non-change, and which ones are enthusiastic. It's also pretty obvious that I belong more so on camp #1 (iOS being more feature filled).
I think this is a fundamental difference that comes down to personal choice. There is no point in arguing about switching one over from a camp. But I would like to say something about this. Apple seems to be switching to camp #2 (iOS being a platform) ever since they created the App Store with iPhone OS 2.0. Sadly, this is something I'm resisting.
Don't get me wrong. I love the apps and the availability of apps on iOS. With so many apps, there really is an "app for everything." But Apple digs itself into a hole when it simultaneously dedicates itself to camp #2 (iOS being a platform for apps), and at the same time restricts half of the iOS to itself. For example, only Apple could have officially done a Notifications bar with an iOS update (as opposed to there being an "app" on the App Store that would have installed a Notif bar). So while it is great that Apple finally did that, they failed (and still do) to provide developers access to it. By that I mean, there can't be "apps" or "widgets" in the Notifications bar/for the Notifications bar. Only what Apple wants.
Furthermore, there is general inconsistency with what Apple seems to be doing. For example, while they encourage third party app growth, they also, with successive iOS updates, make their own native apps on the iOS that make dozens of other apps obsolete. Prime example: Reminders with iCloud functionality. I had two good apps for reminding me what to do (no cloud/sync functionality) before they were made obsolete by Apple's built in solution (mainly due to iCloud functionality). Why do this if you want to encourage third party app growth? Now with Navigation, they just made other Navigation apps at least partially obsolete, if not completely. Again, what is the reasoning of making apps obsolete with home grown features/apps, if you want to encourage third party app growth? Voice memos is another example I can think of. Passbook I'm sure also made a few apps obsolete. These steps contradict what Apple wants to do with iOS (into making it into an app launching platform), if indeed that's what they want to do.
Also, by making iOS into a platform for apps and apps only, Apple is restricting the possibilities of iOS because it restricts access to iOS. It's not just about customization. For example, by restricting iCloud to Apple only, and by restricting some additional features/APIs to Apple only, they are not allowing apps to employ all the resources and make even better apps. I remember when apps couldn't use bluetooth and had to make multiplayer over wifi only. What a pain that was!
So my point I guess is that if Apple is indeed moving towards (or already is) in camp #2 (iOS being a platform for apps), then why not give apps even more access to iOS so users can make their iOS devices into what they want them to be. I don't mean customization necessarily, but I mean exploiting the full potential of iOS being a platform for apps by restricting less of it to developers. And also, why contradict itself by making native apps that make dozens of other App Store apps obsolete, if the goal is to make iOS into a third party app platform? It doesn't really make sense.
My hope is that Apple still remains on camp #1. The are several reasons I don't want an iOS that is only a platform for apps, but I'll have to post later to better formulate and word my points.
One last thing I'd like to reiterate is the point about what groundbreaking/innovative features I want/expected in iOS. Again, I only have a rough idea/list of what I would like from the iOS. I don't know what those features might be or how they would be implemented, because, again, that's not my job or area of expertise. There are hundreds of more than capable young engineers at Apple who studied in their respective areas for years, and now make their bread and butter by thinking and innovating these groundbreaking/innovative features for the iOS. It is from them that I expect new features from. Buying an iOS device is just another way of saying that you support/agree their efforts and innovations.
Again, feel free to agree or disagree with what I've said!
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Yeah haha, I copied/pasted some of what I wrote earlier in your thread to save my fingers some work
I can only wish that is the case, but I'm not betting on it. They'll definitely add something to iOS 6 once the new iPhone comes out, but my bet is that it'll be for the new iPhone only
...
For those of you talking about LTE being the hopeful integrated iOS feature for the new iPhone, I damned well hope you're wrong. The 4S brought Siri. Yes, it can be a bit sketchy at times, and yes, in the UK it hardly works. However, in many countries out of the US, there are no LTE providers - let alone true 4G ones.
I've touted iPhones as being the best thing on the Earth since I got my 4S, and well before when I used iPads and iPod Touches I owned. If the new iPhone brings nothing but a prettier build and faster specs, then I'll definitely not run a legitimate iOS6 build. I'll either have to jailbreak, or be forced into the cheaper and, frankly, more functional Android line.
And I hate Android.
For those of you talking about LTE being the hopeful integrated iOS feature for the new iPhone, I damned well hope you're wrong. The 4S brought Siri. Yes, it can be a bit sketchy at times, and yes, in the UK it hardly works. However, in many countries out of the US, there are no LTE providers - let alone true 4G ones.
I've touted iPhones as being the best thing on the Earth since I got my 4S, and well before when I used iPads and iPod Touches I owned. If the new iPhone brings nothing but a prettier build and faster specs, then I'll definitely not run a legitimate iOS6 build. I'll either have to jailbreak, or be forced into the cheaper and, frankly, more functional Android line.
And I hate Android.
I really dont understand what kind of groundbreaking stuff you think they should add, when you dont even have any idea what they should add. But instead think that thats what the developers are for. Exactly how many more earth shattering things do you think a phone is going to be able to do? Unless youd like it to start making phone calls for you like a butler? And if you dont want apple to put things in like maps and reminders, then how else would you like them to be innovative when app store developers are suppose to be putting all these cool features instead of apple?
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If Apple did something like full featured VOIP Calling, where you basically have a voice version of Facetime and you can ring any iOS user for free over Wifi and 3G, with features like conference calling, automated contact scanning, and heck, iCloud-based voicemail, defeating the need for things like Skype and completing the video/text/video trifecta, people would be excited.
And that's not even that realistic a feature. There's much more that Apple could have done, like making the Notification center more useful and adding Wifi/BT/Airplane toggles or 3rd party widgets, revamping the Multitasking manager to be more intuitive and kill all apps easily, giving the Messages app a quick reply popover feature where you can reply to a text without leaving your current window, adding the Phone app to notification center so that you can dismiss a call from the notification rather than disturbing what you are doing, etc.
But no, Apple's only big feature this year was replacing Google maps with worse looking maps, albeit with turn-by-turn.
Dude. I can't, with a strait face, talk to any client and actually make BT/Wifi/APM a big deal. No amount of RDF is going to make people actually give two ***** about them.
The problem with the ability to respond to texts without leaving what you're doing is that "you're responding to texts without leaving what you're doing"
The nice thing about notifications is that you see them come in at times and you decide "do I want to respond now or later" This allows you to prioritize. The problem with communication tools today like email and chat is that they are taking our focus too much and we're not getting things done.
That's because Siri was only for the iPhone 4S. If Apple announced Siri for iOS 5 and didn't make it support any of the older devices
1) It'll piss off a lot of people, announcing a feature thats not supported by anything
2) Not Apple's way of doing things
3) Pretty much confirm that an iPhone is coming and would make sales bad
Well, that's the inconsistency I was addressing. Apple seems to want to have an iOS that serves as a platform for third party App Store apps. But at the same time, it creates these native apps that hinders or even obsoletes third party apps on the App Store, creating an inconsistency. Personally, I'd like Apple to be more innovative and would like an iOS that's more than just a launch platform for App Store apps.
Well, the 4S is supposed to make phone calls like a "butler" now, isn't it? Actually, the 3GS and 4 can both make phone calls with voice commands. Anyway, what I was trying to say is that my area of expertise and full day job has nothing to do with computers, whereas there are hundreds of software/hardware engineers employed by Apple whose full day's work consists of coding for iOS. I have a rough idea of the features I'd like my iPhone to have/do. Features that need Apple's engineers to rewrite the iOS for... aka features that an app can't add (unless I jailbreak of course). But unfortunately, I don't have a creative enough mind, or the time, to sit around and think of a groundbreaking/innovative way to implement those features. If I did, then I would probably have made a tech startup by now and would be a multi-millionaire by now.
Take Siri for example. I had a rough idea years before Siri where I thought it'd be cool to be able to have some AI-like voice control on a phone (who didn't?), but never actualized those thoughts. Some guys took the initiative and created a startup that was eventually sold to Apple as Siri for a few hundred million dollars. Those are the types of people who I entrust with making groundbreaking/innovative features...
So not being able to name or list out groundbreaking/innovative features isn't showing a lack of desire or will on my part... nor is it showing that iOS is now fully "mature" and saturated. It's merely showing that some people (such as myself) aren't creative enough to come up with these new features. Some folks are (including many that now work at Apple), and I encourage them to use their creativity to come up with new some new groundbreaking/innovative features for the iOS.
And what im saying is that there aren't all that many ground breaking features to add right now. Not that you should become an apple engineer and do it yourself. So everyone should stop getting their hopes up so high that something amazing and innovative is going to come out every year.
What a minute a common sense post, are you kidding me? But we want to be blown away this is APPLE! LOL
Let me fix that... "There aren't all that many ground breaking features to add right now, that I can think of"
Again, some folks (like me, and apparently you also) don't have the imagination or creativity required to think of new groundbreaking/innovative features. That doesn't mean that iOS has matured fully. That would be wrongful thinking because there are improvements or additions that could be made to iOS that you can't even imagine right now. But there exist some folks who are either hatching these innovative ideas right now, or already have. And these are the creative folks who have made start-ups with their creative ideas, or will be doing so in the future. Hopefully they make their way into iOS.