A recent advertisement from Apple touted “the only thing that’s changed is everything.” While that may be a bit of a stretch, there are a number of new and updated features for Apple mobile users that update to the latest release of iOS9. Every major milestone release has brought many changes and features; here are some of our favorites.
Split Screen was one of the most anticipated features, and now it’s here. Supported on the iPad Pro, Air2 and Mini4, this new feature lets adept users split their screen and use two apps at the same time. This makes the iPad very useful for business use, such as reviewing a document and emailing feedback, or reviewing a calendar and a website of the event details in the same view. In true Apple fashion I found this feature intuitive and easy to use immediately.
Apple Pay has come a long way since it was first introduced, both in features and in acceptance. You’re now able to use Apple Pay with touch ID, making it easier than ever to pull up your virtual wallet to pay. Apple Pay extends even further now, with an interface on the Apple Watch to pay as well.
The San Francisco font was introduced in iOS9. It’s a subtle difference from the previous iOS font, but still a considerably large change for some. The new typeface is elegant and easy to read.
You can even set it as your default font for iBooks. Why is font choice so important? Not only do well-made fonts let you read faster, but it also reduces strain on your eyes. There’s a lot of good science and engineering in font design, and Apple has taken it to the next level here.
Siri DJ Mode i
s a nickname for the improvements in voice control of iTunes. There are many voice-controlled devices hitting the market now; Microsoft’s Cortana and Amazon’s Alexa controlled devices are just a few. While Siri isn’t quite ready to play the stage at your local nightclub, the new functions in iTunes are a great way to shuffle and organize your current playlist and have deep level access to your music.
Smart Caller ID is a new feature that will search your email for contacts to see if the person calling can be identified. This is a great tool for business users that arenot necessarily looking to add hundreds of contacts to their address book, but still want to know the name behind that number.
Tracking batter usage has really been hit or miss in the past. iOS9 now makes it easy to see the “vampires” of your battery by a visual breakdown of usage over the past 24 hours or 7 days. Additional improvements like Low-Power Mode round out the ability to know more about how your phone’s resources are used.
With many other features and improvements, iOS9 sets itself apart from previous versions, and improves greatly upon the features that Apple iOS users are already familiar with.