Apple announces iOS6

Today, the 11th of June 2012, is the first day of the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, traditionally the day that Apple launches its new stuff. The big(ish) news relates to iOS – Version 6, the latest update to the operating system used on the iPhone and iPad was announced. Sadly, it looks like nothing too exciting has been packaged into this upcoming update.

Here’s what iPhone and iPad users will be getting with iOS6:

• Maps: Out with Google Maps (and presumably Street View), and in with turn-by-turn navigation (courtesy of TomTom, we understand)
• Tweaks to Siri: Updates to the voice assistant, to include “Sports” and “Restaurants”. Hopefully we’ll see local business support coming to the UK (finally). Siri will also be available for the iPad 3
• Facebook integration: Facebook added to maps, address book and calendar, plus Facebook Siri support
• Facetime Mobile: Video conferencing over th mobile phone network (finally), and not just over wifi
• Incoming calls: The ability to divert an incoming call straight to voicemail, or to send a “go away, I’m busy” message.
• Find phone and friends: Locate your missing iPhone or your friends
• Other new bits: Better email handling and the ability to sync your browser tabs, plus some new photo sharing stuff

A few fairly handy tweaks, but nothing too inspiring, we feel. The free sat nav could be useful, but most users will have already found a sat nav solution for the iPhone. We’re also prepared to wager that the new features promised for Siri will be US-only at launch. Here in the UK, we’re still waiting for local business information to be added, and we’re guessing restaurant information and sporting information won’t be ready for the UK when iOS6 escapes. There’s a small footnote on the Apple site stating “Some features man not be available in all countries”, so that’ll be us then.

iOS 6 Launch Date?

It looks like this won’t be available until Autumn 2012 – We’re hearing suggestions that this will be released in September / October, to coincide with the launch of the iPhone 5

All in all, the lads and lasses here at FrequencyCast haven’t been ‘grabbed’ by any of the announcements today from Apple, and many of the online comments we’ve been reading indicate that rather than being innovative, Apple’s playing catch-up with the features that have been appearing in recent releases of the rival Android OS.

Any comments on iOS6 that we can include in the next show? Please add your comments below.