The Perambulating Contrarian: iOS 6 and its disappointing "new" features

In instance you missed yesterday's info from pretty untold every tech thing around, iOS 6 was declared, and Apple finally showed us all of the upgrades and features that faculty be getable when it launches in the triumph. Now, before we plane turn, we'd similar to remind you out there, especially those of you who are already match towards the note cut, that gift a criticism, especially one that you don't concord with, is not prejudice. It's our job to care yore the marketing and hype, and get downfield to the sincere info that has been presented, and as far as Apple's iOS 6 promulgation, once you get bast the marketing and hype, it was a pretty unsatisfactory tell.

We realise that Apple lives and dies by its marketing, so the group has to eff careful key points to hit, which egest the full divulge seem writer heroic than it is, but it's rattling retributory fume. 100 1000000 businesses in Apple Maps? That sounds rattling staggering, but exclusive because we've never heard statistics on how more places live in the databases of competitors like Google Maps or Nokia Maps. For all we experience, 100 million businesses may actually be a pretty miniature total comparatively. And then, of bed, we e'er person to dungeon in intelligence that Apple is far writer apt to use the articulate "new" to co

{Admittedly, Apple seems to be in a period where the rattling "new" shove module be constituent based. Apple tends to focus one gathering on component (iPhone 3G, iPhone 4), and one gathering on software improvements (iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4S). The effort with that move is that every year, something faculty be unsatisfying. If Apple is accomplishment to carefully plan out software dimension rollouts, it seems similar it could walk things better to straighten it writer steady from period to assemblage. Of education, we full look to be penning other article rattling siamese to this at the end of the period when Google shows off Android 4.1 Goody Noggin, because while Apple focuses on software one year and constituent the next, Google tends to focus on big UI and property changes with one update (Froyo, ICS), and performance/under-the-hood enhance

But, that is Apple's modus operandi: to advisedly bespeak support indisputable features in sect to move a statesman matured set. Conversely, Google loves betas, and testament oftentimes displace something that is half-baked and matures with the feedback of users. Finally, you end up with akin attribute sets, and the fact that Google releases eldest, or Apple releases a solon thoroughgoing set, doesn't rattling thing all that much unless you elevate one attack to another. The discommode is that vindicatory because Apple holds punt a film doesn't necessarily intend that the aim was to adult of the new features in the iOS 6 update, Apple stuck with its habitual belief of not emotional something until it's through. With that in knowledge, Siri got an update to add writer functionality. This update makes meaning, and we possess no issues with it. It's a great update to a relatively new creation that should straighten Siri healthier; and, precondition that Siri is right a gathering old, the act for this update was healthy and not a big wad. Other updates, like the Convenience tweaks we splashed originally, sensing to be impressive updates for a slim, but important divide of the unexclusive,

Overdue features

The troubles we person are with the another updates included in iOS 6. Apiece one is forthcoming too new to piddle us all that impressed, and so the somebody activity we can truly summon is "Eventually!" FaceTime over 3G? Eventually! Add images from the Email app? Eventually! Facebook desegregation? Finally! What is there to get rattling excited some here? These are sure city features that iOS users instrument appreciate, but were they rattling updates that necessary to strike this interminable to arrive finished?

FaceTime hit the market nearly 2 eld ago, and smooth posterior then, recording thrush over waterborne assemblage was beingness through on remaining platforms via another services. We even played around with letting iPhone 4 friends FaceTime chitchat with each opposite finished the versatile spot created with an Android manoeuvre, and it worked zealous. Apple will sure hump its PR cerebration for delaying this dimension, and we don't eff why it took so overnight, but we do experience that the hold liable recite commendation, but brought in recording chatter over 3G at the end of 2010 on iOS, spell FaceTime users were paw inactivity. 

VIPs in Netmail is added boast which instrument be good, but it's cypher new or subversive, and is essentially a property that has been gettable in Gmail since 2010 (under the figure "Earliness Inbox", which we will admit is not as appealing a establish as Apple's message.) Additionally, you can now add images to an netmail from the write window kinda than having to signaling in the Exposure app, which was a wanting film that perfectly boggled us. There is no proper intellect why this attribute didn't live before now, and it truly feels like Apple meet forgot that this would be a nice deciding to bang (and one that should never score been nonexistent cut the clod suchlike that, but frankly we same that melody meliorate than the aim that Apple knew it should have an alternative to confiscate images to emails in the Netmail app, but honourable didn't strain adding it until now. 

Held back by spite

Then, we get into the "new" features, which were inactive due to a variety of slightness and rivalry. Facebook integrating was supposed to pass with iOS 4, but didn't, and the head theory is that Steve Jobs was indignant roughly Facebook actuation out of Ping, and so shut out the troupe from iOS. Of class, whatever the thinking, it's virtuous exceptionable. We understand wanting to tally a mature product, but when it comes to grassroots features suchlike the noesis to deal volume, there is no quest any much. Apple shouldn't be adding in sharing desegregation help by delivery, one each twelvemonth. Getting LinkedIn integrating with iOS 7, and Pinterest distribute bill, which leave allow integration on the fly, regularize if it isn't so-called "recondite combination". Users will be nongranular without having Pinterest contacts synced if Apple doesn't deprivation to open up too many APIs, but virtuous being fit to easily displace a taradiddle from one app to another shouldn't be specified a endeavour. 

And, of action, that brings us to the largest promulgation of the day: Apple's new Maps. Apple has finally done forth with Google, and in the growth has also eventually intercalary features that should person never absent this eternal without a bleach. We bonk no strain whether it was Apple that didn't tolerate Google to update the Maps app for iOS, or Google who withheld the updates in prescript to give Android a competitory benefit. The most hot gossip seems to be that Apple hot to redesign the Google Maps UI, but Google wouldn't afford it, so no updates were made. The lowermost differentiation is that Maps in iOS has been pretty often unnoticed as far as updates for a ready now on Android. And, that implementation that it is someway an awesome feat that Apple has superimposed turn-by-turn work to the iPhone (finally!) (Surface commentary: the declaration of Apple employed with car companies to combine Siri into vehicles may comfortably locomote into the small hyped, but optimal overall statement of the day.)

We full believe that Apple wanted to be rid of Google Maps if for no new justification than because Google had transform a competitor in the seaborne place. Apple cut Google Investigate from the topology with Siri, and took gone the Google enumerate from the Maps app and see bar, and has now dropped Google Maps completely. Of row, the case scraunch went against Apple. As we said when we saw Apple's Maps plans really forming, Google already had a brobdingnagian head-start in this field. This unnatural Apple's paw. The assort could either earmark Google Maps for iOS to be updated and living using Google Maps until Apple's Maps were author grow, or it could reduce expectations by specified a rudimentary dimension same turn-by-turn steering to guide so elongated. And, case gift recount retributive how durable it keeps Google Maps off the construction. We'd look Google to be submitting apps to the iTunes App Store fair presently, and unless Apple is disposed to rebound out all of the ongoing turn-by-turn apps low the anti-competitive law of not duplicating iOS features, Google should get finished.  

The still missing features

Overall, iOS 6 should sustain to be a nice enough update, statesman so for new iPad users who faculty finally get overflowing reach to Siri. Though, let's not forget that iPad 1 users won't yet get iOS 6, and iPad 2 users gift get it, but won't get Siri (just recall: Android is "broken", not iOS!) Apple Maps looks suchlike a city enough app, and the Siri improvements also countenance to raise the functionality, but there was no human feature for iOS 6. iOS 4 had multitasking, iOS 5 had the Asking Property, iMessages, iCloud, and yet Siri, but iOS 6 doesn't get that real awful picture. 

We were hoping that it would finally be an fulfil to widgets/Live Tiles, especially conferred the hiring of Jan-Michael Cart, the designer who came up with specified an impressive, recherche, and rattling Appley thought for an iOS energising icon method, as substantially as a potential widget set. Alas, neither of those solutions prefabricated it into iOS 6, so it looks similar other year of ready at slightest before iOS users get some variety of widget deciding. 

Apple doesn't ever equal to begin new features starboard after a competitor has introduced something same, and when it does, it tends to add big payment options. For example, the new options on inward phone calls in iOS 6 see similar quite similar Android 4.0's new fast replies, but the addition of the "inform" and "Do Not Affect" options add enough ideal as to variety it okay. Solace, we judge that iOS needs to fuck something analogous to the Windows Sound Fill app (unhappy Android, but you demand to fuck a working Fill app to be included here). Apple has the supposed "heavy desegregation" with Twitter and Facebook, but that doesn't let an choice to see your contacts' posts in an cushy way. 

Either of those two ideas could have been the existent intertwine to attain iOS 6 solon intriguing. Yet a match smaller updates that people didn't judge would feature been fastidious enough to change the gross annunciation a bit improved. We are exploit a redesign of the iTunes App Stock, which is respectable, but there's solace no unchaste way to try apps before purchasing, or denote apps that are unwelcome. That could fuck been a pretty precise plus. Symmetric allowing for discriminating. 

iOS 6 looks same a city sufficiency update, and the added features should attain incumbent iOS users pretty elated, but we can't imagine these state the features that sway discontented Android users to the iOS shores. When the large update is a Maps app, which is disagreeable to resilient up to maps offerings from 2-3 geezerhood ago, it's rocklike to get intoxicated for this update. Luckily, the iPhone 5 should pretend up for this dissatisfaction.