Apple introduces iOS 9, outlines upcoming features and changes, multitasking for iPad

Apple introduced iOS 9 during the Worldwide Developers Conference with a copious number of new changes.

As the mighty Craig Federighi took the stage, he highlighted improvements for Siri, power management, extending battery life, etc.

Federighi cited that Siri is now 40 percent faster, and comes with a new interface that matches Apple Watch, and understands contextual statements like, “show me my WWDC photos from last year.”

iOS 9 will include a Proactive Assistant that learns your routine and offers to perform tasks based on your location, the time of day, or activity. Proactive Assistant can search your email messages for phone numbers to suggest who might be calling for people who aren’t in your Contacts.

Once your behaviors have been studied and learned, Siri and Proactive Assistant can suggest apps to launch and people you may want to contact based on the time of day. Apple is also releasing a new API for developers to help Siri search through other apps’ data while performing searches to come up with data that may be useful to you.

Additional changes include the following:
– The notes app will include text formatting options, support checklists and offer easy access to the camera and Camera Roll for adding images, and lets you draw on screen. Users can also link to Notes from other apps through share sheets.

– Maps will receive public transit information, which will also be supported by Siri. Transit will launch first in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Germany, and China, but only in selected cities.

– iOS 9 will finally introduce multitasking for the iPad, allowing it to work with two or more apps at the same time. Apple has also redesigned the on-screen keyboard, allowing for easier typing. The new keyboard will add task shortcuts like cut and paste and also allow trackpad-like movements when two fingers are used.

– The multitasking feature will include a task switcher that allows you to see your currently running apps as well as a Slideover feature that lets you look look at another app quickly.

– A Split View will be available only for the iPad 2 and allow you to use half the display for each app, or use the majority display for most of one app and a small portion for the second.

Apple has stated that the Slideover feature is compatible with iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2, and iPad mini 3 and that apps designed with the auto layout and class size features for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will carry over to the iPad now, too.

Developers will be able to download the iOS 9 beta today, a public beta will be available in July, and the official release will come this fall.

iOS 9 will run on every device that supports iOS 8.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via The Mac Observer