Apple Announces iOS 9, Introduces New Features in Siri and Maps

It’s a big day for Apple. The company just announced the new version of its OS X desktop operating system called El Capitan which brings a number of handy features and tons of improvements. At the developer conference — better known as WWDC — the Cupertino-based company also announced the next major update to its iOS mobile operating system: iOS 9.

Apple’s Craig Federighi announced that with iOS 9, the company aims to provide more stability and performance boost to the mobile operating system while also adding several handy features. Starting with voice assistant, which as the company notes is serving 1 billion requests everyday, it is getting a graphical revamp. Apart from the improvements in the user interface, Siri is also becoming a lot more useful. Called Proactive assistance, Siri is now able to anticipate what a user wants based on location, time, and apps running in the background. When you plug-in your earphone to your iPhone, for instance, Siri automatically starts playing music or podcast you were recently listening to.
“iOS 9 can even learn what you typically listen to in a certain location or at a particular time of day, so when you plug in headphones at the gym or hop in the car before work, it can automatically display playback controls for your preferred app. Typed search queries deliver more relevant results from more categories, including sports scores and schedules, videos and simple math calculations,” the company notes on a blog post.

The company is also improving Siri’s integration with other apps. It can now look into your emails to identify if you know the stranger who is calling you. Apple also announced new API for search. The company also announced improvements in Maps. Users will now have the ability to receive public transit directions which covers train routes and bus directions.
“In iOS 9, Maps adds support for metropolitan transit systems and schedules, and subway station entrances and exits are precisely mapped, providing every step of your trip. When you plan your trip, Maps can offer a combination of trains, subways, buses and walking, and with the new Nearby feature, quickly see what’s around by searching for food, drinks, shopping and more,” it said.

Several other built-in apps are also getting some new features. Notes app, for instance, will now allow users to quickly sketch using their finger, and also create checklists to keep track of their to-dos, or snap a photo directly in a note.
Apple is making available the preview of iOS 9 to developers today, while other users will get it later this year. You can read some more features including better battery optimization, and multi-tasking support for iPad among others here.