When Apple releases a new version of iOS, a lot of people wonder if they should upgrade or continue on using their existing version. The newly released iOS 9 was the first version to undergo a public beta period allowing Apple to fix more bugs before releasing it to the masses. Given this and the many new features and enhancements that have been added in iOS 9, we feel you should go ahead and update your devices now. Here are 5 features we think are worth upgrading for:
Siri is Smarter
Not only will Siri now understand the context of what you’re doing, for example you can ask Siri to remind you about a webpage you’re browsing in Safari or an iMessage you received, but it can now also search your photos by date and location.
Improved Battery Life
Apple claims that all devices will have up to an hour longer battery life with iOS 9. Additionally, there’s a new Low Power Mode that will kick in automatically when you have 10% battery life left or when you manually enable it. This turns off certain features to further extend your battery’s life.
Enhanced Security
While security features aren’t something people generally get too excited about, it’s becoming increasingly important to secure your mobile devices. With iOS 9 the default passcode length changes from 4 digits to 6 digits. This increases the possible combinations from 10,000 to 1 million making it much harder to crack. You can also opt for an alphanumeric passcode or keep your existing 4-digit passcode if you wish.
Proactive Search
iOS will now learn how you use your iPhone or iPad and make suggestions based on your location, the time, and what you typically do. For example, if you normally call your wife at 4PM from your office, when you swipe left from the home screen your wife’s contact card will be the first suggestion that appears.
Multi-tasking for iPad
iPad users finally have the ability to run two applications at once with iOS 9. There are three options for multi-tasking applications:
- Split View: This allows you to run two applications on the screen at once, each taking up half of the screen. Split view requires an iPad Air 2 or either the soon-to-be released iPad Mini 4 or iPad Pro.
- Picture-in-Picture: Allows you to continue watching a video while doing other things on your iPad. Picture-in-Picture works with the iPad Air, iPad Mini 2, and all later models.
- Slide Over: Use this when you need to quickly use another app, such as looking up something in safari while composing a message. The second application will only take up a small part of the screen. Slide Over works with the iPad Air, iPad Mini 2, and all later models.
If you have questions about these or any of the many other new features in iOS 9, contact us and we’ll be happy to help.