iOS 6 gives you more features to make the things you do every day even better. It’s free and easy to upgrade wirelessly on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
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Apple designed.
Enjoy new, beautifully detailed maps.
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Flyover.
See select cities and landmarks from the air.
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Turn-by-turn navigation.
Spoken directions route you to your destination.
Share links.
Post a web link to Facebook right from the web page.
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When a call comes in that you can’t answer right away, swipe up to reveal options. -
Quickly reply with an iMessage or SMS. -
Use a preset message or write a custom one.
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VIP inbox.
Your VIP list is iCloud enabled, so Mom will still be a VIP no matter which iOS device you’re using.
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Photos and videos.
Add photos and videos to email messages with just a few taps.
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iCloud Tabs.
Pick up browsing wherever you left off.
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Full-screen landscape.
Take websites full screen with a tap.
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Offline Reading List.
Full web pages — not just links — are saved in your Reading List.
Guided Access.
Restrict touch access to certain areas of the screen.
iOS 6 is compatible with:
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iPhone 3GS -
iPhone 4 -
iPhone 4S -
iPhone 5
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iPod touch
(4th generation) -
iPod touch
(5th generation)
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iPad 2 -
The new iPad How to Get Apple iOS 6:
Apple's iOS 6, the next major update to the iPhone maker's mobile operating system, is due out today. Any moment now. Right? [Right! Update: It was released just after 1:00 P.M. Eastern time September 19.]
Okay, so how do you get it?
First you need to make sure you have a compatible device in hand. iOS 6 will support the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 , iPhone 4S , and the new but as-yet unavailable iPhone 5 (which will hit stores and mailboxes Sept. 21), as well as the iPad 2 , the new, third-generation iPad , and the fourth-gen iPod Touch . If you're waiting for your new iPhone 5 to arrive, don't worry. iOS 6 will come pre-installed. If your device isn't on this list, it won't be able to run iOS 6, and it might be time to consider upgrading to a new phone or tablet. Additionally, some of the devices that are supported won't get every single feature. For example, the iPhone 3GS won't have any of the new Siri features.
When Will iOS 6 Be Available?
Update: iOS 6 is available now, free.
But you may want to wait. Typically, if you try to get to iOS 6 when the update first appears to everyone, it takes much longer to download than if you wait until after the crush of early adopters. If you can sit on your hands until later this evening or even tomorrow, do! The update also seems to go faster via iTunes than over the air (explained further below).
If you choose to wait, and I do recommend it, you can get started with the first two steps on these instructions now for download and updating to iOS 6.
How to Get iOS 6
1. Update iTunes. If you haven't recently updated iTunes, take a moment to check whether you're running version 10.7.
Launch iTunes.
Go to Help > Check for Updates.
You want to update iTunes if you use it to back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Backing up with iTunes has one very big advantage over backing up with iCloud: space. With iCloud, you have 5GB of free space (with more available if you pay for it), but with iTunes and your own computer, you're likely to have a lot more room to save your phone or tablet data.
2. Back up your device. This step may be the single most important one to follow. Back up your stuff!
With the latest version of iTunes installed, you can go ahead and back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch using iTunes (find detailed instructions for doing so in the linked article).
Alternatively, if you have enough space, back up using iCloud. Again, complete instructions are included in the linked article.
3. Update to iOS 6. When iOS 6 arrives, you can update wirelessly, also known as over the air, which for most people with a good Wi-Fi connection will be the simplest method, but it could take much longer than the second method, which I'll explain next.
On your device, go to:
Settings > General > Software Update
You'll see instructions there to download and install it.
Alternatively, you can update your software via iTunes. This is the method I used, and which I recommend.
Plug your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch into your computer with the USB cord and Launch iTunes (if it doesn't open automatically). On the left side of iTunes, find your device, for example, "Jill's Phone," and click on it.
In the center of the screen, you'll see "Version" and a button "Check for Update." Click "Check for Update" (see below).
A dialog box will tell you that a new software version is available. Select "Download and Update" or just "Download." Note: My first few attempts with "Download and Update" failed. I then just tried "Download," which worked and took about 12 minutes. But you'll have to push one more button in the center of your iTunes window in order to put the operating system onto your phone.
4. Be patient! The worst thing you can do during an update is interrupt it, so just be patient and let the download of iOS 6 goodness to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch run its course. If you're anxious to get your paws on iOS 6, just be mindful of when the device shuts down fully to reboot. Leave it alone until you see a screen that prompts you for action.
Why iOS 6?
To learn more about what makes this operating system unique, see PCMag's full review of Apple's iOS 6, as well as the slideshow below, which highlights five of the most exciting features in the new operating system. Also check out PCMag's full review of the iPhone 4.
Is Apple's iOS 6 Falling Flat With Users? Did Maps, The App Store And WiFi Get Lost?
One survey does not a trend make, but a recent poll by mobile customer research firm On Device should raise the alarm in Cupertino. In a blog post this morning, the company shows that whereas there is a considerable jump in user satisfaction between iOS 4 and iOS 5, satisfaction has actually declined with iOS 6. iPhone users in the U.S. were asked to rate their satisfaction from 1 (very unsatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied) for the device they are currently using. For those still on iOS 4, the rating is 6.93, which jumps up to 7.75 for iOS 5, but slips back down to 7.65 for iOS 6.
On Device advises that, “Whilst the decrease is small, it does highlight that the new operating system is not an overwhelming success. Which in itself is surprising; as the general trend is one of increased device satisfaction as consumers upgrade their mobile operating system from one version to the next.” So, like a leveraged stock price that markets expect to rise, the flattening of the curve here is significant.
Of course, this is just a single sampling of users, and On Device gives no indication of how many of the almost almost 16,000 iPhone owners surveyed are on each platform (I have queried the company on this point), but in the ever-upward world of technology, flatness equals death. As a means of comparison, On Device also sampled more than 6,000 Android users and found a 7.01 satisfaction level with Android 2 than jumps up to 8.07 with Android 4. (Note: Android 3 was a tablet only release. Thanks to RGBJacob for pointing that out).
The comparison allows On Device’s headline to claim, “Android users more satisfied with their device than iPhone users,” though if there were no other factors, this seems hyperbolic. Unfortunately for Apple, iOS 6 has several issues that are giving users well-publicized headaches.
It’s unnecessary to rehash here how disappointing the new Apple Maps app has been for users. This morning, Forbes.com contributor Roger Kay has suggested that, “Removing Google Maps May Push Potential Apple Customers Toward Android.” And contributor Nigam Arora, chimes in that, “The map flap exposes deeper issues than Apple has let on. Investors are coming to a conclusion that Apple has difficulty in executing large scale data driven projects.”
But that’s not all, many new iOS 6 users (not just users of iPhone 5, but also iPhone 4S and iPad) have had trouble with WiFi, since the switch.
On an ecosystem level, some app developers have complained about how the changes in the iOS 6 App Store have negatively affected the discovery of their products. Since there is no longer a “sort by release date” option, consumers are not finding (and benefiting) from the “early-bird specials” that many developers use to gain traction for their apps. Paying for advertising to drive traffic is more expensive than discounting, so this change seems to increase the advantage of the big players at the expense of the small.
The really important point here is that as soon as consumers “think different” about Apple’s software, the spell is broken. What has made the iPhone “just work,” has been the symphony between hardware, software and ecosystem. If Apple’s products get more fragmented, or Android’s less, consumers “automagic” allegiance to the brand could get disrupted, and with it the assumption that the next iPhone will be a bigger success than the last.
Apple’s iPhone Update Leaves Out Google’s Maps
By BRIAN X. CHEN and NICK WINGFIELD
Published: September 19, 2012
Apple’s iOS 6 no longer uses mapping data from Google.Related
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Bits Blog: Google Updates Android Maps App as Apple Moves On (September 19, 2012)
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Pogue’s Posts Blog: New iOS 6 Loses Google Maps, but Adds Other Features (September 19, 2012)
On Wednesday, Apple released a software update for the iPhone that, among other changes, replaces the Google maps that have been on the phone since 2007 with Apple’s own maps. So far the feedback from reviewers and early adopters of the new software is that it is attractive but suffers from holes and glitches.For example, some have found that searches for an in-town destination can pull up an entirely different city, and there is no built-in information about public transportation.Apple’s previous versions of iOS, its mobile software system, included a Maps app that was made by Apple but powered by Google’s mapping service. In iOS 6, the latest version, Apple has replaced the old app with a new version that uses mapping data collected or purchased by Apple itself.The company has been preparing for this change for a while as Google, with its Android software for phones, has come to be more of a competitor than a partner. Over the last three years, Apple has acquired three mapping companies.On the bright side, the new Apple-powered Maps app includes some features that were not in the old version, like spoken turn-by-turn directions and Flyover, a feature that shows 3-D models of buildings in major cities.The colors in the Apple maps sparkle a bit more; zooming and panning is faster. Yelp, a popular review site for businesses and restaurants, supplies data for location searches. And iPhone users can ask Siri, the voice-powered assistant, to tell them how to get somewhere.But because Apple is relatively new to mapping, it has a lot more work to do before its service is as robust as Google’s.Anil Dash, a New York-based entrepreneur, was critical of Apple and its maps on his blog, writing that Apple had “used their platform dominance to privilege their own app over a competitor’s offering, even though it’s a worse experience for users.” He complained that a search for “Bloomberg” failed to turn up the company’s headquarters, and one for an address on Lexington Avenue pulled up a street in Brooklyn, even when “NY, NY” was specified.Trenton Fuller, an iPhone and iPad owner and a computer systems administrator in Louisville, Ky., said he liked the look of the Apple maps but found similar problems.Mr. Fuller said he did a search for Heine Brothers, a popular coffee shop in Louisville, but substituted “Bros.” The map service could not find the shop until he typed its name in precisely. Google Maps, in contrast, was able to find it, even with spelling variations. And the Apple service came up with an inaccurate street address for Mr. Fuller’s office.“Not being able to find businesses or points of interest without spelling a name 100 percent perfectly could cause some grief,” Mr. Fuller said. “That problem combined with inaccurate street addresses could be superfrustrating.”Despite the problems, Mr. Fuller said he did not regret his decision to order the new iPhone 5, which will come with the new software installed when it is released on Friday.For public transit schedules, Apple gives the option for customers to tap on a tab inside the Maps app and download a third-party transit app for their city, though the quality of these may vary.Google could build its own maps app for Apple devices and submit it to Apple for approval. It declined to say whether it would do so. Brian McClendon, vice president for engineering for maps at Google, would say only that the company wanted to make its maps available to everyone.All iPhone users will continue to be able to reach Google’s mapping service through a mobile Web browser, a method that is somewhat clunky compared with an app. (The Google site prompts users to create a Google Maps icon that resides alongside app icons on the iPhone.) Users who choose not to upgrade to the new Apple operating system or buy a new iPhone will be able to keep using Google’s maps, and there is no indication that either Google or Apple will stop providing that service.As more people use Apple’s maps, the company will learn how to improve them. There are 400 million devices running iOS, so it may only be a small matter of time before millions of people have the new maps. Over the next year or two, Apple’s maps should become as good as Google’s for most people, said Scott Rafer, chief executive of Lumatic, a company that has developed a transit app for iPhones.“What no one’s talking about is map usage is a lot more important than any of this crazy software” that Google’s maps may have, Mr. Rafer said.Google executives, though they will not talk directly about Apple’s maps, are reminding people that Google is coming to the fight with years of expertise, and a lot of data of its own.Google, which has offered maps since 2005, has taken photos of streets in 3,000 cities for its Street View service, photos that help it ensure the accuracy of its maps. And it has information about one million transit stops around the world, including things like photos of the inside of Tokyo subway stations and directions on which exit to use.“It takes a long time and effort to figure out how to do this right,” Mr. McClendon said. “Experience is important.”On the same day that Apple released iOS 6, Google introduced some small updates to its Android maps, like the ability to see a list of places that a user had previously searched for on his computer.Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Gartner, said Apple was clearly not the market leader in maps, lagging both Google and Nokia. But Mr. Gartenberg said he did not think most consumers would be bothered by what was missing in Apple’s maps and that, on the whole, they would be more pleased by the addition of turn-by-turn navigation.“The granularity of how good mapping is on one platform versus another doesn’t seem like it’s going to matter a lot to consumers,” he said.Apple’s iOS 6: What you should know:
Apple released its new operating system Wednesday, and iOS 6 comes with a lot of changes and added features that are important to know about. Here’s a snapshot of the most notable of more than 200 new options that Apple has advertised for this upgrade.
First, you can update your Apple device to iOS 6 over the air by heading to the “General” menu and choosing “Software Update.”
But before you do, there are a few things you’ll want to consider, such as whether it’s smart to rush to upgrade today.
Why? Well, it could take some time. There are a lot of people trying to update their devices right now. For this post, I updated three Apple devices: One took just 20 minutes for a full update, and another just 25 minutes. But when I upgraded my iPhone, it had to be restarted and took nearly an hour.
Second, some of your apps will change when you upgrade. The most notable is Maps. Google has powered the iPhone’s maps app for years, but Apple has struck out on its own for this latest version of iOS. Reviews of the app have been mixed so far, as Apple’s map function is much earlier in its development than Google’s.
With an upgrade, you lose Google’s Street View. Apple’s Flyovers feature, which is supposed to give you a 3D feel of a city, is very limited. Note that it may not be available for a city near you quite yet, but you can check out the Flyovers for Sydney, London, New York or Boston.
The Maps app adds turn-by-turn navigation, which I haven’t had the chance to check properly while at my desk. Unlike its predecessors, Apple’s Maps reads out directions.
If you’re wedded to Google Maps, be aware that Google does not have a standalone maps app in the App Store right now. If you want to use that service, you’ll have to call it up on the browser.
Among the new perks, is a clock app for the iPad that can work as an alarm clock, stopwatch or timer. On the iPhone and iPod Touch, users will gain access to Passbook — Apple’s ticketing and loyalty card wallet app.
Third, if your device already had Siri, she’s new and improved, now able to open apps, make dinner reservations through Open Table, update Facebook and even check sports scores and standings.
Sadly, I won’t see Siri — old or new — on my iPad 2 or my 4th-generation iPod Touch, even though they’re both compatible with iOS 6. And I’ll again miss out on Apple’s handy dictation feature, either.
Since we’re on the subject of compatibility, users should know that Flyover and turn-by-turn navigation won’t work with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS or 4th-generation iPod Touch. And for owners of the iPhone 3GS and first-generation iPad, the iOS 6 will not work with their devices. At all.
Some additions work region by region. If you’re outside the United States, you should definitely check Apple’s iOS 6 feature availability list.
Apple has also redesigned The App Store and iTunes Store have been redesigned to move away from lists and toward grids. You’ll also be able to set a “Do not Disturb” period that will mute your calls and alerts, either immediately or on a schedule. You’ll also be able to allow certain callers even when you’re in the quieter mode or if you get a repeat call.
And now you’re even able to ignore calls, with a preset message or by setting a reminder to call that person back — a nice touch in an increasingly busy world.
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