The iPhone's Apple logo could pack hidden sensors in the future
Every nook and cranny matters within a smartphone these days to keep it slim
and light, so it's no surprise that Apple is looking to make better use of its
logo on the iPhone.
According to a patent found by Apple Insider, the company wants to place
"concealed electronic connectors" within the Apple logo.
The patent states that it could be used to house a heart rate monitor, a
battery charging circuit, a skin conductivity sensor or even move the Apple ID
fingerprint scanner there.
But as with any patent, there is no guarantee Apple will ever execute the
project.
Just last month, another patent emerged suggesting that Apple could even
integrate Touch ID into the handset's display.
Another patent recently described how iPhone and Apple Watch users could also
one day transfer money to each other via their devices when nearby.
iOS 9: Everything you need to know about the new iPhone and iPad software, from
release date to battery life
Apple will update its smartphone and tablet lines later this year, not only
with the likely introductions of the iPhone 6S and iPad Air 3, but with iOS 9,
a new software update set to transform existing iDevices.
Introducing a number of new features, functions and services, the software
patch will offer a variety of enhancements, from an improved Siri experience,
to battery life benefits and revamped multitasking options. Set to be rolled
out in a matter of months, iOS 9 will revitalise iPhone and iPad ownership for
millions of users. Here's what you need to know.
What's new in iOS 9?
Unlike in recent years, the iOS 9 update is more about adding new features than
a new look and feel. The Apple Watch maker has claimed the update will "elevate
the foundations of the platform", addressing everything from search and maps to
in-car options and Android migration.
Many of the new iOS 9 features are about bringing the platform into closer
competition with Google and its Android OS. This is no more true than with
Apple's reworked search offering. Populating your screen with contacts, apps,
news feeds and nearby services, Apple wants to give you instant access to the
most relevant data possible.
Taking things to the next level, it doesn't want you having to search for
information at all where possible. A smarter caller ID system will do all of
the leg work for you, looking through your emails in a bid to pair unattached
numbers to a name you might recognise. This is just the tip of the iOS 9-themed
offering, however.
Notes
Ignored by some, loved by many, Apple's Notes app is set for a sizeable
refresh, becoming more relevant and useful to your daily life.
Gaining access from whatever app you're in, Notes will be about far more than a
simple location to jot down your latest musings, with checklists, category
headings and image, map and URL support all being added. With iCloud backing
also joining the mix, the new Notes app will even let you use your finger to
create handwritten reminders and image annotations - just like a real notebook.
Maps
Once the laughing stock of Apple's app line-up, Apple Maps has moved on from
warped roads, lost locations and bendy buildings. Now a legit challenger to
Google's market-leading free service, it's gaining transit directions in iOS 9.
Throwing public transport into the mix alongside walking and driving-based
navigation, nearby points of interest, including landmarks, restaurants and
cafes will now also be highlighted.
News
One of the biggest new additions to Apple's next software refresh is the
introduction of an all new News platform. The company's latest can't-delete app
is an imitation of sorts of Flipboard or HTC's Sense skin on Android. News will
collate all of the articles you might be interested in, presenting them in one
stylish, easy to access location.
With thousands of leading news creators on board for launch, Apple will package
the written word alongside all manner of high-production image and video
content.
The more you read, the more personalised the service will become, learning your
interests and better attuning the promoted content collection to you.
Wallet
Replacing Passbook, Wallet will be the new one-stop app for all things
payment-based. Apple Pay - the company's contactless mobile payment service due
to launch in the UK later this month - will be managed through the new Wallet
platform, gaining new features courtesy of the latest iOS push.
Joining your banking information in your digital wallet, store cards and reward
cards are also being cloned, living in your handset for more convenient
shopping.
iPad-exclusive iOS 9 features
Introducing something that users of Apple's slates have been requesting for
years, iOS 9 will finally bring split-screen multitasking to the market-leading
tablet line.
Echoing a number of Android slates, the single-screen, multi-programme options
will see users able to have a second app share the screen space equally with
another, or display as a small sidebar. The result - more natural, intuitive
cross-app collaborations and a smoother, quicker working experience.
What's more, FaceTime will no longer be an all or nothing affair, with the
video calling service able to run as a picture-in-picture option while
performing other tasks - such as checking your calendar while on a work call,
or searching for gig tickets while chatting with your beau.
Siri graduates in iOS 9
Forget 0 ÷ 0-themed backchat, Siri is about to become less gobby and more
helpful. iOS 9 will see the voice-activated personal assistant become 40%
faster and far more accurate in its feedback. In true Her fashion, it will soon
understand context too, allowing for a more conversational tone - creepy.
Siri's updates aren't just about polishing the service, though. In a slightly
sinister Google Now fashion, the digital PA will soon be able to pre-empt your
likely requests, surfacing information it thinks will be useful before you've
even asked the questions.
It does this by monitoring your daily activities, picking up on your regular
habits - say, playing music when you get home - and learning when to
second-guess your next move and cut out the middle man.
Gaining the ability to search your image library for people and places, in iOS
9 Siri will also gain the skills required to automatically add events to your
calendar based on details received in email. She's getting smarter.
iOS 9 will make your devices more secure
If, like many, you use the same four-digit code to unlock your iPhone as you do
to get money from a cashpoint, things are about to change. Doing away with
four-figure codes in favour of a new six-digit method, Apple is switching the
number of possible passcodes from 10,000 to a cool million.
This isn't the only way the Cupertino-based company is keeping your data
secure, either. Having pledged not to share your personal information, even
between internal Apple services, the company is also adding dual-factor
authentication for those with multiple Apple products.
iOS 9 will boost your battery life
Draining batteries are the bane of any smartphone owner. Apple is looking to
address this with iOS 9, introducing some clever software tweaks which will
better manage your handset's staying power, all without you noticing the
difference.
Instead of simply throttling the device in order to conserve power, iOS 9 will
use your iPhone and iPad's ambient light and proximity sensors to work out when
the device is face down, preventing the screen from turning on, even when you
receive notifications.
This is just one of a number of battery usage trimmings which will add up to
around an hour's additional use on a single charge, a figure not to be sniffed
at.
What is iOS 9's release date - and is there a beta?
Keeping with tradition - and its annual launch cycles - Apple first debuted iOS
9 during its annual developers' conference back in June, confirming the
software would be rolled out to consumers this Autumn'. Although an exact
release date has yet to be announced, it is expected that the patch will launch
in mid-September, in the days leading up to the company's next smartphone
introduction.
Can't wait till the autumn? Well Apple has decided to be kind and give you an
early play. An iOS 9 public beta will be held months ahead of launch for those
too impatient to wait. With iPhone and iPad owners able to register their
interest now, the public beta programme will officially kick off on an as yet
undetermined date later this month.
This is the first time Apple has offered a public beta on its iOS software
having previously limited avid fans to Mac OS X previews.
Is my device iOS 9 compatible?
Unlike when new Android updates drop, Apple is pretty hot in ensuring most
existing smartphone and tablet owners are offered the patch on day one. iOS 9
is no exception, heading to all versions of the iPhone and iPad launched in the
past couple of years.
On the phone front, everything from the iPhone 4S onwards - yes, that includes
your recently purchased iPhone 6, don't worry - will be offered iOS 9 in some
capacity, while all but the original iPad will make the move on the tablet side.
Still clinging on to an iPod touch? Sadly, only the fifth-gen offering will be
making the move to the new OS.
The iOS 9 diet
Last year, iOS 8 saw Apple's annual software update cause millions of users to
struggle for storage space. Lining up at 4.58GB in size, the hefty patch forced
many to delete apps, photos and files in order to free up the necessary space.
For 2015 the new iOS update has been trimmed and toned down, requiring just
1.3GB of available space. Hopefully this should do away with storage concerns
for most.
Apple Music to enable high-quality 4G streaming when iOS 9 launches
Apple Music users will be able to stream tracks at the highest quality over
their data connection when iOS 9 launches.
Those testing the latest beta version of the operating system have confirmed
that the feature is present in the software, reports SlashGear.
Apple Music currently switches to a lower bit rate to conserve mobile data when
accessed over 4G, but the update will benefit users with generous data
allowances.
The feature can be activated via the Music section of the Settings menu on an
iOS device, issuing a warning about high data costs when activated.
Apple Music's top bit rate is currently 256kbps, which lags behind Spotify's
320kbps and Tidal's lossless 1411kbps.
iOS 9 will be issued as an over-the-air update in the autumn and will come
pre-installed on Apple's next iPhones.
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