Apple announces iOS 9: With Siri on all apps and multitasking in split-screen

The Moscone Center in San Francisco, Apple has removed the veil from iOS 9, the new operating system expected to debut in the fall. That’s all the news.

Not missing the dig at Android world during the presentation of iOS 9. Craig Federighi compared the adoption of the current version iOS 8, with the system of the green robot, which came out with broken joints. And it is obvious to the different nature of the two operating systems, but this good Federighi forgot to say. Turning to the new operating system, the watchword was ” intelligence “, but without compromising your privacy.

The all passes for Siri, but also for Spotlight. The virtual assistant Cupertino satisfies more than one billion requests every week, with a 5% error rate. Change the graphical interface, and its integration with the operating system becomes much more widespread. Now he responds to requests such as: ” Show me the photos taken in Milan last August “, or ” Remind me to get coffee from the roof of my car when I enter ” because Siri will know when we are in the car or not.

For his answers, Siri can also tap into the third-party applications, and their screens. For example, we ask you to remember ” this “, as this is what is enclosed by the screen of the device at a given time (a bit as the very interesting Tap On Now). Yes, there will finally APIs specific to the virtual assistant. All this will be part of Proactive, confirming rumors of 9to5Mac recent weeks.

Functionality guaranteed are several: the device will know when such connect earphones, bringing to the fore the screen ” Now Playing ” on the lock screen. With Proactive, Calendar will send reminders in real-time based on traffic conditions (as it already does Google Now). Mail can instead ” control ” the emal saved to suggest the caller ID in the case of unknown number.

Siri will also suggest the use of the app and contacts used in the Spotlight screen, which becomes a more advanced search modes and evolved. Spotlight Siri and become a single thing. It also changes the Notes application, which finally allows the introduction of interactive lists, images and even drawings, while Maps introduces support for directions via public transport in ” multi-mode “.

The service will be available only in some cities ” selected “, although fortunately most of the six defined by the rumors of the past few days. There is also a new application, called News, a kind of feed reader evolved as Flipboard but integrated between the native operating system. This all works, according to the company, with the utmost respect for privacy of the reader.

iOS 9 will also appeal to owners of iPad, with many interesting news, and some decidedly expectations. It introduces the keyboard shortcuts you already know about iPhone 6 Plus, but certainly the most important is support for multitasking in split-screen. Coming exclusively for users of iPad Air 2 will run two applications simultaneously on the screen, both active at all times.

The transition from an app to the other running, moreover, is very simple in every moment, but it is evident from the similarity with Windows 8. The operation is similar, and allows splitting the screen with two app ” cut ” perfectly in half or with a visualization 70/30. The implementation of the functionality must be designed specifically, but Apple stressed enough that ” few minutes ” to make the transition. Even the videos will be displayed in Picture in Picture mode.

There is also room for some optimization software, for both iPhone and iPad: a new low-power mode that will deliver another three hours of use of the device, while the installation will no longer require 4.6 GB, but ” only ” 1.8 GB of free space on the device. Applications will have smaller disk, with developers who can choose what to install and what not on a specific device.

We conclude with availability: iOS 9 will be available in the fall to all users. Developers will have access starting from today the beta, while the operating system will be launched in public beta starting next July, as never before for the mobile operating system from Cupertino. iOS 9 will be available on the following devices :

• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5s
• iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus
• iPod touch fifth generation
• iPad 2, iPad third generation, iPad fourth generation
• iPad Air, iPad Air 2,
• iPad mini, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3