Apple has never been never gun-shy in releasing their products. After they announced the arrival and release of their latest devices, iPad Pro, iPhone 6s, and a new Apple TV, everyone’s eyes turned to the impending release of the iOS 9.
Like all iPhone and iPad owners, you’re probably looking forward to downloading it and sporting an all-new operating system. But before you do, let’s take a look at what you need to know about Apple’s new mobile OS.
When will it be released?
On September 16, barely 48 hours from now. Apple did not specify the time, so you’ll have to wait for the Settings icon shows up with a big, red notification on its upper right corner.
Any precautions before upgrading?
Prior to welcoming iOS 9 with open arms, you need to prepare your device first.
Check out some of your apps and see if some of them are out-of-date. If they are, be sure to download their latest versions, considering that some of them may not work on iOS 9 if not up-to-date. Second, check if you have enough storage space, since it requires 1.3 GB of free space to update. If you’re short on room, delete some unused apps and old photos. You can check how much internal storage an app gobbles up by tapping Settings> General> Usage> Manage Storage.
Although optional, you might want to back up your phone or tablet to the iCloud using iTunes on your computer. Things rarely go wrong during iOS updates, but it’s better safe than sorry!
Does it have any new features?
Captain Obvious says, yes.
Don’t be surprised if Siri receives a major overhaul. Though she still might not be able to tell jokes, she has a new nifty feature called Proactive. In iOS 9, she will be:
- Faster and smoother. She’ll be more responsive to your queries and accurately deliver more results.
- Be able to suggest apps, music, calendar entries, reminders, etc. based on your previous activities.
- Ask her more questions (just don’t ask her what zero divided by zero is)
Aside from improving our favorite virtual assistant, the iOS 9 will automatically fill out the search page with whatever is trending, may it be the latest news, or an ongoing sports game.
Its best feature – exclusive to the iPad – is Multitasking, which makes the tablet computer become more like a PC. With it, you can split the screen between two apps, and even scale down Facetime and other videos to the bottom of your screen while using another app.
It’ll also present a host of improvements to the existing apps, like Maps, Wallet, and Notes. Be sure to fiddle around with these apps and maximize them.
How to update to iOS 9
Unfortunately, the new OS isn’t for every device. The iPhone 4 and earlier versions can’t download it, as well as the 4th-generation iPod Touch and its predecessors, along with the first iPad.
There are two ways to download iOS 9: via WiFi and iTunes.
- The WiFi method – usually, a notification pops-up if the software is available for download. To manually check it, simply go to Settings, General, and finally, tap Software Update. After which, the process is intuitive, and after tapping download, wait for it to finish and ultimately install.
- Using iTunes – connect your device to a computer running the LATEST version of iTunes. If it’s an old one, be sure to upgrade it beforehand. After doing so, a notification will appear, and you can start the download. If it doesn’t look for your device on the control panel, click on the Devices tab, and the Check for Updates button.
Overall, iOS 9 may only be half the size of iOS 8, but it packs more power and content compared to its predecessor. After downloading it, prepare for a stream of constant bug fixes in the next couple of weeks!
