With the rollout of its latest mobile operating system, Apple is looking to boost its application developer base by stretching upgradation compatibility to eight of its products across different generations.
The iO6, launched on Wednesday, features over 200 changes, and is compatible from the iPhone 3GS onwards, despite the company having dropped the 3GS model from its line-up after releasing the latest iPhone. By reaching as many legacy devices as possible, Apple has tried to maximise the market for iOS app developers. This has been an area of concern for Google’s Android platform where the latest OS upgrades are unable to capture any substantial established base.
The latest iteration of the OS includes a deeper integration of Facebook, a new Maps application replacing the default Google Maps, and the expansion of the personal digital assistant Siri across devices. (It was earlier available only on the iPhone 4S).
No serious value
From an Indian perspective, neither the introduction of the digital personal assistant Siri nor the new Maps App seems to add any serious value. Siri is not tuned to the Indian voice at this point, and users may find it difficult to use it for its intended purposes.
Also, the search functionality in the Maps - which can be used for searching a nearby restaurant - is unavailable in India. Users of iPod, iPhone and iPad with the iOS 6 would be able to sign in using their Facebook account, and easily share content at any point of time. Apple has also introduced features that will ease the user experience: two examples - a ‘do not disturb’ setting that will shut out notifications, and a refined one-touch voice reply that can be used while turning down calls.
