iOS6 - Apples new update

[eoinzy]

I seriously need a rant here!
So Apple released info on their new OS, which is to be released later this year. I recently read an article ( I refuse to link to it, so copy and paste this into your browser -http://www.bgr.com/2012/06/12/apple-ios-6-features-android-opinion-criticism/) detailing some of the "new" features in this release. I can't tell if the article is a piss take, or if its serious!!

Anyway, some of the main features being announced are as follows:
->Turn by turn navigation
->3D maps (only available in some places)
->Decline an incoming call with a pre-written text message letting the caller know you’ll message them in a few minutes
->FaceTime over cellular
->Ability to upload photos from Safari to websites
->Insert photos or videos directly into emails
->Ability to use a song as an alarm
->Contacts sync over iCloud

Now, knowing they'll be touting these features as ground-breaking and innovative, I just can't help but feel like I'm talking to a wall when I try tell people that these are nothing new. Apple should be embarrassed that this is the best they can come up with.
For example, Turn by Turn navigation has been on Android for as long as I can remember. I've had an Android since Feb 2011 and its had it since then. For free! Also, they're proud of their new 3D maps, which is fair enough, but they're always going to be competing against Google Maps, which they'll never beat. PS Google Maps already has 3D maps.
The next feature, to decline an incoming call and send an auto-reply text, well I actually only did that the other day on my Android. It exists, and was not new on Android. This particular feature has been available for years!
Then of course we have the long awaited "FaceTime over Cellular" feature. Why this was not included originally, I will never know. From a developer point of view, its not that it was not possible. It was purely Apple choosing not to enable it. At least Google give you the choice in little things like this.
Now we come to the more ridiculous of the features. The ability to upload photos in the browser?? WTF?? I wasnt aware you COULDN'T do this on an iPhone! Why have they not had this feature available in their browser before? And yes, all Android browsers have had this since inception! Whats more ridiculous is the "NEW" feature allowing users to insert photos or videos directly into emails!!! Were you not able to include ATTACHMENTS in emails before?? Is this not a basic feature of any email client, let alone a $600 device? Crazy!
But it gets better!! You can now use a song as your alarm ringtone! Wow!! That alone is worth the pricetag....NOT! I don't have an iPhone, but am I to believe that you can't customise your alarm ringtone on the iPhone? The first iPhone came out 5 years ago, is it really not possible until now to change your alarm ringtone???? Crazy stuff!
The last feature mentioned there is to sync contacts with the iCloud. This is a good feature. I have my contact synced with the Google cloud and its really good. I can edit contacts directly from my Gmail and they update immediately on my phone. Its a really good feature, but one I thought was already present on the iPhone since iOS5? How is this a new feature?

In addition to the most useless feature list I've ever seen, the article skims over the fact that it is missing the following features:
->No background app updates
->Can’t access Bluetooth or Wi-Fi from the Notification Center
->No widgets

Whatever about the design issues of having to click into an extra menu to get to bluetooth/wifi, it is unforgiveable that you can't update apps in the background! This is one of the minimum features I would expect from an App Store. If the iPhone was truly a multitasking system, as it claims, then it can simply run the app updates as a system process in a new thread in the background. This type of programming is thought to students, who would find it hard to get a job without this basic knowledge and understanding.
And finally, the lack of widgets! My homescreen is full of widgets, from calendars, to a torch, and clock, to weather widgets. Actually, the clock and weather is the same widget, all of which, can also be displayed in some form on the lock screen. Maybe I'm spoiled, but the effort of unlocking an iPhone, going into the app list, clicking the app, and waiting for it to open is just too much. Proper user interface design leans heavily on getting things done, with as little moves as possible.

I suspect that Apples marketing department will try and flog this shite off as new and improved, but what they should be doing is redirecting all their marketing funding to their design team and actually catching up with Android, Blackberry, and Windows Phone 7 so their users can have some basic standard of usability. Its crazy that people don't see this. Its like talking to a wall!!



Further reading:
http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/12/psa- ... evice-run/
http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ma ... res-2012-6
http://www.businessinsider.com/ios-6-fe ... sed-2012-6

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[Subbotacroca]

Beware if you dont have plenty of spare memory you cant upgrade till youve deleted apps and/or media to create extra space.

iOS8 requires up to 5.8GB of storage.