Apple confirmed at Wednesday's iPhone 5 event that owners of the iPad 2 and the new iPad can start downloading the next version of the iOS software September 19th. iOS 6 boasts of 200 new features, including Apple's own mapping service that replaces Google Maps, an improved Siri that now opens apps, Facetime video chats over 3G/4G cellular networks, Facebook integration, and a Passbook app for storing boarding passes and other location-based items. The third generation iPad will now have Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant previously exclusive to the iPhone 4S.
What Else You Need To Know
- Owners of the original iPad won't be able to download iOS 6. iPad 2 owners can grab iOS 6 as an over-the-air update or through iTunes but they wont' be receiving Siri.
- iOS 6 is "the most advanced operating system in any mobile device", says Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller.
- Apple did not unveil the rumored 7.85-inch iPad mini at the San Francisco, California event.
- The iPhone 5, which will be available September 21st, already comes with iOS 6. The new software is also compatible with iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, and iPod Touch, although access to Siri is limited to the iPhone 5 and 4S.
Other sources
Sadly if you own an iPhone 3G or older, or the original iPad you will miss out on iOS 6 altogether, so you may want to start saving.- John McCann , Tech Radar
Facebook is near omnipresent in iOS 6, with Facebook "friend" info integrated into iOS contacts and notifications, including birthdays and the iOS calendar and the ability to post to Facebook from the iOS notification bar.- Jamison Cush, TabletPC Review
- ZDNet
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Hello iOS 6, goodbye iPad 1: Inject new life by jailbreaking it
It seems that quite a few of you are own the first-generation iPad and are worried that iOS 6 means that the device is now "end of life" (EOL), since there will be no more updates.
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Apple Reveals iOS 6 Release Details
By now, you must be itching to get your hands on the new platform, and Apple’s now revealed how it will arrive.
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Apple Announces iOS 6 Release Date for iPad
The most notable addition to Apple's latest mobile operating system will be Apple Maps, complete with turn-by-turn directions, satellite photos, 3D modeling, and "more than 100 million points of interest" according to Apple.
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- Tech Radar
- iOS 6 release date confirmed as September 19