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And the thing is, we already know a lot of what we're going to see in iOS6, because the company already told us.
At the company's Worldwide Developers Conference back in June, the company gave a detailed walk-through on some of the new features and changes coming in the new version of the mobile OS. At the event, Apple senior VP for iOS software Scott Forstall got lots of stage time walking through some of the key new features. Let's walk through what he said.
- Siri is going to be substantially improved. The voice recognition software will be able to respond to questions about sports: "Who won the Giants game?" Or, "What is Buster Posey's batting average?" Asking about a player will pop up a detailed player card with relevant statistics. Siri will be able to answer comparative sports questions, like, "Who is taller, LeBron or Kobe?" Siri will be about to answer questions about schedules, like, "When is the next 49ers game?"
- Siri will also include Yelp and OpenTable integration in results, for finding restaurants - and making reservations.
- Siri will also now have integration with Rotten Tomatoes for movie review related questions. You'll also be able to ask about movie times, and ask to see trailers.
- Siri ALSO will now be able to launch apps...
- ...and you will be able to Tweet by voice.
- Eyes Free is a new feature intended to make for safer use in cars. The company said at WWDC that it is working with car makers to have a button on the steering wheel to pop up Siri. At the time, Apple said that several automakers will have this feature in the next 12 months.
- Siri also is adding more languages, including regionalized versions of English and French for Canada; and specific Spanish versions for Spain, Mexico and the U.S. Also coming: Italian/French/German for Switzerland; Korean; Mandarin for Taiwan; Cantonese for Hong Kong; and Mandarin and Cantonese for mainland China.
- Also on the way in iOS6: Facebook integration. It will easier to post from most apps. The OS will remember your log-in data. There will better integration with the notification center. There will also be integration with Facebook, so you can post status updates by voice. There's also new Facebook integration with the App Store, so you can "like" apps. You can also "like' stuff in the iTunes store. Also, shared Facebook contact info will appear in contact lists. Facebook events will show up in calendars, along with birthdays of your friends.
- Another new feature: better controls for incoming calls. You can set reminders to call back missed callers; one feature reminds you to return calls when you change physical locations. You can "reply with message" on incoming calls, telling people you are in a meeting.
- Also coming: a new Do Not Disturb feature which allows you to tell your phone not to light the screen or make any sounds for notifications during specified hours; you can make exceptions, though to be sure you get urgent calls form your boss, or your kids, or whoever.
- FaceTime is now going to work over cellular networks, not just WiFi. Apple is also connecting your phone number and Apple ID, which means you can take calls on your iPad or Mac.
- There's a new version of Safari for iOS, which is adding tabs and an offline reading list. A new feature: Smart Ap Banners, wo when someone goes to your site, you can easily direct them to the app store, or give them the option of switching to an app if they already have it installed.
- Another new addition: sharing Photo Streams. You can push notifications when photos are added to a friend's stream.
- Apple is also enhancing the mail software in iOS. Among other things, you can tag people as VIPs, and see their emails on your lock screen. VIPs also get starred in your in-box. It's also going to be easier to include photos and videos in mail.
- With iOS 6, the company also is going to launch Passbook, a new service to manage all kinds of passes and tickets. Airline boarding passes. Customer loyalty cards. Movie tickets. Coupons. Express check-in cards for hotels.You can "shred" cards you no longer need.
- Guided Access is a new feature intended to improve the experience of using iOS for the disabled. In particular, at the launch event they showed how you can use "single app mode," so hitting the home button does not leave the app. You can use single app mode for administering tests on the iPads; no leaving the application to look up answers. The feature also would be handy for museum guides.
- Let's not forget that we're also going to get to experience the company's move into Maps, which includes more than 100 million business listings around the word, Yelp integration, and live traffic information. There is going to audio turn-by-turn navigation build it. You get updated ETA information based on live traffic updates. When there are traffic issues, the navigation software will change your route to get you around bottlenecks. There's also Siri integration, so you can to be taken someplace - like "find the nearest gas station." There's a feature in Maps called Flyover that shows 3D photographic depictions in urban areas, rendered in real time.
- Other new features: Improvements to GameCenter. Better privacy controls to set what data apps can access. Redesigned versions of Apple various online stores. "Lost mode," to send a message to your phone with a number telling how you can be reached. And there will be some new China-specific features, like new fonts, easier text input and integration with China-based e-mail, video and browsing services.
Again, that's stuff Apple talked about in June; you can bet there will be more where that came from on Wednesday
In case you want a refresher, Here's the WWDC keynote in full; the iOS6 discussion is about one hour in:
