iOS6 is now available for iPhones and iPads and I’m pretty impressed with a couple of the new features.
Droid users, of course, have had many of these things for some time. But iPhone users are going to love them.
First thing that impressed me is the new panoramic option for the camera, which stiches together images in pretty cool pano displays.
Here’s one I just shot of my home office.
You open up the camera, hit options, select panorama then tilt the camera vertical. Then tap the shutter capture icon and move the camera left to right keeping an arrow centered on a line that appears on the screen. When you are finished, tap the shutter again and it’s done. The panorama feature handles up to 240 degrees. You can stich your pano shots up or down or side to side, just as log as you follow that arrow..
I’m also impressed with Apple’s new maps app, which replaces the old Google maps. This mapping app is designed entirely by Apple and has a very clean appearance that doesn’t distort when you zoom in. It also displays live traffic conditions, does turn by turn navigation (using data from Tom Tom) and makes for a pretty nifty GPS system. I miss Google’s street view, however.
iOS6 has 200 new features in all. The best I’ve seen from my first experimentations is the tight Facebook integration. You can post photos from iPhoto or have Siri do it for you.
Here’s some other new features, as described by Apple on its iOS6 what’s new page:
Siri - Want to know the latest scores and stats for your favorite teams and players? Thanks to iOS 6, Siri knows the answers. Or maybe it’s movie night. Siri can show you the latest reviews and showtimes. Find the best restaurants in town and make reservations. Even have Siri open your apps for you — no tapping required. Say “Launch Flight Tracker” or “Open Angry Birds” and Siri does just that. You can also use Siri to post Facebook updates and tweet for you
Passbook - A new icon called Passbook appears on your screen. This lets you keep your boarding passes, movie tickets, retail coupons, loyalty cards, and more all in one place. With Passbook, you can scan your iPhone or iPod touch to check in for a flight, get into a movie, and redeem a coupon. You can also see when your coupons expire, where your concert seats are, and the balance left on that all-important coffee bar card. Wake your iPhone or iPod touch, and passes appear on your Lock screen at the appropriate time and place — like when you reach the airport or walk into the store to redeem your gift card or coupon. And if your gate changes after you’ve checked in for your flight, Passbook will even alert you to make sure you’re not relaxing in the wrong terminal.
Do Not Disturb - iOS 6 adds new calling features to your iPhone. Now when you decline an incoming call, you can instantly reply with a text message or set a callback reminder. And when things are just too hectic, turn on Do Not Disturb and you won’t be bothered by anyone — except can’t-miss contacts like your boss or your better half.
Mail - Mail in iOS 6 lets you set up a VIP list so you’ll never miss an important message from your accountant, your boss, or your BFF. It’s even easier to add photos and videos to email messages. And to refresh your mailboxes, all you have to do is swipe down
Facetime - FaceTime now works over cellular networks as well as Wi-Fi, so you can make and receive FaceTime calls wherever you happen to be.3 You can even make and receive FaceTime calls on your iPad using your phone number.