iOS6: A review of the latest iOS for Apple OS devices

After three days of renovations, my room is finally ready for me to work in (which explains my absence for the early part of the week). However, I won't be blogging about that now because I'll have to wait till the entire room is completely done (sometime next week).

Photos courtesy of Mac Rumors

While a beeline of people are queueing for the iPhone 5 (I'm still on the fence as to whether to buy the phone), I have decided to download the latest iOS 6 and see how it pans out in the Singapore context.

Here's a lowdown of the newest updates:

Maps

As mentioned in my previous post, the new native Maps app has replaced the usual Google Maps as the main navigation app in the new iOS. Besides the typical mapping devices, it features the new turn-by-turn (aided by Tom-Tom) with Fly-over Function.

Let's start with the Pros:

Firstly, the free rotation and smoother zoom interface really makes life easier. This is especially so if you are one that needs to rotate your map to the orientation you are comfortable with.

Secondly, the Turn-by-turn feature works seamlessly and would save a lot of money from downloading the Tom-tom app.

Other than these two features, the app generally gives more information both within the map and in-location. This would be really helpful. However, for places in Singapore, the information available is still considerably limited.

Now with the Cons:

Most importantly, there is NO transit direction function in the new native app.  Apple has decided not to add in transit directions, instead they have suggested (in-app) a list of 3rd party apps that would do the trick. Unfortunately, gothere.sg or street directory is not in that list (so you'll most likely get an error instead of a suggestion).

As expected, the Fly-by function doesn't work for most places in Singapore. All you get is the default 3-D satellite imaging.

To me, this new app is really disappointing. For someone who doesn't own a car, but instead relies on public transport, the lack of transit directions is really a deal breaker. Although there are good 3rd party apps that will do the job, this would greatly handicap the reliability for the new Map App. Interestingly, this new feature is the feature that has taken the most flak from reviewers around the world.

Mail

Apple has certainly delivered on this one. The additional VIP function allows for automated sorting for important recipients (not that I have any now). The improved Flag function makes sorting of mail easier and ensures that you don't miss out on important messages.

Passbook

This app is basically useless for now. Most of the companies that jumped on the passbook bandwagon are US-based. So unless I want to buy a ticket to Los Angeles or New York, passbook is next to useless in Singapore.

If you want to play with Passbook, you can go to http://www.passsource.com.

Siri

Siri really DID get smarter. In fact, I'm actually impressed.

As promised, Siri was able to tell me about the English Premier League scores, standings and help me look for nearby food and amenities. Also, (if opentable allows) Siri can make reservations. Siri gave me quite a bit on what movies to watch too.

However, don't expect too much. As for sports, Siri doesn't know anything about Champions League and I'm not too sure about the other leagues (pretty sure nothing will come up for Malaysian cup or S League). The food and amenities information is still very limited, so don't expect to be able to find your favorite Laksa or Char kuay teow. Hungry.sg might be a better app for that.

Safari

The iCloud Tab is pretty awesome in integrating all my iDevices together. It is a really good move to make, allowing me to seamlessly switch between the devices. For me, this is easy to use and I'm pretty sure it will be helpful for most people.

Other Additions

Other addition includes the Facebook/Twitter Integration, Reply with message, Facetime over cellular, Privacy Settings and Photo Stream. Except for the Facebook/Twitter integration, I didn't really get to try out the other new features as I wasn't able to get hold of another person to test it with at 3 am in the morning. For Facebook/Twitter, it works perfectly so for those social media junkies, updating is just as easy as it can ever get.

All in all, this new iOS system isn't the big jump that I have expected (as seen from previous iOS jumps). I would agree that the integration of the different iDevices and with Social Media is the right way to go, but the major changes made to the iOS has served to do more bad than good.

The Passbook app is touted to be Apple's answer to the growing NFC technology. However, in Singapore, does that really hold up? The banks are coming up with NFC enabled credit cards and many other companies are following suit. I'm still unsure as to whether passbook will be more prominent than NFC in Singapore in a few months time.

The deal breaker for me is the native Map app. With the transit directions gone and the highly anticipated fly-over function crippled, this new app seems to have taken a step back. Personally, I can't wrap my head around the new changes and am uncomfortable having to use TWO apps just to obain directions (or simply just get rid of the new Map app). I admit that I am too reliable on the Google Map but like a common saying, "why fix the wheel when it is not spoilt".

For me, the lack of transit directions has led me to uninstall the iOS 6 and switched back to the iOS 5.1.1 (which explains the lack in screenshots). For now, I'll accustom myself (to see if I can really live without my precious google map) to using 3rd party apps for directions first before switching over to iOS 6. When I do switch over (probably in a week or so), I'll re-review the new OS and post it here. Hopefully, I was too quick to judge and the new iOS will prove me wrong.