I have installed the all new iOS 6 for my iPhone 4 and I have to say I’m enjoying the improvements. Everyone seems to have negative comments online about the apps and features, including a hilarious parody site about the new Maps app. However, from playing around with it the past few days, I’ve been very happy with the improvements.
iOS 6 Upgrade and Features
The install took some time (over-the-air), and my iPhone 4 was a little sluggish after the initial boot. But I found the device was spending its resources to restore my photos and set up my integrated apps (e.g. Facebook and Twitter). When it was done, I saw a performance boost, with far less slowdown than I had experienced with iOS 5.
The Passbook app seems like it can be a promising program, but with nothing there — and a small glitch where tapping the “App Store” link within the Passbook app brings you to a blank App Store screen — I really can’t say how well it will hold up. Hopefully, partnered companies will start using it soon. [Translation: I want my Starbucks card on here!]
My two favorite features of iOS 6 though are within the Settings menu. First, there’s the more convenient Bluetooth toggle switch. While I would love it even more if they incorporated a Bluetooth toggle switch within the notifications drop-down, this makes it quicker to access turning on my Bluetooth as I go into my car.
Second, I love the new Do Not Disturb option. One of my favorite iOS apps is Tweetbot for Twitter usage and my favorite feature of that app is its Sleep function, where you can silence the app from delivering notifications during a set time frame. Apple has created a similar feature built into iOS where you can control notifications and calls to be silenced from your iPhone either by schedule (like at night) or on demand.
The only thing that I hate about iOS 6 is not in the software, but the fact that my 2-year-old iPhone 4 isn’t able to use half the features that Apple offers with it. TechCrunch compiled the data and created an informational chart on the differences between iOS 6 on various devices. For now, I’m happy with the performance enhancements and the few new features I do have.
Now, I only have to wait two more weeks until I get my iPhone 5… 😉
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