iOS 6 has just been released to the public, and if you're just about to give the new firmware its first test on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you may be wondering what some of the key new features are. On the face of it, the home screen looks essentially unchanged, but Apple has brought in many significant upgrades and enhancements to its iconic mobile operating system. We've compiled a detailed video running through these improvements, which you can check out after the jump.
Although the big news today from Apple is the release of iOS 6 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users, the Cupertino company has also taken the opportunity to release an update to OS X Mountain Lion, which moves up to 10.8.2. Given that the desktop department of Apple's two main operating systems now borrows many features of iOS, these simultaneous releases should be expected, and if you have upgraded to Mountain Lion, this is an update you most certainly won't want to miss.
iOS 6 was first announced a couple months back at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, otherwise known as WWDC '12, and with the iPhone 5 showcased last week in a well documented Yerba Buena-based affair, Apple also revealed the latest iteration of its famous mobile ecosystem would be landing on 19th. True to its word, the company has made the final version of iOS 6 available to download for the masses today.
There wasn't, perhaps, quite the palava last year when iOS 5 notched up an incredible number of betas before finally being released, but it's fair to say - as with any OS release - Apple has again found itself having to work tirelessly in order to ready iOS 6 for its scheduled drop date.
Further adding to yesterday's coverage, which showed images purported to be of a mockup of the iPad Mini, Andy over at GizChina has managed to get his hands on what looks to be an identical dummy model. Costing $13, the form factor representation of the upcoming Apple gadget has been doing the rounds on the Chinese market, and this is the first time we've managed to get an up close and personal look at what is believed to be the iPad Mini.
The announcement at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts saw the introduction of the iPhone 5 may not have brought about the additional surprises which we were hoping for, but it did bring a new Apple smartphone that seems to have once again captured the imagination of consumers. Critics took their usual stand of complaining that Apple had concentrated on making minor aesthetic changes rather than going down the route of innovation and announcing a truly revolutionary device. Consumers are the ones that matter, and with over two million new iPhones pre-ordered in just 24 hours, it looks like Apple will be onto another winner with the release.
A whole week has already passed since Apple gave the world its first (official) look at the iPhone 5, and with the past seven days in tech having been almost solely dedicated to the Cupertino's latest must-have smartphone, the reviews from Apple's select few have just been released.
Anyone who has an iPhone or iPod touch and has interest in snapping photographs or getting involved in social circles will more than likely be familiar with Instagram. When the app was first released for the iPhone, it took the world by storm as it was one of the first of its kind which allowed filters to be applied to photographs which would in turn be uploaded and shared with the rapidly expanding Instagram network. Things have changed a bit since then thanks to Facebook's takeover and numerous app revisions, but it is still one of the most popular downloads on the iOS App Store.
As we close in on the release of the highly-sought iPhone 5, many consumers will be keeping a vigil by their front doors, anticipating the arrival of their mail and packages; but once the outer envelope is torn away in a frenzied rush of excitement, what can they expect to see in terms of packaging?
Apple's Jony Ive was once described by the late Steve Jobs as the guy with "the most power" within the Cupertino company besides, of course, himself, and having been responsible for designing some of Apple's most iconic products throughout the years, it's little surprise he's garnered himself something of a cult following.
