With WWDC 2015 approaching fast, speculations around the upcoming iOS 9 have increased manifold. Almost daily, we see a rumor or leak come forth that sheds more light onto the next iteration of Apple’s operating system for the iPhone, iPad. Aside from these leaks, however, a number of sources note that there can be some smaller, additional tweaks that will carry a significant impact.
The most significant of these changes impact the next-generation of the iPhone – possibly iPhone 6s – which is rumored to have a Force Touch display with haptic feedback. This will be similar to the Apple Watch display and trackpads on the new MacBook models, which recognize the pressure intensity to translate into input. This is further supported by the fact that Apple plans to make iOS 9 Force Touch-ready, and will let developers integrate the tech’s support into their apps for the platform.
According to 9to5Mac, citing an unnamed source, Force Touch on iPhone and iPad will be power-user friendly, which means that it won’t be essential to the operation of the device. Also, as Force Touch is hardware-dependent, it’s unlikely that Apple will unveil it at WWDC, and should it come to fruition, will be announced with the next-generation of the iPhone.
The second major change expected is to the stock keyboard, which might see an improved design that provides easier access to additional controls, especially in portrait mode, and QuickType features that were launched with iOS 8. To users’ relief, the new keyboard might finally fix the Shift key, giving a better indication of when caps lock is active.
The third significant change will be to iMessage, where Apple is rumored to be bringing group chat threads and selective read receipts, where you can let only certain contacts know when you’ve read their messages.
Lastly, the report also touches on the fact that Apple Pay will finally be coming to Canada, making it the first country outside the United States to officially support it. But it’s rumored that Apple will not announce its support on Canadian shores at WWDC.
In the past few weeks we have seen a number of leaks pertaining to iOS 9, and with today’s report, the list of features keep on getting lengthier. Apple is said to be focussing on the stability of its mobile OS this time around while passing up on major new changes. In short: iOS 9 is a pure bug fix release that aims to make the Cupertino’s mobile OS as superior as possible in the handheld space.
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