(Image source from: What's new in iStore?})
iPhone and iPad users will also have a huge sigh of relief as Apple has reduced the free space needed for installing iOS 9 from 4.6GB to 1.8GB. Last year, Apple had received a lot of flak from all quarters for the iOS 8 update taking up too much space for the install files.
Apple also announced that iOS 9's new low-power mode will give iPhones and iPad an additional 3 hours of battery life.
The company has made the Notes app in iOS 9 more functional by taking cues from Samsung's S Note. Instead of just typing in Notes, users can now draw in the app, make checklists and add photos.
The success of Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook's first new product, the Watch, will likely hinge on a compelling collection of apps. But early apps for the timepiece have been tied to the iPhone, placing limits on what developers could do.
"This will be a big deal in creating a much more useful set of apps for the Watch," said Jan Dawson, an analyst with Jackdaw Research, explaining that apps did not always run smoothly when tethered to the iPhone. "Watch apps could feel slow and unresponsive at times."
The company also unveiled new details about its Apple Pay service, saying it was already supported by more than 2,500 banks and will surpass 1 million locations accepting it next month.
In a related move, Apple said it would rename Passbook, its app for credit and debit cards and boarding passes, to Wallet.
Apple has also decided to take on Flip board and Google's Play Newsstand to launch its own News app to provide personalized content to users. The Apple News apps will curate content only from sources that the user selects, but customize the content into its own format for "beautiful" presentation. Like Flip board, Apple News will also have an Explore tab featuring recommended topics and publications.
- Manohar. M
