Just as a computer would be useless without an operating system, so
would a phone. In 2007, Apple changed the game with the introduction of
its smartphone and first-ever mobile operating system.
The iPhone sure has evolved over the past eight years, and
so has iOS. Apple has introduced features in iOS that many users
wouldn’t be able to imagine life without, like iMessage, the App Store,
FaceTime, Siri, iCloud, Apple Pay and so on.
Here we explore the evolution of Apple’s iOS and how it has
shaped the functionality of the iPhone and other iOS devices, like the
iPod touch and the iPad.
Apple’s first-ever touch-centric mobile operating system was first announced on Jan. 9, 2007 when former CEO Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone.
The OS was never officially recognized, but Jobs called it ‘software’
that runs a mobile version of Apple’s desktop OS X. Features included
multi-touch gestures, visual voicemail, mobile web browsing on Safari
and YouTube. A January 2008 update added a customizable home screen that
let users move apps to dedicated “pages” on the device and gave iPod
Touch users new apps: Mail, Maps, Weather, Notes and Stocks. The update
was free for iPhone users, but iPod Touch users had to pay $19.99.
After the release of the iPhone SDK on March 6, 2008, Apple officially recognized its mobile operating system as iPhone OS. iPhone OS 2 came prepackaged with the iPhone 3G,
and offered features like the App Store, GPS turn-by-turn navigation
and push email. The update was free for iPhone users and $9.95 for iPod
Touch users (with free iOS 2.x updates after).
iPhone OS 3 came with the iPhone 3G S
and included new features like voice control; multimedia messaging;
Spotlight search; a landscape keyboard; and (finally) cut, copy and
paste functions. After Apple introduced the iPad in March 2010, iPhone OS became iOS.
iOS 3 was free for iPhone users, but iPod Touch users still had to pay
$9.95 with free updates after. When it became available, the iPad had
iOS 3.2 pre-installed; as an incentive for iPod Touch users who still
hadn’t updated to iOS 3, the price was reduced $4.95.
iOS 4 came preinstalled with the iPhone 4 and iPad 2.
Officially renamed ‘iOS,’ it introduced wallpapers, multitasking,
folders and FaceTime, and iBooks for iPad. For the first time with iOS
4, iPod touch users did not have to pay to upgrade. The iPhone 4 also
became Apple’s first CDMA-capable phone that delivered iOS to Verizon
users.
Pre-packaged with the iPhone 4S, a week after the death of Steve Jobs, iOS 5
introduced Siri, Notification Center, iMessage, Reminders and
Newsstand. iOS 5 became notable because it cut the computer cord --
users could activate and set up their devices wirelessly and
out-of-the-box with over-the-air updates. iOS 5 also brought the
introduction of iCloud and Twitter integration.
After iOS 6 became infamous for its Maps controversy,
Apple’s then-Senior Vice President of Design (now Chief Design
Officer), Jonathan Ive took over redesigning the iOS after the departure
of former Senior Vice President of iOS Software Scott Forstall. iOS 7 trashed its previous skeumorphic graphics and included a design overhaul with refined typography, new icons, translucency and layering. Prepackaged with the iPhone 5S, 5C, iPad Air and iPad mini 2, the flat OS included new features like Control Center, AirDrop for iOS, a revamped Photos app, iTunes Radio and CarPlay.
iOS 8 came with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and the iPad Air 2. It built off of iOS 7 and contained new features like Apple Pay, a new Health app, HandOff, QuickType, Family Sharing, iCloud Drive, third-party keyboard support and (in mid-2015) Apple Music. iOS 8 became the first iOS to have public beta testing available outside of developers before its initial release.
iOS 9 will be pre-packaged with the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus (those names are expected but not official). It includes new features such
as an updated Notes app to support drawing sketches and adding images, a
revamped Maps app with transit directions in select U.S. cities and a
News app, which replaces Newsstand and displays news from sources such
as CNN, Wired and The New York Times. Passbook will be
renamed Wallet and will support loyalty cards and gift cards. The iPad
will gain new features like Slide Over and Split View for enhanced
multitasking; Picture in Picture to watch videos while in other apps;
and shortcut support (cut, copy and paste) for wireless keyboards. iOS 9
improves battery time (up to one hour) and offers a Low Power Mode, a
six-digit passcode for added security and Android migration. To combat
devices with low storage, iOS 9 will be significantly smaller, and apps
will automatically delete and then reinstall to accomodate the update.
Be sure to tune in to Apple's September Event at 10 a.m. PT, 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 9, where Apple will unveil new iPhones and talk more about iOS 9.
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