Today Apple previewed iOS 6 at the WWDC 2012 conference keynote and we got a taste of what we can expect on our iOS devices this fall.But which devices will get access to the latest version of iOS and what features which each device have access to ?
Apple suggested that the following devices will be upgraded to iOS 6
- iPhone 3GS and above
- iPad (2nd and 3rd Gen)
- iPod Touch (4th Gen)
But which features will each of the iOS devices receive
- Maps – The new maps application which will debut with iOS 6 and will be available on all the supported devices. Unfortunately the turn-by-turn directions and the Flyover feature wont be available for the iPhone 3GS or the iPhone 4.
- Siri – We were secretly hoping that iOS 6 will bring Siri to all supported iOS devices. It seams that Siri will only debut on new iPad while it gets updated on the iPhone 4S. We expect Apple will have a new iPhone ready in time for the iOS launch in fall.
- Shared Photo Streams will not be available on the iPhone 3GS
- VIP lists in the new Mail app will not be available for the iPhone 3GS. We know this cant be a hardware limitation, so we are curious to know why Apple doesn’t offer this feature.
- Offline Reading Lists for Safari wont be available on the iPhone 3GS
- Made for iPhone hearing aids will require you to have an iPhone 4S
| iPod Touch 4 | iPhone 3GS | iPhone 4 | iPhone 4S | iPad 2 | iPad 3 | |
| Siri | - | - | - | x | - | x |
| Facebook integration | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Maps with Flyover and turn-by-turn navigation | - | - | - | x | x | x |
| Phone replies and reminders | - | x | x | x | - | - |
| Passbook | x | x | x | x | - | - |
| Facetime over 3G/4G | - | - | - | x | - | x |
| Mail with VIP features | - | - | x | x | x | x |
| Safari tab sync | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Offline Reading list | - | - | x | x | x | x |
| Shared photo stream | - | - | x | x | x | x |
| Guided access | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Made for iPhone hearing aids | - | - | - | x | - | - |
| New content stores | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Chinese service integration | x | x | x | x | x | x |
We cant say we are extremely surprised with Apple’s decisions on what to offer for which devices. Considering how the other manufactures are treating their alumni, we are quite pleased that Apple continues to support the iPhone 3GS. That being said we are disappointed that the iPad has already been shelved.
What do you think about Apple’s plans to brings iOS 6 to the current devices. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
[UPDATE] While the original iPad was not reported to receive the iOS 6 update, the first beta version of iOS 6 includes the iPad.