Apple Previews iOS 6 [WWDC]

As expected Apple previewed iOS 6 in front of an audience full of anxious developers. The key features on iOS 6 previewed by Apple today go from Siri, to Facebook integration, a new Maps app and more.

Image: Apple

Siri

Siri finally gets some serious enhancements and now can understand Spanish, Cantonese, Korean and Mandarin.

It can also give you information about sports, it allows you to make reservations with Open Table integration and even launch apps and post status updates to Facebook and publish tweets.

Siri is also coming to the third generation iPad.

Image: Apple

Facebook

The rumors became a reality today with the announcement of deep Facebook integration that go far deeper than just entering your credentials on Settings. It gives you the same integration Twitter has now on iOS 5.

It even integrates with your contacts to update birth dates, and even set calendar events from Facebook.

The App Store and iTunes Store now include the “like” button so you can let your friends know which apps you like and see which apps your friends like.

Image: Apple

Maps

This area was the most rumored, but it was backed up with solid proof. Apple ditched Google Maps and went with what they created along with the three companies they acquired recently.

The new Maps application has the usual stuff plus 3D mode, traffic service that integrates crowd-source updates to maintain real-time information related to traffic, business information with integration from Yelp and the long awaited turn-by-turn navigation with Siri integration.

iCloud

iCloud has gone social as you can now share Photo Streams with friends and family; even “like” photos.

Apple introduced a new feature with iOS 6 called Guided Access where it restrics the use of hardware buttons so an app can entered Single-app mode and, for example, a child can focus on a task, a test can be given restricting the use of other apps, etc.

Other features, from the over 200 features coming in iOS 6, we have:

• Enhancements for Safari includes iCloud tabs, offline Reading List, photo uploads from Safari, Full Screen Mode
• FaceTime over 3G/4G
• Mail: VIP, Flagged mail inbox, individual account signatures
• New options when receiving a call allows to reply with a message, to set a reminder, do not disturbed option
• Status update to Facebook and tweet to Twitter form Notification Center
• Dictionary in Spanish, French, German
• Personal dictionary on iCloud
• Redesign Stores
• Better Privacy Controls
• Unified Apple ID
• Enhancements to HDR

These are just a few of tons of new features coming this Fall with iOS 6. Many more could be integrated before October. It will support the iPhone 3GS and later, iPad 2 and 3 and iPod Touch 4^th generation.