Apple yesterday made two major announcements that includes the launch of the much awaited Apple Music service and the new iOS 9 operating system.
The Apple Music App will be available starting on June 30 in over 100 countries and will be available for both Android and iOS devices. For iOS users, there is a 3-month free membership, after which a $9.99/month subscription fee will apply. However, according to Gizmodo the free membership offer is not available for the Android users. There will also be a family plan providing service for up to six family members available for just $14.99/month.
Apple Music music streaming service offers a worldwide live radio station from Apple broadcasting 24 hours a day, named as Beats 1. The radio station is LED by DJs Zane Lowe in Los Angeles, Ebro Darden in New York and Julie Adenuga in London. Beats 1 will also offer exclusive interviews, guest hosts and the best of what’s going on in the world of music.
Apart from the radio service, the app is said to have a catalog with over 30 million songs and you can stream any song, album or playlist or let Apple Music do the work for you.
IOS 9
Another big announcement came from Apple in the form of iOS 9. Most importantly, al iOS 8 based devices can be upgraded to the new OS that means even devices like iPhone 4S and iPad 2 are eligible for the new upgrade. Other devices include iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, 6 Plus, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad 3rd Gen, iPad 4th Gen, iPad Mini 3, Mini 2, iPad Mini and iPod Touch 5th Gen.
The new OS brings an all new ‘Siri’ version that claims to give “proactive suggestions help you get things done before you ask”. And improvements at the foundation of the operating system enhance performance, battery life, and security.
It adds a new app to your Home screen that collects all the stories you want to read, from top news sources, based on topics you’re most interested in. It collectsnews from top news organizations and indie publications as per your preference like business, technology, fashion, sports, and more.
The Notes app has also been revamped allowing users to sketch their thoughts, or use pictures, or create checklist and it allows sharing the note over social networks or email or save it to iCloud.
With iOS 9, you can use CarPlay without plugging in your device if your car has wireless connectivity. Apple Pay has also been upgraded to accept various other types of cards like Kohl’s Charge, JCPenney Credit Card, Dunkin’ Donuts DD Perks, Walgreens Balance Rewards, and MyPanera.
For iPad, the new operating system brings Slide Over, Split View, and Picture in Picture as newer ways to multitask. New QuickType features make formatting and text selection even easier – and put shortcuts right at your fingertips.
The new iOS 9 said to extend battery life and brings a Low Power mode that lets you extend your battery life even further.
“The apps in iOS 9 now take advantage of Metal, making more efficient use of the CPU and GPU to deliver faster scrolling, smoother animation, and better overall performance. Email, messages, web pages, and PDFs render faster. And multitasking features on iPad feel fluid and natural,” claims Apple.
The iOS 9 has been made available for beta testers and app developers, and will be launched for the public alongside the next generation of iPhones in September 2015.