iOS 6, the next iteration of Apple’s mobile operating system, was announced at their Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). Early notable new iPhone and iPad features include Passbook, native Facebook integration, turn-by-turn navigation, store enhancements, and the Blackberry-esque Do Not Disturb. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like new forms of glanceable info, via widgets or new badges, have made it in. Further, folders appear to retain the same limitations of iOS 5. But it is early. In fact, only developers have access to iOS 6 until its Fall release. Or do they?
iOS 6 download files have started popping up on the usual file sharing sites and are being nicely indexed here. Basically, you’ll need to acquire the ipsw file specific to you device and have iTunes 10.6.3 available. And, by running pre-release beta software you should be prepared for periods of instability and potential data loss. Or even a bricked phone. Further, Apple routinely expires beta builds so you’ll want to continually back up your data and be prepared to manually apply subsequent updates. If you’re good with that, shift-click (PC) or option-click (Mac) the Check for Update button in iTunes and point to that iOS 6 ipsw to get going. Let us know how it goes!
(iOS 6 is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, 4th Gen iPod Touch, iPad 2, New iPad 3.)
I’ve successfully upgraded my iPad 3 to iOS 6. And I don’t believe its UDID has ever been linked to a developer account. Still poking around – so far Location Services were jacked up for a bit and Passport isn’t available, but Siri and the new clock are here as is Facebook integration. I shot a little video of the new pull-to-refresh email animation. (I assume it’s based on Tweetie/Twitter’s patent or whatever and wonder if they freely granted access.) Siri also tells me the New Jersey Devils got spanked last night.
Video of pull-to-refresh animation:
Picture of new map and guidance cues:
https://zatznotfunny.com/2012-06/download-ios-6-now/ios6-map/
Picture of new map options and location card:
https://zatznotfunny.com/2012-06/download-ios-6-now/ios6-map-options/
Picture showing Safari “Cloud tabs” and Siri letting me know the Devils lost:
https://zatznotfunny.com/2012-06/download-ios-6-now/ios6-cloud-siri/
Picture showing Facebook linkage page:
https://zatznotfunny.com/2012-06/download-ios-6-now/ios6-facebook/
Picture of new iPad clock app:
https://zatznotfunny.com/2012-06/download-ios-6-now/ios6-ipad-clock/
Picture of App Store button error:
https://zatznotfunny.com/2012-06/download-ios-6-now/ios6-error/
I have had good impressions thus far of iOS6 (via our dev account)
Although, location services were not turning off and I discovered that “setting time zone” under Privacy > Location Services > System Services was causing this. Turning that off cleared it up.
There is still “some” turn-by-turn in the new Maps app on my CDMA iPhone 4 – the visual cues are there, but no 3D and obviously no voice direction from Siri.
Stay tuned…
Careful! If the iOS 6 images are like the iOS 5, your iPhone/iPad must be in the Dev Program or you will essentially “brick” your phone using the ill-gotten ipsw. I had a similar experience (I am a dev member) when I forgot to add my iPhone to the program, and even as a member, my phone was bricked.
Of course, it probably isn’t really bricked forever… but it’s not the sort of thing we want novices messing with.
@Jon Frederick – I was wondering about whether Siri was in Maps for responding to voice requests or whether Siri was doing the dictation as well. I really hope that Siri isn’t required for speaking directions since I still have an AT&T iPhone 4 as well.
Well, I managed to upgrade my TiVo HD to iOS 6 via pyTiVo.
Upsides: Scheduled recordings successfully appear in Calendar. Recorded shows successfully appear in Contacts.
Downsides: Lack of GPS renders certain mapping functions useless. Various games display visual glitches. My HDTV is getting smudged from the touching.
Just a FYI, but technically “Siri” will not be voicing directions in the new Map app. The voice that Siri uses was used for text to speech in iPhones long before Siri was introduced. My iPhone 3GS used the same voice for responding to old voice control.
People tend to mix up “Siri”, the AI engine, with the test to speech voice built into iOS.
My Mom still calls the dictation feature “Siri” even though it’s not.
Dave can you confirm that street view is no longer in Maps?
First off, I didn’t even know we had Street View. Man, that could have come in handy on several occasions. But I can confirm it is available on my wife’s iPhone running iOS 5, but it isn’t currently available on my iPad running iOS 6. No little orange man and the overview card shows a mini satellite view with no street view button. Since Google produced that imagery and Apple appears to be working with new vendors (like TomTom), it could be gone for good… Hm.
Hey Dave,
Does “Guided Access” (triple tap home button in an app) work in the current Beta? If it does I’ll think about installing iOS 6 on the iPad my 18-month old uses since she constantly wants to press the home button or pull down the notifications or whatever rather than just interacting with the app I launched.
I see the Guided Access options, but I can’t seem to trigger them within an app. It could be me, but maybe it’s busted as they enhance this feature set.
Chucky, you are my hero.
“Chucky, you are my hero.”
I hope you’ll be a character witness at my trial, in that case.
Apple figured out what I was up to, sent their own private security team to my house along with uniformed police as backup, and their lawyers left me this short video brief as to what would happen if I didn’t immediate cease and desist from running iOS 6 on my TiVo…