Apple’s “Let us loop you in” event was jam-packed with quite a few announcements, not least a brand new 4-inch iPhone, a smaller iPad Pro, and an update to iOS 9.3. On top of that, Apple also announced incremental updates to tvOS and watchOS, introducing new features to make the Apple TV and Apple Watch more intuitive and easier to use than ever.
New voice search and organization functions
Users of the Apple TV will now be able to use the remote’s built-in microphone to dictate things to Siri, effectively letting them use their voice to search the App Store or enter their log-in credentials instead of painstakingly pecking out individual letters on the on-screen keyboard. Now, whenever you see a text entry field in tvOS, you can just activate Siri and say what you’d like to type.
Siri voice search makes things a whole lot easier. (Image Source: Ars Technica)
Siri already played a big part in the first iteration of tvOS that was announced alongside the new Apple TV last September, and the update adds some much needed functionality that should really have been there along. After all, tvOS already allowed users to do things like control playback by simply asking Siri to rewind or even skip ahead in a video.
The other significant update is support for app folders. Apple seems to have taken a leaf from the book of iOS, and apps can now be organized in app folders much like they are on your iPhone. Long-pressing the trackpad while highlighting an app will cause it to start wobbling, after which it can be dragged on top of another app to create a folder. If anything, this just helps you de-clutter your home screen and keep things more organized.
You can manually drag and drop apps into folders. (Image Source: Ars Technica)
In addition, tvOS 9.2 now supports iCloud Photo Library, which means you can access all the images and Live Photos that reside in Apple’s cloud on the Apple TV.
Apple also re-introduced Bluetooth keyboard support and a revamped multi-tasking switcher. Bluetooth keyboards used to be supported on the old Apple TV, and its return now provides yet another alternative for text input on the new Apple set-top box. And given that Apple intended for gaming to be an integral part of the Apple TV, this could allow game developers to create more keyboard-friendly titles.
The new multi-tasking switcher now looks like a card stack, similar to its appearance on iOS 9, which could make it easier for new Apple TV users familiar with the iPhone’s interface to get used to tvOS.
Multiple Apple Watch pairings are now possible
On the other hand, watchOS 2.2 is a considerably more minor update, adding the ability to pair multiple Apple Watches with a single iPhone, on top of an improved Maps app.
Previously, swapping between Apple Watch models required a lengthy un-pairing and re-pairing process, but most users probably will not care much about the feature. After all, how many of us actually own multiple Apple Watches?
Next, the enhanced Maps app makes it easier to get directions to frequently accessed locations like work and home. Maps now automatically launches to a menu screen with big shortcuts to saved locations, with a search button located below that also brings up an option for dictation. A Nearby button also helps you find restaurants, shopping, entertainment and other facilities according to category.
Furthermore, the Glance card for Maps has been updated with shortcuts for navigating to home and work, and ways to check nearby locations and access the search function.
The update will be available through the Watch app on the iPhone after updating to iOS 9.3.
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