This week, we took the plunge and finally installed iOS9, after some deliberation as to whether we could justify the extra dent to our storage. So was the update worth it? Read on for our thoughts…

As of the beginning of October, it was revealed that Apple’s new operating system had been installed on 57% of Apple devices- as ever, we were curious to jump on the bandwagon. On first impression, there’s not much difference design-wise to iOS8, except for a slight change to the font. However, when you become familiar with it, there’s the realization that everything seems to operate more smoothly- there are fewer bugs, and features such as the drop-down notifications tab now orders everything chronologically. But the big draw for us was the promise of an hour’s extra worth of battery life. We’ve not noticed much change with this yet, but there is also the added option of a low power setting, which acts to conserve battery life by switching off features such as automatic downloads, limiting the processor speed, and turning off email pushing.

When it comes to Apple’s apps, iOS9 includes a number of updates. For instance, Apple Maps now includes directions for public transport, and a feature that enables the user to easily find local parking spots and restaurants, for instance. While currently only available in the US, Newstand has now given way to News, a great new app which collates stories from an array of international and smaller publications, and displays news based on the user’s interests and what they typically like to read, presented in a fresh magazine format. Photos has been updated to include a slideshow feature at the bottom, making navigation easier, while Notes now allows you to add photos, maps, links, and even sketch something just with your finger. One of our favourite changes though, is the added keyboard buttons that appear in some apps such as Email, so there are now cut, copy and paste buttons, and other text formatting options.

One of the biggest changes with iOS9 is the updated Siri, which now includes a feature called “Proactive”. In essence, this offers the user Siri’s suggestions for contacts you may want to call, or apps you might want to use at particular times and from particular locations. To access, the user can simply swipe the home-screen to the right, which brings up a list of suggestions based on the four most recent people you contacted and the four most recent apps you used. Plus, it also provides a list of current news bites from popular publications. We think this is a great feature for people who want to stick to routine tasks- such as checking Twitter at a certain time for instance, or remembering to get in touch with a particular contact.

All in all, we think iOS9 is definitely worth installing, for those subtle but helpful extra details that make our smartphones slicker and all the more user-friendly. Have you updated your iPhone or iPad yet? If so, do you prefer the changes and extra features? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your comments on our Facebook page.