Shift Key 'Fix', iMessage Improvements, and Other Changes That iOS 9 Is Tipped to Bring

Noted Apple tipster Mark Gurman is at it again, revealing more details about the upcoming iOS 9 update that is expected to be previewed at Apple's developers conference WWDC in June. Here are the top changes that iOS 9 will bring, according to Gurman's latest   reports:

1. The Apple Watch has it, so it's only logical that the next iPhone will have it as well. We are talking, of course, about the Force Touch technology. According to Gurman, the iPhone 6S will come with a Force Touch display with haptic feedback.

2. Force Touch will change the way iOS 9 users interact with the system, replacing some long-presses across the UI. It "will be integrated into Maps to drop new pins, into media players for pressure-sensitive scrolling, into the Calendar for adding new events, and across the system for quickly looking up word definitions."

   Advertisement

3. Force Touch has already made its debut on Mac computers and it's likely that next-generation iPad tablets will also incorporate this technology.

   Advertisement

4. Apple is also said to be working on an updated keyboard that will finally fix the annoying shift key problem that's plagued the operating system since iOS 7. This alone might make the iOS 9 upgrade worthwhile for some!

5. Apple is said to be testing multiple new layouts for the keyboard as well, and it also plans to make QuickType autocomplete feature more accessible.

   Advertisement

6. Apple is also reportedly getting ready to launch Apple Pay in Canada. iTunes Radio and Apple Music (revamp of the Beats music streaming service) are also expected to launch internationally this year.

7. iMessage is likely to add read receipts for group chat threads, as well as read receipts on a contact-by-contact basis. This way you can let your wife know her message has been read, but leave the annoyingly persistent people guessing.

   Advertisement

8. Apple Maps are tipped to add support for transit directions, though the feature will be restricted to a handful of cities at launch: San Francisco, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, and Berlin. Apple is also reportedly working with its partner AutoNavi to source transit data for China.

9. Earlier reports have indicated that iOS 9 will largely focus on bug fixes and stability improvements.

10. iOS 9 is still likely to have new features, like split-screen multi-tasking support on the iPad.

Apple is expected to provide developers first glimpse of iOS 9 at WWDC starting June 8. It is likely to be available to consumers around September this year, when the new iPhone models are expected to ship.