iOS 6 Release 2012: Top 10 Features Apple Lovers Would Want To See In Next iPhone Operating System

There is a great chance that Apple's new iOS 6 might be released at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference that will kick off on July 11.

While Apple has not taken the wraps off from the possible features of the iOS 6, different blogs and websites are posting their wishlists for Apple's next operating system.

Meanwhile, with iPad 3, the Cupertino based tech giant has released an updated version of the existing iOS 5, naming it iOS 5.1. The new OS, which took a three-and-a-half month's extensive investigation, however, did not bring revolutionary features with it. Rather, the list of new features of the latest iOS 5.1 largely consisted of bug fixes and interface tweaks.

But with the new iOS, expectations of users have skyrocketed. At least, all the websites collecting users' expectations prove that.

Let's check a comprehensive list of features that are at the top of users' wishlists:

1. Face Recognition

Apple's recent patent applications hint toward a facial recognition feature in its new iOS 6. While Galaxy Nexus and some other Android Ice Cream Sandwich phone users already enjoy the Face Detection/Recognition feature, iOS users could soon be using facial recognition technology to lock or unlock their iDevices.

Reportedly, the Apple device's front-facing camera will capture an image of the user and instead of studying the entire face, the face-detection system would consider only the high information portion areas like the eyes, nose and mouth. These areas would be matched with a reference image using more complex algorithms.

2. Better Siri

No more Beta version of the Siri!

All Apple lovers now want a revamped version of the iPhone 4S's intelligent personal assistant app, Siri. Other users had to jailbreak the iPhone 4 to run Siri. Therefore considering the popularity of the feature, we would expect that iOS 6 would integrate Siri even more into the operating system and make it available on more devices.

3. NFC

It's been long since we are kibitzing about the possibility of Near Field Communication to be featured in the next iOS devices. Now that we know that Apple has won a major patent in March for iWallet, we can expect to see this feature coming with NFC to complete credit card transactions through phone.

4. Multitasking

While the iPhone screens would be very small and perhaps uncomfortable for multitasking, iOS 6 can indeed launch this feature for iPads.

A good number of Apple lovers, in different forums, have included this feature in the wishlist of iOS 6. A possible 'top-and-bottom screen' approach has also been suggested by some. According to the latest multitasking approach, the user can watch a Netflix movie running on top while keeping the Safari or Social Networking sites running underneath.

5. Turn-by-Turn Navigation

Another much-awaited feature that tops the wishlist of the Apple fans is an operating system that comes with a map that allows location-finding through the Global Positioning System (GPS).

And, [T]o introduce an accurate and user-friendly turn-by-turn map in iOS 6, it is possible that Apple will be working with either Google or MapQuest, says Delaon of Planet Insane.

6. Date/time stamps to iMessage and text messages

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes of ZDNet wishes to see an option to add a timestamp to each text or multimedia message, or iMessage communications that's been sent and received in the Messages app.

Although he fears that all that information might clutter up the otherwise sleek user interface, but some people find information useful, believes Adrian.

7. AirDrop for iOS

Apple, with its Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, has launched a very handy feature called AirDrop.

AirDrop allows users to transfer files between nearby Macs, running Lion wirelessly and simply. And to transfer files the users don't even have to be on the same WiFi network.

The ardent Apple fans now want this hassle-free file transferring feature in IOS too.

8. Quick Toggles in Notification Center

This feature is something that will be widely welcomed by all Apple users.

In the case of iOS 5, most users jailbreak their existing iPhones to get custom-setting shortcuts on the home screen or on the notification tray. While SBSettings is the tweak that helps you access the commonly used settings without shuffling through the menu and lets you add quick toggles for commonly used features such as brightness, 3G, airplane mode, Bluetooth and more. But why should jailbreakers have all the fun? This feature of quick toggle should be integrated in the next iOS 6 so that users won't have to jailbreak their iPhone 5.

9. Automatic App Updating

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has also demanded that a feature of automatic update for apps on the next iPhone and iPad should be introduced with the new iOS 6.

10l. App Store Shopping Cart

Usually on your iOS device, every time you finish buying a new app from the App Store, iOS gets you back to the home screen. To purchase another app, you need to visit App Store.

A feature like an App Store shopping cart should be added to iOS 6, which will enable the user to purchase several applications and download them at the same time without going back and forth to the App Store.

Other Must-Have Features in iOS 6: Demand of Apple Users

• Better UI

• Faster camera/video auto-start with the ability to take pictures while shooting video, and more customized photo editing with filters (for non-iPhoto users).
• No limitations on the number of apps in folders.
• The ability to add attachments while creating a new message in Mail. Oh, and a select all (for deleting) feature would be nice.
• The ability to delete default apps.
• Private photo album options that are password protected.
• Ability to monitor data bandwidth usage dynamically in real time, and to determine which open apps are the biggest bandwidth and memory hogs
• Improved auto-correct.
• Support for opening emailed ZIP file attachments

(Information from ios6.info and 9to5forums)