iOS 9 Update: Concept Teases Future

With an iOS 8.3 update for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch confirmed, an iOS 8.4 release rumored for summer and summer still extremely far away, we’re still a long way away from an iOS 9 update and release. That hasn’t stopped designers from coming up with their own vision for Apple’s next iOS update and we’re starting to see iOS 9 concepts emerge ahead of Apple’s rumored announcement.

While the iOS 8 update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is now several months old, Apple is still laser-focused on its current iOS update. The company recently released an iOS 8.2 update that delivers numerous bug fixes, enhancements and the Apple Watch app to iPhone and iPad users. It’s also planning to release an iOS 8.3 update with a number of new features on board later this year and rumors also suggest that it will be releasing iOS 8.4 this summer with a competitor for Spotify.

iOS 8 is dominating the headlines but we’ve also seen iOS 9 rumors start to trickle out ahead of WWDC and ahead of a rumored iPhone 6s release later on this year. The iOS 9 release is rumored for the fall and Apple is already testing iOS 9. A recent 9to5Mac report suggests that Apple’s next big iOS update will focus on fixing bugs and improving performance rather than introducing big design changes or tons of new features.

That hasn’t stopped Apple enthusiasts and designers from dreaming up their own versions of Apple’s next big update for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and a new iOS 9 concept video from Ralph Theodory dreams big.

Theodory’s latest iOS 9 concept video is a follow up to a popular iOS 9 concept that he released at the tail end of last year. This second edition brings some new exciting features to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, one of which will appeal to owners of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, the two large screen iPhones that arrived alongside the iOS 8 update last year.

His version of iOS 9 includes changes to the look and feel of Apple’s iCloud service, some interesting changes to the Favorites tab that pops up when a device is in multitasking mode, numerous additions to the iOS operating system’s Spotlight search, and even some tweaks to Apple’s Reachability mode that’s available on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Reachability is accessed with a double tap on the home button and it makes the devices a little easier to use with one hand.

This new concept video also showcases new wallpapers and wallpaper packs that aim to liven up devices touting Apple’s next major update. While this iOS 9 concept doesn’t come from Apple but Theodory is encouraging his viewers to share in an effort to reach Apple and those working on the next version of iOS. While it might reach Cupertino, it’s safe to assume that these features will remain concepts for the foreseeable future.

Apple’s iOS 9 update details will come into focus in the June, when we expect to see Tim Cook take the stage at WWDC 2015 to talk about its latest software advancements.

The iOS 9 update is also expected to be included in Apple’s public beta program. The public beta will apparently start this summer, likely after WWDC 2015, and it could allow thousands of iPhone and iPad users that aren’t registered in the beta program to try the software out ahead of its fall arrival alongside a new iPhone.

iPhone 6s release rumors are as scarce as iOS 9 rumors though we’ve started to see them pick up the pace in recent weeks as Apple’s competitors drop their first flagships of the year. Earlier this month, HTC announced the HTC One M9 while Samsung announced the all new Samsung Galaxy S6. Both are expected to compete against the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and whatever Apple decides to announce later this year.