iOS9 – Initial Impressions

I downloaded and installed iOS 9 on my iPad Air 2 late last night, so it’s very early days (actually early hours) for forming opinions, but here are a few initial impressions.

I’m finding the revised application switcher counterintuitive and hard to get used to, and I think I can safely say already that I prefer the larger app icons and bottom of the screen placement of the iOS 7 and 8 versions much better. I find the Cover Flow style flipping cumbersome and obstructive compared with the straightforward scrolling of the older “multitasking” interface.

Not thrilled with the new thinner and fainter iOS 9 system font, which is not helpful to my now in their seventh decade eyes.

I find the lower case default virtual keyboard key labels off-putting after fifty-odd years of using typewriters and computer devices with upper case key identification Fortunately this one can be turned off (Settings > General > Accessibility > Keyboard > Show Lowercase Keys). A simple Caps Lock on light would have been a better solution.

On the positive side, I think I’m going to really like Slide Over and Split View, Picture-in-Picture, the new two-finger “keyboard trackpad” feature (still want a mouse driver, though), improved Spotlight, and the advertised better battery life.