iOS 6 release date: Time to update or wait a while?

Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS 6 release date is here, but is it time to update your iPhone or should you hold off until 6.01? It's out of beta, so it's time for one of Richi's review roundups.

In IT Blogwatch, bloggers sharpen the bleeding edge.

By Richi Jennings: Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment.

 
Michael deAgonia outlines what's new:

This year's upgrade offers more than 200 new features [but Apple] apparently counts numerous minor tweaks as notable changes. ...noteworthy additions...include: shared Photo Streams...Siri enhancements, iCloud tabs for viewing...sites you were reading on another device, and...voice directions for navigation.
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[It works] on last year's iPhone 4S, 2010's iPhone 4 and even the iPhone 3GS, now three years old. Also supported [are] the iPad 2 and the [New] iPad. ... Not all models support all features. ...it's a good move to first back up your iPhone to iCloud...not a step I would skip.  MORE 

 
And Dan Moren calls the new Maps app "stunning":

Apple has added an intriguing new—if yet unproven—built-in app. ... [Maps] has gotten a in-depth makeover, perhaps the most thorough ever to be applied to one of iOS’s built-in applications. ... Apple has replaced the mapping engine...provided by Google. In its place, Apple has rolled its own solution.
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Maps can now display road work alerts, as well as accidents, pulled from local transportation departments. ... In addition, directions are supposed to include traffic conditions when providing you with an ETA. ... [Apple enlisted] an armada of small planes and helicopters to capture aerial imagery for a feature it calls Flyovers...[Maps'] most eye-catching new feature...what it lacks in practicality, it makes up for in gee-whiz. ... Does iOS succeed in replacing your standalone GPS device? ... Maybe. ... Sort of.
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iOS 6 doesn’t perfect the virtual assistant, I look forward to seeing what Siri learns about next.  MORE

 
But Anil Dash says it's... errm... "crappy":

The classic criticism...is that [Apple] makes products that are pretty but dumb. ...this time, they're right: [Maps] is pretty but dumb. Worse, they've used...platform dominance to privilege their own app over a competitor's offering, even though it's a worse experience for users. ...fundamental mapping features like venue search and directions are significantly worse.
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Obviously, Apple's going to fix as many of these bugs as they can. ... But the simple fact is: When you buy an iOS 6 device, you get a worse experience. ... Apple's taken features away...from apps before. ... But in almost every one of those transitions, they've provided a transition period or staged upgrade path.
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Apple made this maps change...because they put their own priorities for corporate strategy ahead of user experience. ...history shows that dominant players in every era of operating system history...shift from the user experience and customer benefits which earned them their dominance to...boxing out competitors.  MORE

 
So! Who wants to live on the bleeding edge? Not Jennifer van Grove:

iPhone and iPad owners who rushed to update...were met with a number of software surprises, including...the inability to connect to Wi-Fi. ...users started flooding Twitter and Apple forums with reports. ... Affected users...are shown a “Page Not Found” error.  MORE

 
Robert David Graham explains the hilarious truth behind the failure:

When an Apple iOS device...connects to a WiFi network, the first thing it does is make a request to...www.apple.com/library/test/success.html. ...before your app has a chance to access the network, Apple...sends out a request to the above URL. If the request gets redirected, then [it] launches a dialog box...to give you a chance to login.
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[But today] this webpage went down, breaking everyone's WiFi.  MORE

 
Meanwhile, Jonny Evans talks Passbook, NFC, and how Apple aims to insert itself into every possible value chain:

Passbook is Apple’s iOS 6 app that enables consumers to carry vouchers, boarding passes, event tickets and more. ... Eventbrite has also confirmed its plan to support Passbook. ... Airlines, including Virgin [Australia], have already begun deployment of Passbook support...ticketing provider Accesso has announced its plans. ... Retailers are also getting into Passbook...Starbucks...Target...Amtrak...Fairfax Media’s Event Cinemas will also support it.
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[But] why has Apple failed to adopt NFC? Simply put, it’s because right now the technology is fragmented. ... Apple’s iterative move is an intelligent execution. ... Later steps seem likely to see the gentle introduction of payment services.  MORE

Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. He's also the main author of Computerworld's The Long View and IT Blogwatch -- for which he has won ASBPE and Neal awards. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, Richi also publishes a full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.