7 Awesome Features Apple Left Out Of iOS 6

We’re super excited for iOS 6. Although it isn’t the complete iOS overhaul many users were hoping for, it does deliver a whole host of new features — like a new Maps app, user interface enhancements, improvements to stock apps, and Siri support on iPad — that we’re certainly looking forward to.

However, it’s hard to ignore the fact that iOS 6 still has some things missing. Things we’ve been waiting for for some time. Here are seven of them.

Widgets

I don’t know how you feel about widgets, but I’ve been waiting for them to come to iOS for as long as I can remember. I’ve used a lot of Android devices over the past year or so, and I believe widgets work well in Google’s platform. What’s more, I think Apple and iOS developers could execute them perfectly.

It would be great to glance at your display and instantly see things like your Twitter or Facebook feed; the latest stories from your RSS reader; the latest sports scores; the weather; your website analytics or AdSense earnings — the possibilities are endless. For simple information like this, we shouldn’t have to open up an app.

However, we’re still yet to see widgets in iOS, and there’s no indication when — or indeed if — they will arrive.

“iWallet”

There’s has been a lot of speculation about an “iWallet” in recent months. This, according to the rumors, will be Apple’s answer to Google Wallet — a system which allows you to register your credit cards and pay for items using your iPhone.

But like Widgets, we heard nothing about iWallet from WWDC.

However, there may be a good reason for that. It’s likely this kind of service would requite hardware that isn’t already built into the iPhone — such as NFC connectivity. So it’s possible Apple could unveil an iWallet app during its sixth-generation iPhone unveiling later this year.

We’re keeping our fingers firmly crossed.

Folders Without Limits

This is a simple request, but one that I’m sure would be welcomed by almost every iOS user I know. And it would be so easy for Apple to implement. I want Folders that aren’t limited to just 12 apps. I have a stack of games, productivity apps, utility apps, and photography apps that I don’t want to split into two, three, or even four different folders.

Why limit Folders to just 12 apps? It doesn’t make sense.

Siri Support for Third-Party Apps

Another suggestion in the rumors leading up to Apple’s event this week was that the Cupertino company would open Siri up to third-party app developers. This would allow us to control apps like Spotify, WhatsApp, Tweetbot, Facebook, Skype, and more using only our voice.

Like widgets, the possibilities here are endless.

Siri is still in beta, however, so this is something Apple could be holding onto until it has ironed out some of the voice assistant’s teething problems. I’m certainly more confident we’ll see Siri support for third-party apps in a future iOS release than I am about seeing widgets.

Shortcuts Syncing

Again, this is another small feature that would make a huge difference for many of us. The “common phrases” that we create shortcuts for are unlikely to change depending on which iOS device we’re using, so wouldn’t it be nice if we could sync them between iOS devices?

I have between 15 and 20 shortcuts setup in iOS now — mainly for email addresses, postal addresses, etc. I recently restored my iPhone and iPad and set them both up as “new” devices. I had to to type out all of my shortcuts twice to add them to both devices.

Let’s add these to iCloud sync, Apple!

Panoramic Camera

Proof that Apple was working on a panorama feature for its built-in Camera app surfaced long before the company released iOS 5. However, we’re still yet to see the feature in a public iOS release.

Sure, there are third-party apps — some of which are free — that add this feature to iOS. But if Apple has already created its own solution, why not just release it?

Game Controller Support

Admittedly, this is more a pipe dream than a possibility, which is why I left it until the end. Portable gaming has come a long, long way over the last few years — and it’s the iPhone and the App Store we can thank for that. But for many gamers, iOS devices will never be able to fully replace traditional handheld consoles without physical controls.

First-person shooters, sports simulators, platform games and more really don’t work well on a touch-based devices. Allowing us to hook up a game controller — preferably via Bluetooth — would make iOS gaming just perfect. Then consoles really would have something to worry about.

What’s On Your Wish-List?

So that concludes my list of features that are still missing in iOS 6. Of course, I must point out that Apple only released the first iOS 6 beta three days ago, and so one or two of these features could pop up in future preview before the software goes public this fall.

For now, though, they’re still missing. What was on your iOS 6 wish-list that didn’t materialize during WWDC?

Killian Bell

Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.