How the iPhone 5 and iOS 6 Integrate with Facebook and Twitter

Yesterday, Apple announced its fabled iPhone 5 – a year after most of us expected to see it. Among fancy new features like a 4-inch screen, a smaller dock connector called Lightning and sweet new camera upgrades, the Cupertino powerhouse has partnered even more closely with social media giants Facebook and Twitter through iOS 6. Facebook is now an integral part of the iPhone experience. This announcement comes a year after Twitter was integrated into iOS 5, and received a healthy boost in activity. Here is a brief rundown of some of the new social features:


Siri Integrates with Facebook and Twitter

Siri gets a social upgrade with iOS6. The automated personal assistant will post to both your Twitter and your Facebook timeline at your audible command.

Siri Facebook iOS 6

Device Integration

Photos, links, map locations, and more can be shared directly from your iPhone to your Facebook timeline. Social integration runs deep, and makes sharing everything you do much easier.

Contacts

iOS 6 will also be able to integrate your Facebook contacts. While this feature already somewhat exists by syncing with the Facebook app, the new integration makes the process much easier and convenient. All of your Facebook friends can now be added to your iPhone contacts. These contacts are automatically updated when changed on Facebook. So, when your buddy drops his iPhone in the toilet, you won’t have to join a Facebook group to get his new number.

Calendars

Facebook events and birthdays also sync with your iPhone calendar, making sure you don’t double-book or miss an important event (or birthday).

iPhone 5 Facebook Calendars

iTunes and App Store

Quietly drifting away from Ping, both iTunes and the App Store are now letting you Like music, video and apps directly from within the app. Now you will be able to see which of your friends Like an App or how popular an artist is on Facebook.

iPhone 5 iTunes and App Store

It remains to be seen how and if these updates will affect brands, but they will certainly increase user activity on Facebook. Optimizing content for mobile will be essential because iPhone users will be more likely to share something directly if the user experience is enjoyable. Engaging content will be just as important as it has always been, but now with the additional incentive of more link shares.

What do you think of the Facebook integration into iOS 6? How do you see it affecting user engagement?



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