Sure enough, Apple has come through with the release of its iOS 6 upgrade, now available for compatible hardware.

There are literally hundreds of changes arriving, giving Apple fans plenty to keep them busy even if they’re not picking up an iPhone 5 straight away. So, what can you expect?

There’s the new Maps, kicking Google out the door and picking up 3D Flyover mode. Siri’s getting smarter in this release, responding to queries about sports teams, movies, and restaurants, while expanding its integration with social networking sites. That focus on social networks extends beyond just Siri, and iOS as a whole is getting wrapped-up tighter with Facebook.

Even with no NFC on the horizon, Apple’s new Passbook app makes its debut, letting you organize tickets, cards, and other passes. FaceTime take the leap over to cellular (at least when your carrier’s playing nice), letting you make voice calls while on-the-go without forcing you to track down a WiFi hotspot. Photo Stream gets new sharing support, letting you synchronize contributions to albums across a group.

Beyond all those, there are improvements to Mail, Safari, the App Store, Game Center, and more. With the update now available, get looking through the new iOS 6 yourself and let us know what your favorite changes are.

Source: Apple