Ionic 2 Beta 6 introduces a range of new features designed to enhance the development experience, including Virtual Scroll for smoother data list rendering, a customizable Loading component, and expanded theming options for greater visual flexibility. The update also includes support for the hardware back button, improved Select component interfaces, and default Material Design mode for desktop browsers. Additional enhancements include more control over Slides, a Toast component for notifications, and contributions from the developer community. Looking ahead, the Ionic team plans to introduce features such as embeddable datepickers, swipeable tabs, popovers, range sliders, and right-to-left language support, with ongoing updates tracked via their roadmap document.