Apple iOS 5 Features
A short write-up on Apple iOS 5 features which will tell you what's there in store for Apple users this time around, and how it differs from its predecessor iOS 4.3.
Abhijit Naik
As expected Apple Inc. announced its brand new operating system - the iOS 5, at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on 6th June, 2011. Even though the actual release date of this iOS version is still under wraps, it is scheduled for a grand release in fall 2011. At WWDC 2011, Apple did give a sneak peek of the new operating system for all those people who were getting restless trying to figure out what new features iOS 5 will have. At this event, it also revealed that Apple iOS 5 will be compatible to Apple iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, the 3rd and 4th generation iPod touch as well as the iPad and iPad 2.
An Overview of Apple iOS 5
We were as eager to know about the all new Apple iOS version as millions of other people out there. With ever-tempting Android devices fast eating into its market share, even Apple was under tremendous pressure to tweak its operating system to make it more efficient and appealing. Come today, the rumors and speculations are history, and the list of Apple iOS 5 features makes it seem to be as tempting as the new Android OS - if not more than it. Given below is a list of iOS 5 features which is bound to make you give a second thought to the idea of going for Android devices.
| Feature | Description |
| Notification Center | An all new Notification Center which can be accessed by a mere downward swipe is perhaps the USP of iOS 5. In this iOS version, all the notifications are shown on a notification bar which only appears when there are notifications to show. This time around, there is small 'X' tab alongside the notifications which helps you delete it without any hassle. More importantly, notifications can also be seen on the Lockscreen in the new iOS version. |
| iMessage | One of those newly integrated features, iMessage facilitates Wi-Fi or 3G messaging between all the Apple devices with iOS 5 on board. This invariably means that even iPod touch and iPad users can join the conversation now. At the same time, it also allows users send message to multiple contacts at one time. |
| Reminders App | A location based Reminder app with the To-Do List can work wonders for you. The next time you want to buy something from the supermarket, you just need to keep a reminder and your Apple device will remind you about the same, the moment you step into the supermarket. |
| Twitter Integration | With the Twitter social networking website integrated right into your iDevice, tweeting has become all the more simple. Add to it the fact that you can directly tweet from the Safari app as well as applications like Photos, Camera, YouTube and Map, and things become even more fascinating. |
| Camera | In the all new Apple iOS 5, you get to open the camera app right from the Lockscreen mode. While the volume-up button is used to click the picture, pinch-to-zoom feature and single tap focus add to the overall experience. |
| Photos | The new - all tweaked, Photos app allows you do all the things that you have been longing to do right on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. And when we mean anything, we mean anything - right from cropping and red-eye removing to creating albums and tweeting these pictures on the move. |
| Newsstand App | A virtual newsstand which allows you arrange all your magazines and newspaper subscriptions in an organized format and access them with a great ease from the new icon on Springboard. Add to it a dedicated section of the App Store which allows you browse and download newspapers as well as magazines, and this app becomes all the more interesting. |
| Safari App | The all new Safari app which has been added to the new iOS version adds more web-browsing features to your Apple devices than ever before. With this app, you also get to store your interesting reads in a Reading List to read later. More importantly, Safari Reader displays pages without ads - which is a welcome change in this iOS version. |
| iCloud | Apple's much awaited cloud service - iCloud, will allow users store data such as music files on the server for downloading them onto the Apple devices with iOS or personal computers with Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows on board. Most important of all, the iCloud service helps you make the most of all the other features mentioned above. |
| PC Free | This change - which makes your iDevices independent, is perhaps the most important of them all. Owning a PC is no more a prerequisite to own the iPhone, iPod touch or the iPad for that matter, as you can simply download free iOS software update right onto the device without connecting it to the computer with Apple iOS 5. |
Other than all these features, the list of features also includes a few more tweaked apps in form of Mail, Calendar, Wi-Fi Sync, Game Center, Accessibility, etc. The iOS 5 also has some dedicated apps for each of these Apple devices; such as the LED flash alerts and the ability to make FaceTime calls without a SIM card for the iPhone 4 only, multitasking gestures, split keyboard and Safari tabbed browsing for the iPad and AirPlay and Videos for iPad 2.
With all these features on board, Apple iOS 5 does seem like a tough contender to beat at the first instance. But will these features actually come to its rescue when it is pitted against the new Android OS - Ice Cream Sandwich? While that's something which only time will tell, one thing is for sure - by adding all these features to its devices, Apple has retained its fan base as all those who were contemplating the idea of switching over to ever-tempting Android devices will prefer to wait and watch what's new in Apple iOS 5.
