Though iOS 5 is not as drastic of an upgrade as we saw with iOS 4 in June, 2010, it does offer some much-needed and exciting enhancements for iOS users. A few are quiet and long overdue and others will seriously change how you use your Apple handset.
On that note, perhaps the biggest of all is the addition of over-the-air updates, which obviate the need to tether your iPhone to a computer for syncing. But there’s a lot more under the hood with this upgrade, and we think users should be excited to plug in their iDevice one last time. iMessage also adds a new way to keep in touch and a way to circumvent your carrier’s monthly allotment of messages.
A few improvements simply make the user experience easier, like Twitter integration in the major Apple apps, basic image editing tools for the camera, and a Notification system paired with reminders that keep you informed with a glance at your Home screen. Smaller upgrades abound, of course, some of which we’ve listed here. We haven’t found all the “Easter eggs,” though, so as you find other changes let us know in the comments.
We’ve documented many of the major changes here, but we tried to limit our coverage to the big tweaks that will effect users most. Apple says there are more than 200 new tweaks for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, and we’ll be covering many more of the minor changes with features and how-tos in the coming weeks.
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Available for free, iOS 5 will be compatible with the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS, both versions of the iPad, and the third- and fourth-generation models of the iPod Touch. Keep in mind that the quality of iOS 5 may vary by device. When Apple released iOS 4 last year, many iPhone 3G users complained of degraded device performance after they downloaded the update (one group even filed a lawsuit). Apple mostly fixed the issues with the release of iOS 4.2, but we’ll be taking a close look as to how iOS 5 fares on the 3GS.
On that note, perhaps the biggest of all is the addition of over-the-air updates, which obviate the need to tether your iPhone to a computer for syncing. But there’s a lot more under the hood with this upgrade, and we think users should be excited to plug in their iDevice one last time. iMessage also adds a new way to keep in touch and a way to circumvent your carrier’s monthly allotment of messages.
A few improvements simply make the user experience easier, like Twitter integration in the major Apple apps, basic image editing tools for the camera, and a Notification system paired with reminders that keep you informed with a glance at your Home screen. Smaller upgrades abound, of course, some of which we’ve listed here. We haven’t found all the “Easter eggs,” though, so as you find other changes let us know in the comments.
We’ve documented many of the major changes here, but we tried to limit our coverage to the big tweaks that will effect users most. Apple says there are more than 200 new tweaks for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, and we’ll be covering many more of the minor changes with features and how-tos in the coming weeks.
Single medium horizental ad
Available for free, iOS 5 will be compatible with the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS, both versions of the iPad, and the third- and fourth-generation models of the iPod Touch. Keep in mind that the quality of iOS 5 may vary by device. When Apple released iOS 4 last year, many iPhone 3G users complained of degraded device performance after they downloaded the update (one group even filed a lawsuit). Apple mostly fixed the issues with the release of iOS 4.2, but we’ll be taking a close look as to how iOS 5 fares on the 3GS.
