Top 10 New Features in iOS 5

iOS 5, Apple's soon-to-be-released mobile operating system for the iPhone, iPad and iPad 2, and iPod Touch (third and fourth generation), has more than 200 upgrades and improvements over the previous OS, according to Apple. Some of the changes are significant, even if they do riff on signature features of other platforms (cough! Android). 

Developers have had a chance to poke around at a preview of the new operating system for several weeks, although the public is only just now learning about what they can expect. We've trolled the information that's come directly from Apple and culled out the most exciting pieces—when a company touts 200 changes in a single product, you can bet that not all of them are highlights.

The big picture is this: The iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch will see more integration, both among the apps each device runs and between one another. The number of clicks, taps, and swipes it takes you to accomplish a task will be reduced significantly—and possibly even eliminated.

From the announcements so far, at least one app that will be preinstalled on all new iOS devices is a variation on some other popular app that users formerly had to buy from a third-party developer, and my hunch is we'll see more of this in the future.
iOS 5 will be compatible with: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch 3rd Generation, iPod touch 4th Generation, iPad, iPad2, and presumably the iPhone 5.

There's plenty to be excited about. Here are the ten features that stand out the most in iOS 5.

Wireless Back-up and Syncing 

iOS 5 was designed to work with iCloud, a cloud-based service that will sync and back up all your apps, music, photos. This means that any device running iOS does not need to be tethered to a computer. Everything that needs to happen with your device can happen over Wi-Fi. What makes this particularly appealing for some iPad users is it opens up the possibility of using the tablet as your primary PC. Depending on how much computer activity you need to do, the idea of getting rid of your laptop, netbook, or desktop and only having a tablet is very intriguing. 

 

Incredibly Useful Locked Screen

The locked screen is what you see every time you pick up your phone, and to date, it's provided only very limited information: time, date, battery level, 3G/4G and Wi-Fi signal strength, and the most recently received push notification (such as an incoming text message). In iOS 5, the locked screen will show you at a glance all your new notifications in a graphical list. And even more exciting, you'll be able to swipe an icon next to each notification to be taken directly into the applicable app and item in question.

 

 The Pull-Down

A totally new feature in iOS 5, the pull-down, looks a whole lot like one of Android's signature features. Using your fingertip, you'll be able to pull down a screen, like it's a vertical window shade, that will contain a list of notifications and activity. It appears to be essentially the same handy list that the locked screen will have, but with slight differences in format and design. Similar to the locked screen view, you'll be able to touch any notification and go straight to it, so there will be no need to double-tap the power button to switch between apps when you see a notification you want to respond to or interact with. Whether or how the new pull-down feature will affect the pull-and-release refresh feature is not known.

 

 Reader for Safari 

Reading on a mobile device isn't as elegant as reading on an ereader. Tablets, smartphones, and other pocket-PC devices (that is, the iPod Touch) just have more stuff going on that gets in the way. There are apps, like Instapaper, that can help the experience, but iOS 5 will have a built-in feature that works with Safari that will improve the online reading experience. Reader, as it's called, strips off all the junk from the page (like advertisements) and browser frame (like tabs—a new feature coming to Safari for iPad) to give you a clean reading experience. It also has buttons for saving content to read later.

 

 iMessage 

iMessage, the iOS 5 instant messaging application, will come preinstalled on not only new iPhones, but also iPads and iPod Touch. Rather than use different messaging applications to text with SMS phone users versus non-phone device holders, you'll be able to use iMessage to talk to them all.  

 

Camera Upgrades

If you've ever missed a great photo because it took too long to pull out your iPhone, unlock it, launch the camera app, and then shoot the photo, the changes to the camera functionality in iOS 5 will change your outlook on the camera. iOS 5 attempts to cut down on the time it takes from pull out to shoot. A photo button will appear directly on the locked screen, and you'll be able to use the volume button to snap the image—a much more natural location than on-screen. Some other camera improvements will include being able to do basic image editing, like cropping and red-eye reduction, right on your device.

 

 Reminders App

I've always loved Notes on iPhone and Stickies on Mac, but I've long lamented a native checklist application. Third-party developers make some great to-do list apps, but Apple is going to try and reclaim that market with Reminders, a preinstalled to-do list app. Reminders will include all the typical reminder features, like alerts and geo-located reminders, and it will sync with iCal and Outlook across all iOS devices.

 

 Twitter Everywhere

Twitter will be tightly integrated with a bunch of apps and features on iOS 5. On the current operating system, when you want to share something on Twitter, whether it's a photo or an article you're reading in Safari, your i-device has to launch the Twitter app independently of the app you're in. iOS 5 brings Twitter sharing right into many apps, so it works more like a feature of that app rather than a separate program.

 

 Newsstand 

Magazine and newspaper readers will appreciate iOS 5's Newsstand feature, a service that manages all your all subscriptions in one place. Newsstand updates your subscriptions automatically, and the store for buying new subscriptions is built directly into the app. Similarly, the Game Center on iOS 5 will also have a built-in store, so you can purchase a game without flipping to the App Store to get it.

 

 The Unannounced Feature

Quite a credible rumor mill is churning about one special feature that Apple is holding back until it makes its big announcement (scheduled for Tuesday, October 4). Speculation about voice commands increased even more when Apple released invitations (shown) to an event that reads, "Let’s talk iPhone," because the company has historically put very cryptic hints into its invitations prior to making major announcements. Whatever it is—and native voice commands is the most popular guess so far—it's sure to be a big reveal.