We reported a few days ago that iOS 5, was being announced today, and now we can officially give you the details of the new Apple Operating System. This is Apple first major update since they release iOS 4 over a year ago. The New update is packed with loads of cool new features. I really can't wait to get my handset on an update, and looking at the list of cool features, it's definitely been worth the wait! Here is a list of new features...
Notifications
So rather than getting your pop up alerts in the middle of playing a game a losing it forever, Apple have introduced a new feature called 'Notifications Centre'. It can be accessed by swiping down from within the UI, and it will store all your notifications for you to view later. If you receive an alert while you're in the middle of an app, you will simply get a brief alert at the top of the screen; which will disappear after a few moments. You can then check on the alert later without worrying about losing it!
Safari
The iPhone's mini Safari browser has also been given an update. Mobile Safari now comes with an all new Safari Reader. I must say that this is a feature that I will be using a lot in the future. Safari will strip out everything from a web page and just present the text to you without any images. This feature alone will speed up browsing the web on your iPhone and remove all the distractions of adverts from your favourite sites. There is also a Reading List, which accumulates a list of pages you want to read later. The most important update in my opinion is the introduction of Tabbed browsing! At last, absolute lightning-fast switching between multiple web pages. Perfect!!
So more social media updates. This time it's the integration for Twitter. You simply enter all your Twitter account details into the settings menu, and your Twitter account will be instantly integrated into your device to use with App, the built in Camera, Photos, Safari and Maps.
iMessage
This is an exclusive service for iOS users (iPhone, ipad and iPod Touch users). iMessage gives the you delivery and read receipts, an indicator for when the other party is typing, and the ability to push messages to all your devices. iMessage works over either 3G or WiFi.
What would a major iOS release be without an update to the mail client! The new mail client delivers indentation control, rich-text formatting, draggable addresses, the ability to search the entire contents of messages. As well as S/MIME mail support and a built-in dictionary. You can also split the onscreen keyboard in half.
Reminders
So Apple have finally given us a to-do list, and it has a geolocation feature. It will sync with all available iDevices and it can notify users of an event depending on their set location. You can even sync with your calendar.
Gaming
Game Centre has been given an update also. There is Support for turn-based games and the ability to buy games directly from Game Centre. There is also a bunch of other new features such as achievement point comparison, photos, friends of friends, recommended friends, and game recommendations.
Camera
An update to the camera wasn't expected, but is a welcome surprise! These new tweaks include a lockscreen shortcut button! How useful is that!!?? Apple has also introduced some new in-device editing, which include cropping, rotation, red-eye reduction, and a one-click enhance option. Pinch-to-zoom will also to be available right in the app!
Newsstand
You can now have magazine subscriptions within the iBooks store. It also comes complete with background downloading, with mags available to browse through offline.
No PC!
So you've bought your new iDevice, and you can't use it because you have to plug it into you PC! How frustrating is that? Well this is all in the past now! With iOS 5, you can use your device straight out of the box! No need for a PC! Also, your iTunes library can be synced to your iDevice straight over a WiFi.
There were rumours that iOS 5 will be not be compatible with iPhone 3GS, but it is! It's also supported on the iPhone 4, iPad 1 and 2, and iPod touch 3rd and 4th generation. No known release date, but I hope it's soon! I can't wait to try it on my White Apple iPhone!
