Apple's software update, iOS 5, comes with a host of exciting new changes. You can download it free through iTunes but do take note that it will only work on certain Apple devices (see list at the bottom).
So... what’s in store?!
1. Notification Centre
If you already own an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, you know that you get all kinds of notifications – e-mails, texts, Facebook friend requests, Twitter replies, etc. Notification Centre has been created so you can keep track of all your alerts in one place.
Access through the Home Screen
To access from an unlocked iDevice, all you need to do is swipe down from the top bar (showing you the time, battery life, etc) towards the Home Button. You can choose which notification you want to see/be directed to by clicking it and the application will be brought up and you can view the alert.
Access from the Lock Screen
You can access the alert from the Lock Screen too. All you need to do is slide the icon of the alert to the right (like you would when unlocking your iPhone) and the application will open showing you the alert.
If you’re busy and have an application open, a new notification will appear briefly at the top of your screen in a banner form before “flipping over”. It will not interrupt what you are doing. If you want to leave what you’re busy with and be directed to the application of the alert received, simply click on the notification or swipe down for the Notification Centre.
To sort what notifications you want to have available in the Notification Centre, simply open up your Settings app and click the Notifications tab. You can then select which apps you would like to be notified about by clicking on the app and then selecting the On or Off button for the Notification Centre. Once you have selected which apps to be notified of, you can then customise the way in which you are alerted – as an alert, as a banner, or nothing – as well as whether you want to be able to access them from the Lock Screen.
You can also choose how the app alerts are sorted. If you tick By Time, then they will automatically be sorted according to when they came in. So this may mean that you could have a calendar alert, followed by a text message, followed by a missed called, followed by another calendar alert. I found it easier to sort them Manually as they are then grouped according to each app (calendar alerts together, missed calls together, etc).
If you do choose to sort Manually, by pressing the Edit button you can decide in which order you want the apps to appear on your swipe down notification centre. Once you’ve clicked Edit, simply click on the lines icon on the right to move an app up or down.
2. Twitter Integration
Twitter has been integrated right into the operating system so that it is now even easier to tweet from your iDevice. Before you can test out this cool new feature you will need to sign in. Click the Settings app and scroll down until you see Twitter. Open it and you will then be able to sign in and stipulate which apps can use your account. Now that this is done, it’s time to play!
Say you’re surfing Safari and you come across a web-page that really blows your mind and you want to tweet the link… Simply click the “arrow in a box” button and a menu will appear where you can select the Tweet option. You will then be able to type your tweet before hitting send.
Now say you’ve taken a photo that you want to share via Twitter... Navigate yourself to the Photos app and select the photo you want to share. Again click the “arrow in a box” button and then select Tweet. Again you will then be able to type in your tweet before hitting send. And if you want to add a location of where you are, simply select Add Location.
3. Camera
The important statement here is “capture the moment at a moment’s notice”. As your iPhone is always with you, it’s often the best or only way that you can capture a moment. The new iOS now allows you to access the camera app straight from the Lock Screen!
Simply double click the Home Button while on the Lock Screen and then click the camera icon. The camera app will then be opened immediately so you can snap away. You are also able to use the “volume-up” button on the side of your phone to snap your photo instead of pressing the normal button in the camera app.
4. Photos
Another new feature is the ability to edit photos while viewing them in your Camera Roll. Simply select a photo and then select the Edit button. You will then see 4 key editing tools available to you.
The arrow allows you to rotate the picture so you can make sure it is facing the right way up. The magic wand will enhance the photo. The “red dot with a line through” will remove any red-eyes. And the crop tool will allow you to crop the image to remove any unnecessary background.
3. iMessage
Think of this as BBM for iPhone… iMessage is a new messaging service that allows you to send unlimited text messages via Wi-Fi or 3G from your iDevice to anyone with an iDevice that supports iOS 5. iMessage is built into the Messages app so you can send text, photos, videos, contact details etc like you would a normal SMS. iOS 5 is so intelligent that it will first try and send your message as an iMessage, and if the recipient is not an iDevice holder, or they don’t currently have data signal, it will send your message as a SMS.
You can see the difference in how it is sent as an iMessage is in a blue bubble, while a SMS is a green bubble. iMessage also has tracking abilities so you know when your message has been delivered, and when it has been read. And if it wasn’t cool enough as it is, you can also start a conversation on your iPad, then pick up your iPhone and continue where you left off!
4. Reminders
For the OCD, list-makers out there, this is the easiest way to organise your life in to-do lists. Simply open the app and click the “+” button to add a new to-do. By touching the to-do item, you will be taken to a screen where you can be reminded when to do it either on a day (like a normal calendar entry), or at a location (remind yourself to buy milk when you leave the office, or to feed the cat when you get home).
Once you’ve completed the task, simply tick the box to the left of the task to mark it as completed and it will be removed from your to-do list and placed in your completed list. The cool thing with Reminders is that they not only work with iCal, they also work with Outlook (for those like me who have a Windows machine at work).
5. Mail
You are now able to format text in an e-mail and make a word/sentence in bold, italics or underlined. Simply double tap the word (like you do to cut/copy) and then press the right arrow. Then click the BIU button and you will then be able to select the format required.
If you click the Define button, a dictionary definition of the word will pop up. And if you click Quote Level you will be able to create indents in the text of your message.
6. Safari
The Reader feature in Safari allows you to read web articles without the ads or clutter. Simply open up a web article, and once it’s loaded, click the Reader button. You will then see an uncluttered version of the article. You can also increase or decrease the font size by selecting the small or large A.
And if you click the “arrow in a box” button, you will be able to share the link via e-mail or Twitter, or add to your Reading List to read later. On an iPad, you are now able to enjoy tabbed browsing to keep track of multiple web pages.
7. Weather
The weather app is now more in-depth. Instead of just seeing the highs and lows and whether it will be sunny, overcast, raining, etc, you can now click on a particular day and get an hour-by-hour weather report.
8. iCloud
Think of this as Dropbox on steroids! iCloud will automatically sync your music, photos, documents, apps, etc between all your devices. No longer will you need to transfer documents or photos to another folder in order to access them from difference devices. iCloud not only syncs all this information, it also acts as a back-up for all your music, books, apps, photos, device settings, messages, etc.
9. Newsstand
No need to open your front door or run down to the nearest convenience store as Newsstand organises all your magazine and newspaper subscriptions in one place. Not only can you subscribe to magazines and newspapers directly from the app, there is also a new place on the app store just for Newsstand. New purchases will go directly to your app so there is no need to open up multiple apps to view your subscriptions. And as new issues become available, Newsstand automatically updates them in the background.
*Note: at this stage I have not been able to gain access to what magazines and newspapers are available for subscription.
10. Wi-Fi Sync
For those of us who are bad at backing up, this feature will come in very handy! You can set your device to sync wirelessly every time you are in Wi-Fi range, or when you connect your device to a power source.
11. Accessibility
One of the greatest new features is this one as it allows users with disabilities to get the most from their device. Setting custom vibrations will allow a user with a hearing or vision disability to feel when someone is calling or sending a SMS.
iOS 5 is compatible with:
- iPhone 3GS / iPhone 4 / iPhone 4S
- iPod Touch 3rd gen / iPod Touch 4th gen
- iPad / iPad 2
To learn more about iOS 5, click here to view the official video.
