A couple weeks ago, Apple gave a preview of iOS 5, the next operating system for apple’s mobile devices: iPhone, iPad and iTouch. The iOS 5 beta release includes over 200 new features but we can offer some of the key highlights below. Further updates regarding these features can be found through the official Apple website.
Notification Center – You get all kinds of notifications on your iOS device and you can keep track of them all in one convenient location. Choose which notifications you want to see. New notifications appear briefly at the top of your screen, without interrupting what you’re doing. And the Lock screen displays notifications so you can act on them with just a swipe.
Twitter – Tweet from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Sign in once in Settings, and suddenly you can tweet directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, or Maps. You can even add a location to any tweet, no matter which app you’re tweeting from.
Newsstand – Read all about it. All in one place. iOS 5 organizes your magazine and newspaper app subscriptions in Newsstand: a folder that lets you access your favorite publications quickly and easily. As new issues become available, Newsstand automatically updates them in the background complete with the latest covers.
Camera – You can now open the Camera app right from the Lock screen. Added are grid lines, pinch-to-zoom gestures, and single-tap focus and exposure locks to compose a picture on the go. Then press the volume-up button to snap your photo.
iMessage – iPhone messaging to all of your iOS devices: iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. iMessage allows you to easily send text messages, photos, videos or contact information to a person or a group on other iOS 5 devices over Wi-Fi or 3G. What’s even cooler is messages are automatically pushed to all your iOS 5 devices, making it easy to continue one conversation across your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.
Safari – Safari Reader displays web articles fully so you can read without distractions. On the iPad, tabbed browsing helps you keep track of multiple web pages and the ability to switch between them.
PC Free – Needing a computer is no longer needed to own an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Activate and set up your device wirelessly, right out of the box. Download free iOS software updates directly on your device. You can now do much more with your apps such as editing your photos or adding new email folders on your device. Backing and restoring can now be done automatically using iCloud.
Wi-Fi Sync – Wirelessly sync your iOS device to your Mac or PC over a shared Wi-Fi connection. Every time you connect your iOS device to a power source such as charging overnight, it automatically syncs and backs up any new content to iTunes.
AirPlay Mirroring – AirPlay now supports video mirroring meaning you can now wirelessly stream whatever is on your iPad 2 to your television via Apple TV. Everyone can see exactly what’s on your iPad display even when you rotate the iPad from portrait to landscape.
Apple - iOS 5
