Apple has officially announced an event on October 4th to talk about the iPhone. However, its still not clear if we’ll be seeing an iPhone 4S or a newly designed iPhone 5. One thing we do know is that the next released iPhone will come with iOS 5 installed.
Apple has been working with Developers on iOS 5 since the Apple WWDC in June and have publicly stated that the next version of the mobile operating system would be available to consumers this Fall. Now that Apple is ready to talk about the iPhone, we can expect that some of the major talking points will be about iOS 5.
iPhone 4 and iPad owners can expect iOS 5 to run on their mobile devices but expect its performance to lag behind how the OS will run on the next version of the iPhone. With that said, iOS 5 looks to be a significant upgrade and includes a number of features that iPhone and iPad owners will notice right away. Below are some of the top features you’ll expect to see.
A New iOS Notification System
After years of users complaining about the notification system in iOS, Apple has rebuilt and redesigned the implementation of notications in iOS. Gone are the days of missing notifications because you received multiple new notifications before you were able to view them on your lock screen. This particularly use to bug me when I would come out of a meeting and miss some of a txt or IM conversation because the iOS notification system was so bad.
In iOS 5, the notification system is significantly improved and you’ll no longer have to worry about missing them. All notifications will be stored in the Notification Center app and displayed at the top of your screen. Multiple notifications will be accessible and easily read at once.
iMessage – Goodbye Text Messages
Apple is making communicating between iOS devices easier with iMessage. This new app will allow you to send free text messages to other iPhone and iPad owners. We’ve previously discussed how this services will directly compete with the new Facebook Messenger app and while Apple has sold millions of iPhones and iPads, their user numbers are still tiny compared to Facebook.
Either way, I’m all for any service that pulls revenue away from wireless carriers that markup text messages 4000%.
Twitter Integration
When Apple announced some of the features of iOS 5 many were somewhat surprised to see Twitter integrated into the entire OS. Initially, many thought this type of feature would have been made available to Facebook but the social network and Apple have had some rough patches recently.
Twitter integration will make it easier for users to share what they’re doing, what apps they’re using, and their photos and videos with their twitter followers. This feature will either help Twitter grow a bit or will be a feature that very few individuals use.
Wireless Setup
With iOS 5 you’ll no longer need to connect your iPhone or iPad to a computer to setup your device. The iPhone and iPad will be configurable and ready to use without syncing to iTunes. This includes mobile updates, iOS updates, and backing up your device with iCloud.
These new Wireless features will really test the new datacenter Apple has opened in North Carolina when the iPhone 5 is first released.
Sync Your iPhone 5 Wirelessly
My favorite feature of iOS 5 is the ability to sync your iPhone and iPad with your iTunes library wirelessly. Gone are the days of connecting your phone to your computer to get the latest information and updates for your apps. iOS 5 will automatically sync your phone and the content on your laptop anytime you are in the same wireless network as your computer and plug the iPhone into a power outlet to charge.
Mirror Your iPad To your TV
Gamers around the world will rejoice with the new mirroring feature in iOS 5. Now you can send your iPad screen to your Apple TV wirelessly. Unique games have already been developed that take advantage of this feature and allow you to send the video experience to your TV while showing different content on your iPad. It will be interesting to see how apps like WatchESPN, Hulu+ and other streaming video services run with this feature.
And More…
iOS 5 is rich with the features listed above and many more. Some of these features include improvements to Safari, Calendar, To Do Lists, and Game Center. The updates coming from iOS 5 will make many iPhone 4 users feel like they have a new device, even if they do not upgrade to the next version of the iPhone.
What feature are you looking forward to most?
