The iOS 5 Features: The Top Ten Features That You Should Know About

Though today‚Äö√Ñ√¥s World Wide Developer‚Äö√Ñ√¥s Conference may not have released any hardware details about the iPhone 5, it did outline the major overhaul with the iOS 5.  From the stage there were ten key additions that were mentioned for the iOS 5 that are intended to radically change the format for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, all of which now have to stand against the major shift presented by iCloud.

Here is a look at the ten key iOS 5 features that have been just announced.

 
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1.  The Notification Center

It was made very quickly from the start that Apple is aware of how annoying the iOS notification system has become, as it is intrusive and hard to work with.  Now there will be the Notification Center instead, which is a location where all notifications will be stored for access.  The notifications will occur as they had before, yet will disappear quickly and not interrupt your app use.  From here you will be able to go into a centralized Notification Center and find notifications for FaceTime, phone calls, text messages, social networking, and anything else that has Push Notifications set for it.

2.  Twitter

Twitter has always had an interesting relationship with the iOS and the iPhone since it lacks app standardization and allows for a whole range of more specific app types.  Many people have been asking to have social networking tools built right into the iOS, and the iOS 5 makes Twitter a standard app that cannot be deleted.  Here you will have quick ‚Äö√Ñ√∫tweet‚Äö√Ñ√π posting and it will begin to work similar to the other built in communication functions like email and text messaging.

3.  Newsstand

Newsstand may be a major boost for magazines and newspapers that are hoping mobile devices will breath life into their declining market.  This will also be a centralized location for magazine and newspaper subscriptions where you will be able to access them quickly through Internet connectivity.  This is especially important for the iPad as it is often being touted as the solution for mobile publication viewing because of its size and shape.

4.  Safari Updates

One of the more fragmented iOS 5 features is the Safari update as it includes a number of changes.  The Safari Reader is an option that will allow you to remove unwanted content from your view while reading longer articles.  This will create a focus on the text or content and shut out things like ads and browser functions so that you can dial right in.  Beyond this will be multiple available tabs for moving back and forth, which is a major improvement to the isolated tab system that Safari has now on the iOS.

 
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5.  Reminders

The iOS 5 has integrated a reminder system that is inspired somewhat by the notification process.  What this will do is allow you to use a built in list application to then create reminders for your daily activities.  This is an improvement on the notification and calendar system that is already in place as it allows you to keep more organized in a way that is directed right at a ‚Äö√Ñ√∫to do‚Äö√Ñ√π structure.  What is really great about this is that you can sync to third party applications, iCal and Outlook.  The most important addition about the iOS 5 reminder feature is that it uses locations as an integrated elements, so you can have reminders based on your geographical location.  For example, you can set a reminder to go off when you leave your house to remind you to grab your mail on the way to the car.

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6.  Camera

The iOS 5 has included a camera upgrade that is software, not hardware, based.  This camera upgrade is not based on better image quality necessarily, but instead on access and usability.  First off you will have a camera option right from the lock screen so that you can jump into taking photos quickly when you need to without dealing with passcodes, unlock, and opening the camera app.  The volume adjustment on the side will also become a shutter speed adjustment tool and you will be able to do photo editing inside the iDevice.

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7.  Mail

The iOS Mail tool has changed dramatically, similar to the update in Safari.  Here you are going to have draggable addresses, the ability to flag messages, very detailed search tools, and a whole lot of additions.  The goal of this is to bring Mail up to the standards that people have come to expect with things like Gmail, which is important if it is going to become a standard form of communicating on the iPhone.

 
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8.  PC Free

Apple is now acknowledging that not all of their iDevice users have an active computer they can use, so PC Free is going to allow them to work more independently.  First, the new devices will just have a Welcome screen and will not force them to tether to a computer immediately.  Second, you will get OTA software updates that do not require a hard connection through a computer.

 
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9.  Game Center

Game Center has been around with the iOS 4, but as one of the iOS 5 features it is going to have more involved social networking tools.  Turn based games will be able to be used in the operating system, and you will really be able to connect with friends through things like recommendations and avatars.  This is likely not the last upgrade to Game Center as Apple would really like to make this a fully integrated social networking tool that will promote their gaming platform as an essential in users‚Äö√Ñ√¥ lives.

10.  iMessages

iMessages may be the most dramatic iOS 5 feature, unless you count iCloud.  iMessages brings the text messaging function of the iPhone and turns it into an instant message tool allowing communication between all iDevices.  Now the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad can all chat using an Internet connection in the same format as a text message.  This will save on text messaging plans on the iPhone and allow those using non-phone iDevices the ability to stay connected at all levels.