iOS 5
iOS 5 is the fifth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to iOS 4. It was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6, 2011, and was released on October 12, 2011. It was succeeded by iOS 6 on September 19, 2012.[1]
Developer
Closed, with open source components
October 12, 2011
5.1.1 / May 25, 2012
Proprietary EULA except for open-source components
Apple - iOS 5 - 200+ new features for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. at the Wayback Machine (archived September 10, 2012)
We've taken iOS to a whole new level.
iOS 5 revamped notifications, adding temporary banners that appear at the top of the screen and introducing the Notification Center, a central location for all recent notifications. iOS 5 also added iCloud, Apple's cloud storage service for synchronization of content and data across iCloud-enabled devices, and iMessage, Apple's instant messaging service. For the first time, software updates could be installed wirelessly, without requiring a computer and iTunes. iOS 5 also featured deep integration with Twitter, introduced multitasking gestures on iPads, and added an easily accessible camera shortcut from the lock screen.
iOS 5 was the subject of criticism for iPhone 4s users, as the initial release had poor battery life, failures of SIM cards, and echoes during phone calls. These problems were fixed in subsequent releases.
iOS 5 is the last version of iOS that supports the third-generation iPod Touch and first-generation iPad.
System features[edit]
Notifications[edit]
In previous iOS versions, notifications popped up on the screen as dialog boxes, interrupting the current activity. In iOS 5, notifications are revamped, and show up as a temporary banner at the top of the screen. Recent notifications can also be accessed by pulling a "Notification Center" down from the top of the screen. Users who prefer the old notification system can keep it by choosing the appropriate option in the Settings menu.[6][7]
App features[edit]
Photos and Camera[edit]
The first iOS 5 release allowed the Camera app to be easily accessed from the lock screen for the first time. If users double-clicked the home button, a camera icon would appear next to the "slide to unlock" message, and users would click on it to directly access the camera.[14][15][16] The iOS 5.1 update streamlined this process by removing the home button double-click procedure, and replacing it with a process requiring users to swipe up the camera icon.[14] For security purposes when the device is locked with a passcode, this method of accessing the camera only allows access to the Camera app, and no other features of the device.[7]
Pressing the volume-up button allows the user to take a picture.[16][17]
Messages[edit]
iMessage, a new instant messaging service built into the Messages app, allowed anyone with an iOS 5 device to send both basic and multimedia messages to anyone else with a compatible iOS 5 device. In contrast to SMS, messages sent through iMessage use the Internet rather than regular cellular texting, but also in contrast to regular SMS, Android and BlackBerry devices are not compatible with the service.[18][19] iMessages are synchronized across the user's devices, and are color-coded blue, with regular SMS in green.[7]
Music and Videos[edit]
The iPod app was replaced by separate Music and Videos apps on the iPhone, as with the iPod Touch.[13][25]
Problems[edit]
Wi-Fi connectivity drops[edit]
In November 2011, Engadget reported that the iOS 5 update caused Wi-Fi connection drops for some users. The report also wrote that "The recent iOS 5.0.1 update certainly hasn't fixed the matter, either", and questioned whether the events were unrelated or part of a larger issue.[32]
Reception[edit]
Many aspects of iOS 5 received positive reviews, including the new notification center, the ability to sync and update wirelessly, iMessage, and more. Richmond Shane of Telegraph said "iOS 5 is a brilliant upgrade to an already brilliant operating system. Different people look for different things in a mobile operating system. That's why some people prefer BlackBerry, Android or Windows Mobile. I value ease of use and attention to detail in design. With iOS 5, Apple continues to deliver the best user experience available."[37]
Richard Goodwin of Know Your Mobile said "All in all, we reckon iOS 5 is everything it needs to be a more. We can't wait to get our teeth stuck into it as soon as it's released in the Autumn of 2011."[38]