Wow! Apple is back in game again. Isn’t it so?

Well just to give a flashback, Apple first version of iOS in June 29, 2007  was known as iPhone OS before June 2010. What made Apple Inc., and Steve Jobs to change its name?

If you remember, Apple released iOS version 4 with lots of great new features which was totally mobile-centric. Maybe a silly reason. But iOS 4 is one of the productive and game changing releases by Apple!

These all happened a year back and now let us get into yet another awesome release by Apple => iOS 5. Most of you would be knowing, Apple Inc., had a press conference called WWDC 2011 just few days back and they demoed the next version of iOS.

As expected, iOS 5 is packed with lots of amazing and great new features. iOS 5 includes more than 200 new features and we got few as of now. But we promise to share all of them in coming few days.

As iOS is single operating which works on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, there are few features which which works only on iPad.

For iPhone, iPod touch and iPad

Notification Center

• Non intrusive Pop-up notifications. New notifications show in a notification bar which appears every time a notification is received -SMS, missed phone calls and regular notifications from every 3rd party app.
• All notifications concentrated to Notification center – just swipe downwards to open it. Notification center shows as a list of all notifications.
• Notification list on lock screen: Notification center list shown.
• Shows stocks and live weather on top of notifications (iPhone and iPod touch only)

iMessage

• Messaging between all iOS devices running iOS 5 (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch 3G, iPod touch 4G, iPad & iPad 2) through Wi-Fi or 3G.

Newsstand

• A new icon on Springboard, which opens to an iBooks-inspired folder which shows all papers and magazines downloaded from app store.
• Subscriptions to newspapers etc available for browsing and downloading in a dedicated section of the App Store – stored in the Newsstand folder.

Reminders

• Location-aware notifications, triggered when the device approaches a set position. (E.g. remind to get milk when device leaves workplace or approaches a grocery store)
• Date-based reminder notifications
• “To-Do list” functionality in Reminders app

Twitter integration

• Tweeting from Native Applications: Photos, Camera, YouTube, Maps
• iOS Contacts

Music App

• Ability to play music while sync
• Delete songs from Device
• Long names now scrolling in now playing
• iPod app now split into Music and Video (iPhone and iPad only)

Camera

• Volume-up key as shutter release button to take photos.
• Shortcut to Camera App from Lockscreen created, accessed by double-clicking the home button.
• Grid composition aide, pinch to zoom.
• Swipe left to reveal your camera roll.
• AE & AF Lock

Maps

• Print Maps

Mail

• Rich Text Formatting (Bold, Italics, Underline, etc.)
• Flag Emails
• Indentation Control
• Swipe left to reveal Inbox when in portrait mode
• Search now includes body of messages

Photos

• Built-in basic photo editing: crop, red-eye, auto-enhance and rotate photos.

Safari

• Safari reader and Reading list
• Ability to open pages in background (change via settings)
• Private Browsing (change via settings)
• syncing via iCloud

iCloud

• iTunes, iBooks, App Store, Photo, Contacts, Calendar, Mail and iWork data saved in iCloud and automatically or manually downloaded to all linked devices – iOS and Mac/Windows PCs.

Settings

• Ability to create keyboard shortcuts (autotext) to replace custom phrases.

PC-free

• iTunes/USB no longer required to activate new devices – ability to start right over with no need to tether it to iTunes added. You can restore all your data on your device through a simple iCloud sign in.
• Sync over Wi-Fi – ability added to sync wirelessly to iTunes.
• OTA softwares updates: You now can update your software version without iTunes straight from device through Wi-Fi or 3G.

Others

• Delete individual calls in “Recents” Phone app. Clear button now Edit button. (iPhone only)
• The unlock slider inscription changed from “slide to unlock” to “unlock” and a camera shortcut when home button is double pressed on the lock screen.
• Option to speak text selection
• iTunes Tone Store
• Built-in dictionary
• Emoji emoticons
• Personal dictionary
• Alternate routes in Maps
• Improved FaceTime video quality
• Time-mid call invitation alerts
• Hourly weather forecasts
• VoiceOver item chooser
• Mass Configuration
• Unsecured Call warning (iPhone only)
• New switcher icon (on/off)
• VoiceOver action support
• Weather for your current location
• FaceTime videocalls over 3G
• Over the Air (OTA) updates

iPad & iPad 2 only

• Multitasking Gestures – Pinch with 4 fingers to close app, swipe up to open multitasking bar,swipe left or right to move between open apps to enable.
• Split keyboard – Swipe up to split keyboard in half, then keyboard shows on middle of screen.
• New design for music app
• Safari – Tabbed Browsing

iPad 2 only

• AirPlay Mirroring – Ability to connect with Airplay to an Apple TV, then everything shown on iPad is also seen on TV.

As we said before, iOS 5 has got really amazing features like iMessage, iCloud Sync etc. There are many more innovative features to be revealed. Many more to come!

iOS 5 is available for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad, iPad 2 and iPod Touch via OTA update. If you are one among these device owner you must update yourself to iOS 5 and some mesmerizing features.

Sources: Wiki and Apple.

Do you guys think this is the best release by Apple team? Will this update make changes in mobile OS war? Lets discuss 🙂