The new iPhone operating system iOS 5 caused quite a stir when it was released Wednesday. Apple iPhone consumers have been eagerly awaiting for this upgrade since it was announced in June, and many rushed to download the iOS 5 just hours after it became operational online.
Here are some of the new features in Apple’s iOS 5 system.
iMessage
iPhone users are now able to send messages via WiFi and mobile data plans instead of SMS text messages. With this change, you will be able to chat with friends and family who are also using iOS 5 devices without worrying about text messaging capacity. Also, if you happen to be linked on WiFi—which is basically anywhere on Duke’s campus—the new iMessage will not even count as part of the mobile data plan. This new texting system is not only convenient to use but also gives the added benefit of saving money.
Wireless sync
For many, freedom from plugging their iPhones to their computers is a huge plus. The iOS 5 allows users to sync with iTunes wirelessly to load music, movies, applications and documents. Additionally, you can also download upgrades to the iOS 5 operating system straight to your phone without using a cable.
Centralized notifications
Instead of having the clutter of notifications at one time, the iOS 5 combines all notifications together under a single Notification Center. This change creates a central location to get all your notifications instead having the frequent popups from previous iPhone versions, effectively getting rid of the slew of annoying notifications.
iCloud
Think Dropbox—but better. The iCloud is Apple’s cloud storage system where photos taken on your iPhone can be loaded directly to your computer without syncing. Also, iCloud gives users 5GB of space for free, which is more storage than Dropbox. Much like iOS5’s feature of wireless syncs, the iCloud gives the iPhone more freedom and convenience.
For Duke students, reactions toward the new iPhone iOS5 operating system produced varied sentiments.
On one hand, some students grew a quick fondness to iOS5.
“I downloaded iOS 5 the day it was released,” said freshman Jay Canarick. “I really liked the new notification center—it was convenient and easy to use.”
However, other students still are not so sure about the switch.
“I heard that the download time for iOS 5 is really long,” said freshman Lucie Yang. “And I’ll also have to re-sync all my data.”
It is still too early to decide whether the iOS 5 is going to be a success or not. Consumers have already begun to file complaints against the new operating system. According to a Washington Post article, installation of the iOS 5 produced an array of errors on certain phones. Some consumers claimed that installation of iOS 5 erased all previous data on the phone. Others noted that iOS 5 simply would not install. Nevertheless, the positives still stand firmly. The new features of the iOS 5, as well as the concurrent release of the iPhone 4S, are certainly going to be strong consumer products in the following months to come.
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