In updating its seemingly ubiquitous iPhone operating system to its fifth, and inarguably best, iteration — iOS 5 — Apple has effectively added a layer of polish to its "magical" product. An operating system for the 99 percent, iOS 5 continues the legacy of simplicity and intuitive design. iOS 5 brings a range of anticipated upgrades, necessary in an environment that's getting more competitive with the introduction of Windows Phone's Mango upgrade and Google's newest iteration of Android (4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich).
iOS 5 introduces a new and vastly improved notification system, borrowing heavily from Google's Android to create a less intrusive threaded notification system which is pulled down from the top of the screen with a simple swipe. Furthermore, iOS introduces the BBM-esque iMessage, allowing for seamless messaging between iPhone, iPad, and Mac over Wi-Fi and 3G. iMessage is weaved throughout iOS 5, so messages are automatically sent to one's iMessage account (attached to one's phone and other Apple devices), staying true to the simplicity and ease of use that is Apple's mantra.
iCloud is Apple's next step towards a "post-pc" future, allowing the iPhone to live largely untethered from a separate computer. Over-the-air updates, wireless backups and a 5GB digital storage locker simplify owning an iPhone.
Apple already allows users to download apps, music and video purchased from iTunes. By the end of the year, Apple promises the introduction of iTunes Match. iTunes Match is a service that, for a fee, scans a user's iTunes library and allows that person to listen to any of those songs (even if they weren't purchased on iTunes) on an iPhone without having to fill up valuable internal hard drive space.
Perhaps the most intriguing and revolutionary change in iOS 5 is Siri. Available only on the new iPhone 4S, Siri is your personal assistant. Originally an offshoot of a U.S. Defense Department project, Siri became SRI International's key product until the company's recent acquisition by Apple. Highly advanced voice recognition software coupled with smart reminders and Mathematica's Wolfram Alpha database yields the first voice software with which a person can actually speak.
It accepts an extremely wide range of commands and colloquialisms such as "Do I need an umbrella today?" or "Remind me to call my father when I leave work." Siri can offer detailed information on a vast range of topics such as demographic information, statistics and weather. Siri also responds to commands to set reminders, send text messages, make calls, read emails and more.
Siri is context aware, so it will know which text to respond to when you say, "reply: That sounds great, see you next week." Siri represents a new standard for hands-free cell phone use that Apple's competitors must match. Even more importantly, Siri begins to make smart phones seem truly smart as it learns about its owners and progressively grows more accurate and more intelligent. Siri represents a paradigm shift from our using smart phones to our interacting with smart phones.
Besides the headline updates, iOS 5 has a variety of other smaller upgrades: deeper Twitter integration, the ability to have browser tabs on the iPad, a reading list feature to save web pages to read later, rich text editing (italics, bold, and underline) and Newsstand.
Apple's Newsstand offers a simple location for newspaper and magazines to sell their products. Newsstand is not a revolutionary improvement, but with its app's changing newspaper and magazine covers, one is reminded when there is something new to read.
These larger annual updates keep even older iPhones up to date in the rapidly evolving world of cell phones. As always, Apple implements these updates in such a way that a few days of use makes the user feel as though nothing has changed but everything is better. iOS 5 represents a small but crucial step in maintaining Apple's position at the vanguard of the smart phone market, while Siri may soon redefine our notion of what makes a "smart" phone smart.
