After two days of use with Apple’s brand new iOS 5 on both an iPhone 4 and iPad 2, I can confidently say that iOS 5 has not only added much-needed features and enhancements, but has pushed Apple’s mobile operating system even further out into the lead ahead of competitors. What’s incredible is that Apple’s first beta release of iOS 5 for developers already runs better than any production BlackBerry or Android OS phone, and in daily use, I haven’t had any major issues at all with the OS. Hit the break some more impressions following my thoughts after day one.
Using iMessages, Apple’s new messaging service, is so simple yet powerful — I’ve been able to talk to over 20 friends, all of whom have loaded up iOS 5, from both my iPhone and iPad seamlessly and effortlessly. Notifications are a major positive as well — I still can’t get over how much more productive I am without being interrupted every 25 seconds. The powerful ability to customize the lock screen however you like ensures that you get the right information you need, and fast.
Even iCloud has worked flawlessly, and it’s in beta, running on a non-final release of OS X Lion, connecting to first beta versions of iOS 5 — it’s ridiculous if you think about how wide the gap is between Apple and its competitors. Photo Stream is, for lack of a better word, magical. Having all of my photos and videos wirelessly, automatically, and effortlessly synced to all devices including computers is fantastic. I also love having my device backed up once a day to iCloud — I don’t have to remember to plug it in, wait for it to sync, and back it up. Additionally, it’s almost a surreal experience to download an app on your iPhone and see it instantly download to your iPad as well, or vice-versa. The same goes for music, iBooks, and more.
Finally, the new accessibility options Apple has included in iOS 5 are nothing short of incredible. You can enable the LED flash to blink during alerts, and you can even create your own custom vibration patterns for specific contacts by tapping out patterns on the display.
I’ll report back tomorrow with any other findings and feedback.
