The coming of the iPhone 4S has been heralded as another evolution in the world of smartphones that will completely transform the way we interact with phones – much in the same way that the original iPhone did in 2007 by popularising the touchscreen. At the centre of this change is the iOS 5 operating system. With much of the outer hardware and design of the iPhone 4S being the same as last year's iPhone 4 deals, iOS 5 is where the real 'game changing' is taking place with this latest iPhone.
So just what exactly does iOS 5 bring to the table?
iMessage
The new iMessage feature is very similar to the popular BlackBerry Messenger IM software found on most BlackBerry phones. BlackBerry Messenger allows users to send their messages over the network to other BlackBerry phones for free. iMessage now works in the same manner, but rather than sending messages between BlackBerrys, iMessage allows you to chat from iPhone to iPhone.
These are effectively real time SMS messages where you can see when the other person is typing. You can also send videos and images, and if no internet connection is available then you are given the option to just send your message as a standard SMS or MMS. The great thing about iMessage is that provided you have access to an internet connection you will drastically cut down on your SMS phone bill.
We would see this as a huge innovation for Apple and it really delves into the BlackBerry selling point, which may just move people over from the lagging Canadian brand. With recent outages in BlackBerrys networks, this might be the right time for people to switch to iPhone is BBM was the only thing holding them back.
Notifications
If you ever got sick of having to use the notification messages on the original iPhone this will be seen as a huge improvement. The new iOS 5 has notifications that drop down from a top menu in a similar way to those of Android phones. This is a lot sleeker and really makes it a lot easier to keep track of the happenings on your phone. This also allows you to end the annoying messages that were sent at every conceivable occasion.
Twitter Integration
Twitter integration is a big part of the new phone. The previous Apples offered Twitter on the phone, however it always seemed as more of an add-on than actually a first rate social media product. This meant that the Twitter part of the iPhone felt a little left behind. The new device has changed this and allowed Twitter syncing with the phone. This is a huge plus for those that enjoy Twitter and will be seen as a leap for IOS 5.
iTunes 10.5
the phone also has improvements to the iTunes arena and now comes with access to iTunes 10.5, which in itself is always a nice improvement. We see this as the smoothest iTunes ever.
Find my Friend
There is also a find my friends app, which allows you to easily see the proximity of your friends to you and your phone. In a time of changing privacy rules of engagement this may become popular, though is a useful tool for finding people in large areas or keeping track of minors.
We all know a phone is only as good as the software and the applications it has and in the case of this new iPhone 4S it should be fine. There is certainly enough on offer with iOS 5 to make these phone deals well worth the money.
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