X

iOS 5 hands on (photos)

CNET takes a hands-on tour of some of the new features of Apple's newest mobile operating system, iOS 5.

Kent German
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
Kent German
Notifications.PNG
1 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Notifications

Swiping down from the top of the screen (much like Android) will open the long-awaited new Notifications Center. You'll see a complete list of your missed calls and messages, app updates, a stock ticker, and the current weather.
Notifications_lock_screen.PNG
2 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Lock screen

Notifications also will show up on the lock screen.
OS_update.PNG
3 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Over-the-air updates

The "PC Free" feature enables wireless device activations and software updates. The updates will serve only the changes, so they'll be shorter.
Syncing.PNG
4 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Wireless syncing

Thanks to the new iCloud service, you'll also be able to wirelessly sync, back up, and restore your device.
App_updates.PNG
5 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

App updates

App updates will happen over the air as well. As you might have guessed, the idea is to never have you plug your device into a computer again. Or if you prefer, you won't have to own a computer at all.
Photo_stream.PNG
6 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Photo stream

iCloud also will deliver a photo stream of stored images to your device.
iMessage.PNG
7 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

iMessage

The iMessage app looks just like the text messaging feature.
iMessage_settings.PNG
8 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

iMessage settings

iMessage will let you send text and multimedia messages to individuals or groups.
Camera.PNG
9 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Camera

The option to add grid lines now appears above the HDR control, which shows a tweaked design.
Photo_editor.PNG
10 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

More camera

After taking a photo, you can crop and rotate your image and access color correction and red-eye reduction controls.
After_photo.PNG
11 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Tweet a photo

You'll be able to post a photo to Twitter directly from the media gallery app.
Twitter_sign-in.PNG
12 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Twitter integration

And speaking of Twitter, the social network service will get tighter integration with your device. You'll be able to add a location, sync Twitter with your contacts list, and tweet directly from YouTube, Safari, and Maps.
Tweet.PNG
13 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Tweet time

Here's the interface when tweeting. It's user-friendly and the @ symbol is prominently surfaced.
Maps.PNG
14 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Mapping

When planning a route in Google Maps, you can select from multiple route options.
Reader.PNG
15 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Safari Reader

The Reader option in the Safari browser will strip down articles into a simple, easy-to-read format.
Reading_List.PNG
16 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Reading List

Also in Safari, you can save bookmarks for later perusal.
Reminders.PNG
17 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Reminders

With this new app you can save multiple to-do lists with dates for each event and categorize reminders by location.
To-do_list.PNG
18 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

To-do list

And once you're finished with a task you can check them off. Reminders can be shared between devices and sync with iCal on the Mac with CalDAV, and on Windows with MS Exchange.
Newsstand_1.PNG
19 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Newsstand

The Newsstand app's design is similar to iBooks. You can add subscriptions from the App Store and new issues will be delivered automatically.
Personal_dictionary_with_keyboard.PNG
20 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Personal dictionary

Thanks to the personal dictionary you can avoid future auto-correct mishaps by adding slang, acronyms, and other unrecognized words to your device's dictionary.
Words.PNG
21 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Define this

Get a definition by tapping unfamiliar words.
Dictionary.PNG
22 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Dictionary

You'll then jump directly to the definition.
Game_Center.PNG
23 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Game Center

The Game Center gets new features like profile photos, achievement point comparison, friends of friends, recommended friends and games, and support for turn-based games.
Game_purchase.PNG
24 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Purchase games

What's more, you can buy apps directly from the app.
Accessiblity.PNG
25 of 25 Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Accessibility

iOS 5 also adds new accessibility options including LED flash and custom vibration settings to let you see and feel when someone's calling.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos