iOS 5: Complete list of 200+ New Features

IOS 5: Complete List Of 200+ New Features

List of all 200 new features of iOS 5

1. Notification Center: New Notification System
2. Improved app notifications at the top
3. Lock screen notifications. Swipe will open related app.
4. Notification options to choose for each app.
5. Notification sorting by app, time etc.
6. iMessage: Text messaging between iOS devices over Wi-Fi or 3G 
7. Newstand: Similar to iBooks to store, auto-download magazine subscriptions & new issues.
8. Reminders: A list of reminders with Geo-fence integrated with Calendar app
9. Twitter Integration: Log in to Twitter from settings once and Tweet anything from Safri, Photos, YouTube etc. Similar to login & sharing used by Mail.app
10. AirPlay Mirroring for iPad 2: Duplicate the iPad screen on television wirelessly
11. iCloud integration: A new free service with more than 5GB data to be shared between iOS devices
12. Open Camera.app from lock screen: Double tapping on Home button will open the Camera.app from lock screen
13. Take pictures from lock screen: Volume up button can be used to take pictures
14. Camera Grid: For more precise focus and accurate photography. This feature was available on Camera+ app
15. Camera Zoom: Pinch-to-zoom Gesture like Photos.app on Camera.app
16. One tap Auto Focus and Auto Exposure
17. Lock Auto Exposure & Auto Focus for consistency.
18. Swipe Left to open camera roll
19. Crop Photos: Not available on 3GS
20. Enhance Color tones of photos: Not available on 3GS
21. Rotate Photos:
22. Red-eye removal: Remove, correct Red-eye within Photos.app
23. Photo Stream via iCloud over all your iOS devices
24. Organize photos within Camera Roll
25. Tabbed Browsing in Safari: For iPad only
26. Safari Reader: Like RSS reader
27. Safari Reading List: Save web pages for offline reading
28. Improved Performance: Like it was enhanced in 4.3.3
29. Private Browsing: Similar to Firefox / Incognito on Chrome.
30. Website specific data can be deleted
31. Cut the cord: Activate and setup iOS device without a Mac or PC
32. Over-The-Air (OTA) iOS Software Updates: Again, no need of a computer & cord
33. Delta Software Updates: Upgrade only changed files. No need to download & install entire OS. (Similar to WordPress!)
34. Wi-Fi Sync: Sync iOS device with PC or Mac over Wi-Fi
35. Backup and Restore from iCloud account
36. Sync Exchange tasks
37. Downloads: See a list of downloaded apps from App Store from any of your iOS device
38. Rich Text Formatting for Composing Mail (Bold, Italics, Underline, etc.)
39. Improved offline support for Mail.app
40. Indentation Control
41. Drag-able email addresses: Drag, arrange email addresses in To, CC, BCC fields
42. Improved mail search: Full content search in Mail
43. Flag Emails
44. S/MIME Security
45. Profile picture for Game Center
46. Friend recommendations for Game Center
47. Games recommendation
48. Friends-of-friends list
49. App Store in Game Center: App store integrated within Game Center to find & buy new Apps / Games
50. New Achievements like Perks, Points
51. Play turn-based games within Game Center
52. Swipe-Up with 4-5 fingers for multitasking bar (iPad only)
53. Swipe-Left or Swipe-Right with 4-5 fingers to switch between running apps (iPad only)
54. Pinch with 4-5 fingers for the home screen (iPad only)
55. New Split keyboard: For easier typing on iPad
56. New Keyboard Shortcuts (Not sure what it is)
57. Emoji Emoticons: Emoticons like we see in IMs now for iOS devices. Mostly with iMessage!
58. LED Flash for incoming calls and notifications for better accessibility
59. Custom vibration for incoming calls for better accessibility
60. VoiceOver improvements including custom element labeling
61. Custom tones for Calendar events
62. Custom tone for Received Mail
63. Custom tone for Sent mail
64. Custom tone for Voice-mail
65. Year view on Calendar: iPad only
66. Week view on Calendar: For iPhone & iPod
67. New Music App: Redesigned only for iPad
68. Music & Video: Two separate apps for iPhone (Instead of Video inside iPod app)
69. Scroll for long song titles
70. Song description: Tap & hold on a song title for description
71. Smart Playlists: Sync smart playlists from iTunes.
72. Weather Forecasts updates hourly
73. On-location Weather: Determines current location. Custom locations can be added/
74. Alternate routes in Maps
75. Print Maps: Print location, direction maps
76. Twitter Pictures: Use Twitter pictures for contacts with integrated Twitter
77. Auto Download in background: Newstand issues, apps can be downloaded in background once subscribed.
78. Sync in background: Now possible to use iOS device while it is still syncing in background
79. Links in background: Safari links, iTunes links can be opened in background
80. Space usage: Determine space used by each app, supported file types under settings
81. iCloud usage: Determine space used on iCloud under settings
82. Change device name: Change iOS device name on-the-go via settings
83. Some GUI Improvements
84. Personal Dictionary: Create & store own words for re-use
85. Built-in Dictionary: Built-in dictionary app
86. iTunes Tone Store: Choose, Buy, Install custom tones
87. Improved FaceTime video quality
88. VoiceOver Item Chooser
89. Speak Text:Speak text based on selection
90. Delete recent calls: Delete single or one-by-one recent call list
91. Delete app data: Delete saved games, saved data for specific apps / games
92. Time mid-call invitation alerts
93. Download Multiple Apps: Now its possible to download and install multiple apps instead of one-by-one.
94. Delete songs: Check to Delete songs / playlists on iOS device (It's already possible I guess in 4.3.3 or its here on my phone only for me? )
95. New Keyboard Shortcuts: Type OMG and it will type Oh My God.
96. Custom Text Tones: Custom SMS tones. (Yeah, I think it's there)
97. Auto Sync backup: It takes backup of the file on the device. Hence restoring from scratch is made easy. No need to grab all apps one-by-one. Saves lot of time.
98. 'Install' link instead of Price if the app is already bought.
99. Silent Switch: Shows volume level along with the Bell icon while switching back from Silent to Ringer (Currently it shows only the Bell icon)
100. Hotmail accounts have new icons & folders
101. Sync events, contacts, notes with predefined accounts under Mail.app (Like Hotmail, Gmail etc)
102. Marked Apps: All apps that are downloaded on iOS device for your account are marked as FREE (Free to download if they're & free to download because you've already purchased them)
103. Arabic language support for VoiceOver
104. Icon Badges: Option to turn ON or OFF icon badges for apps. (Red circle with update)
105. Accessible input for mobility
106. Assistive Touch Gestures: Allows us to use iPhone with adaptive accessories while controlling touch sensitivity.
107. FaceTime over 3G: Yes, it is now possible. Not yet available for developers though.
108. Unsecured call notifications: I am not sure why does this prompt for confirmation for calls saying network is not encrypted! (Is this a feature or incomplete program?)
109. Mid-call Invitation Alert: If the phone is busy, we can still receive a placed conference call (Description is my interpretation)
110. Free @me.com email address: Yes. With iCloud integration, all iOS 5 users will get @me.com email ID
111. Custom Gestures: Create and save custom gestures. Mainly for motor-disables persons for use with AssistiveTouch accessories
112. Swipe-Left can let you browse through day-view one-by-one in Calendar
113. FaceTime without Sim card: FaceTime can now be activated and used either via a phone number or email address (Apple ID)
114. Unknown Caller details: When received a call from number that is not on contacts – the display also shows city name associated with the area code. Currently it shows in recent calls list only (I think I have seen this feature before on 4.2.1. Did you? )
115. Vibrate Alert for sent & received emails (What is they come-and-go the same time? Confusing?)
116. Real-TIme stock updates
117. Multiple Mark Read: Can now select & mark multiple emails as read.
118. Pause Timer: It's possible to pause the Timer instead of 'Cancel'
119. New German Keyboard
120. 1080p Playback support for iPad. (Awesome)
121. Social Networking Integration: Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, MySpace along with Twitter (Options under Settings.app but not sure if integrated throughout the OS like Twitter)
122. Headphone Balance: Option to choose Left & Right balance for headphones under Accessibility
123. Mono audio option for headphones under accessibility (except to choose balance as mentioned above)
124. Cellular Network for App Store: Option to Enable or Disable using Cellular Network (GPRS, 3G) to download apps from the App Store. (This is excellent!)
125. Disable In-App Purchase: Ability to completely disable In-App purchases
126. iTunes Password Prompt: It is now possible to set frequency for iTunes Password prompt to appear.
127. Storage Usage Clean Up: We can not only see what files have taken up the space but we can empty that space with single wipe like Apps, Game's saved data, Music, Videos etc.
128. Equalizer Presets: These are now more BASS oriented (Most likely)
129. Improved Sound Check for music
130. RSA ID is now available when setting up VPN. (Thanks @jaytrixz for this update). This is for performing two-factor authentication for a user to a network resource.
131. Folders for Mail: Yes. Possible for any allowed mail account including new Hotmail. (I mentioned about Hotmail above but this is new feature for all accounts & thanks @Karl for this info)
132. Hide Keyboard: Hide (Dismiss) keyboard button whenever necessary. (This is for iPad only. Not for iPhone. Confirmed)
133. Find My iPhone: This is available as a part of iCloud integration with an option to disable it. (Thanks Michael for confirmation)
134. Scrolling Titles for YouTube videos
135. Double tap the home button on YouTube while watching a video to see who uploaded that video (Thanks @JohnothanVincentCrook for pointing it out)
136. HD YouTube video if connected to 3G
137. Option to disable HQ (HD) video playback over 3G
138. Take pictures using headphone remote: If you have headphone with remote them it is possible to take picture using Volume UP button. (Very useful if you have a tripod. Please confirm if anyone saw this!)
139. Animated GIF image support for iMessage. Does not animate in Photos.app
140. Hold and drag events from within different dates or time
141. Tapping and holding back button in Safari will show-up visited website history (iPad only)
142. Current time on Calendar if in landscape mode
143. New voices for Voice-Over
144. Option to display Stock & Weather widgets in Notification Center
145. Add family relations to contacts.
146. Restrictions with password required for purchases if enabled
147. Enable / Disable option for voice-dial if the phone is set to security with pass-code lock.
148. Purchase history on app store
149. Automatically set time for iPod Touches
150. Auto Correct & Spell Check are independent options.
151. Broadcast song information on devices (like car stereo) when connected over Bluetooth
152. New keyboard with prominent #(hash-tag) and @ buttons for Twitter app like we have a prominent '.com' button for Safari address bar.
153. iPod app renamed to Music: How could I missed it writing here! 
154. Enhanced Mail.app even in offline mode and sync back when online (like for deleted emails)
155. Help center: Learn more about every option under settings app to explore more about it 
156. New notification alerts within mail app if you forgot to write a subject line (Similar to Gmail!)
157. Hourly Weather Forecasts: Tap the current day and it will display hour-by-hour weather forecast. (This is separate from hourly weather update mentioned above)
158. En dash (–): Tap and hold hyphen (-) key to see & insert En dash. Em dash is already there. 
159. Third-party Cables: Support for almost all third-party TV-out cables. No need to download Resupported from Cydia. This would be one of the major features if true. (Can someone without jailbroken iPhone confirm this?)
160. Choose Notification Type: Banner notifications or the classic pop-up notifications (for each app)
161. Mail Sidebar: Can be swiped in or out
162. Install Twitter from Settings app (Twitter integration as one feature each? see below points)
163. Tweet Location: in Maps
164. Tweet Picture: from the camera roll
165. Tweet Website URL: from Safari
166. Tweet Video: from YouTube
167. Backup homescreen layout on iCloud (Please confirm)
168. Backup app data on iCloud (Like game saves etc)
169. Backup purchased music, apps, and books on iCloud
170. Backup SMS and MMS
171. Backup ringtone(s)
172. Backup contacts
173. Schedule daily OTA (Over the air) iCloud backup
174. Message / iMessage: Repeat alerts up to 10 times
175. iOS crash reports to Apple with options: Send automatically or Don't send.
176. Nuance Speech to Text: Not available in current beta but the most anticipated feature in final release. 
177. Sync bookmarks, highlight from iBooks across devices
178. iMessages show a blue colored bubble to easily distinguish
179. Group messaging in iMessage
180. Delivery Reports
181. Read receipts for iMessage (enable from Settings)
182. See if other person is typing in iMessage (like in IMs)
183. Add Social Media info in to contacts
184. New rounded toggle switch
185. New separate Video app & icon
186. Nitro JavaScript speed improvements for Web Apps
187. iMessage will be sent as a text message in case iMessage is not available
188. Custom vibration for each contact so each pattern can let know who's calling
189. New 'Message' option for iPod Touch under settings to use iMessage using an email ID
190. Setup AirPort device
191. Maximum recent email messages limit to 1000 instead of 200
192. Create & manage photo albums within Photos.app on device itself. (How did I miss this before? Thanks Joaquin for letting me know.)
193. (Custom) gesture-based lock-screen (Ability to define a custom gesture to unlock iPhone without need of a pass-code. This is not confirmed but rumored to be included in later releases of iOS 5. Do you see any benefit?)
194. Double tap the home button on lock screen to launch YouTube videos (Received an email about it. It was nice to have double tapping to play music. Why would they change? Someone please confirm if this is correct ) This is not correct. Instead it gives iPod controls and Take picture from home.
195. SMS tones sound like they have been shortened than those were provided on iPhone 4 (Anyone felt it that way?)
196. While reading an email – swiping right would open a list of messages and swipe left would bring back to the open email message again. (Like if you're reading an email from Inbox, it will take you to Inbox)
197. If you have multiple email accounts configured in Mail.app – swipe left or right from one's mailboxes folder list, it will take you to another account's mailboxes. (from Google Mail to Hotmail or back)
198. iTunes App: Support for match & find songs based on previous song purchases.
199. Free upgrade to 256 kbps bit-rate for purchased songs if backing up on iCloud
200. Support for multiple audio devices (Could not understand exact meaning of this)
201. Mirror iPhone 4 on Apple TV (Someone with Apple TV please confirm)
202. Skip tracks by swiping left – right on album art itself when not on lock screen (iPad only)
203. The name of the person that respond, appears in small light blue text directly above the response when SMS is sent to a group. (Thanks Melvin Baskin for emailing this)
204. Drag Keyboard on iPad: Drag keyboard up / down the screen wherever it is needed. It works for split keyboard as well.

The following are iOS 5 Beta 2 Features

205. Hide keyboard in Messages: This is new and good. While in conversations, just tap outside keyboard and pull 'up' to scroll and it hides the keyboard.
206. Set custom tone for Reminders
207. Newly designed classic pop-up notifications. Glossy. Takes the full width of the screen.
208. 'Slide to View/Reply': Whenever you get this new classic pop-up for new message. After a certain interval if you don't respond, the same goes to notification center in a drawer.
209. Change in notification behavior. It appears as classic first then goes in to a notification center's drawer. (Mostly under testing and review I guess. They should revert back to Beta 1 behavior)
210. WiFi sync displays that is being synced like apps, songs and their names. Like in iTunes.
211. Notification center displays Calendar tasks for the day continuously until they trigger. (Otherwise it used pop-up on scheduled time only.) . More options for this under Settings.
212. Videos in apps and websites are enabled for AirPlay by default.
213. Enhanced GUI for Clock app (Can we call it a feature? Not sure.)
214. OTA updates available through WiFi and 3G network
215. View file extensions (JPG / PNG) for pictures when tap 'Edit' in Photos.app
216. 'Tell a Friend' in AppStore collects information about that particular app like a Facebook link share pop-up with name, thumbnail and description.
217. Delete apps while downloading: Ability to delete apps while they're still getting downloaded and installed. This was not possible until 4.3.3 
218. "Group by Album Artist" option for Music
219. Slight re-design for text messages. Font & time-stamp layout
220. Slight re-design for video time-line under Photos app
221. Super fast HTML5 draw support with rate of 31 fps. (Google Chrome 12 on Windows was 33 fps, iPhone 3Gs with 4.3.3 was 3 fps, Firefox 5 was 25 fps)
222. Kinetic scrolling within text fields in Safari.

The following are iOS 5 Beta 3 Features.

223. New icon design for Reminders
     
224. Option to send or do not send location information to Apple
225. System-wide location services control in addition to apps which we already have.
226. Speed improvements
227. Voice roaming ON / OFF toggle just like Data Roaming toggle
228. Advanced preferences for Safari for data removal and debug information
229. Create mailboxes from within Mail.app
230. Advanced Assistive Touch control panel & functions for accessibility.
231. Custom tones for almost everything under 'Sounds' with 'Buy more tones' button. (including most requested custom tone feature for text messages / SMS)
232. Music app has a 'Store' button that takes us to iTunes Store
233. Airplay feature now available to Facetime calls. So we can now see that video on TV

The following are iOS 5 Beta 4 Features

234. File names in iCloud Storage are case-sensitive. (Also if you're using Beta version then it is advised not to store critical data on iCloud because it might get purged before Gold release.)
     
235. Documents / Data can now be selected to sync with iCloud account.
236. Option to disable iCloud Sync via cellular network to save cost especially if roaming.
237. Wireless sync on Windows, in-app and website videos works on AirPlay (This was mentioned above before but works now)

The following are iOS 5 Beta 5 Features

238. Hearing Aid Mode: Under Accessibility settings for better audio output for every function that takes place on the phone.
239. New Camera Button: There is a new camera button on Photos.app that takes us back to Camera instead of a 'Done' button (on OS prior to this) to close the Camera Roll.
240. Microphone button added for Nuance Speech-to-text alongside space-bar key. Not yet active but should be in next beta. (This is in continuation with point 176 above )
241. With iOS 5 beta 5 on the iPod Touch 4th Gen, if you enable 'Change with buttons' under sounds in settings, when you use a volume button it now calls it 'Sound Effects'instead of 'Ringer' (Thanks icey590 for the info)

The following are iOS 5 Beta 6 Features

242. Application Updates in Background: Ability to update installed applications when an update is available without closing iTunes AppStore. It works when you open AppStore and navigate to 'Purchased Apps'. Superb little addition that finally takes care of  oldest iOS annoyance
243. 4G / LTE (Long Term Evolution) Ready: It's too early but iOS 5 latest beta build suggests that Apple is already testing 4G network in next version of iPhone – probably iPhone 5?
244. Built-in Earthquake Notification for Japanese Users: Apple has recently added a special safety feature for Japanese users after a massive devastating earthquake hit japan earlier this year. Japanese users can enable or disable this notification which is continuously connected to Japan's earthquake warning system and can show warnings in minutes, seconds before the earthquake. It may eat-up lot of battery power due to its continuous data fetching from the warning system. But it's a great feature added by Apple to show they care about safety. 
245. New Cards app: Compose, Send, Print beautiful cards to beloved ones. Printing service is also available from none other than Apple itself. Shipping, Push-notifications from UPSC about the shipment. (The world is trying to save paper. Somebody please tell Apple)
246. Find Friends & Family: Easily locate friends and family from the device. Limited social-networking. Kind of Foursquare 
247. Artificial Intelligence called Siri: (This feature is initially available in iPhone 4S but Apple might port it to iPhone 4 due to heavy public demand. If they don't – I guess jailbreakers can port it just like they ported multi-tasking. Siri should get shipped in OS irrespective of the device so its only matter of enabling it from default disabled mode.) I have this feature covered under speech-to-text but I am putting it here because it looks like more than that. We can actually order something and Siri responds to our requests. She just does not listen but thinks upon it. This is a typical Apple kind of innovation that keeps them on-top. No mobile phone has this feature.
248. Enhancement on Exchange accounts that have Mail disabled, now receive calendar invites with notifications and ability to accept/decline/tentatively respond. (Previously, if mail was disabled you would not receive calendar/meeting invites, the meeting would merely show up on your calendar as tentative, and even then it only shows up if the invite was received & added to the calendar in Outlook running on a laptop etc.) As emailed by Roland Theron

Updates to the above may have already been distributed.

iPhone 4s info and features

It may not have arrived in the summer as past iPhones did and it may not have had the version number the blogosphere was anticipating, but the iPhone 4S has made its debut. Unveiled by Apple at a Tuesday press event, the new phone bears more than a passing resemblance to the model that preceded it. But the iPhone 4S is a decidedly new device, with internal changes and software features that set it apart from the iPhones that have come before it.

With preorders now being accepted for the iPhone 4S, we take a closer look at Apple's latest offering, answering some common questions about this new smartphone.

When can I get the iPhone 4S?

The iPhone 4S goes on sale Friday, October 14 in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, France, German, and Japan on October 14. Apple expects that number to reach 70 countries by the end of 2011.

So I better start lining up now then?

Not necessarily. Apple starts taking iPhone 4S preorders on October 7. If iPhone 4S preordering works as it has for past iOS devices like the iPad, you can go online Friday, order your iPhone, and have it delivered to your home, skipping the maddening crowd outside the Apple Store entirely. Unless you particularly enjoy waiting in line, we recommend this approach.

How much will the iPhone 4S cost? What models are available?

There are six unique iPhone 4S models. That's two colors (black and white), with three different storage sizes.

In the U.S., the 16GB models costs $199, the 32GB models costs $299, and the 64GB models costs $399—each price, of course, requires a two-year service contract.

What if I don't want to sign up for a two-year contract?

Then save your pennies. Apple announced on Friday that it will be offering an unlocked version of the iPhone 4S, just as it did with the iPhone 4. However, like its predecessor, the lack of a carrier subsidy means that the unlocked iPhone 4S comes at a significant premium: $649 for the 16GB version, $749 for 32GB, and $849 for 64GB. And, an extra catch, the unlocked version won't work on Sprint or Verizon in the U.S. That means it's mainly useful for those planning on traveling overseas and popping in a local SIM in another country, or those who want to use their iPhone on T-Mobile—at EDGE speeds, since T-Mobile uses a different 3G frequency—without jailbreaking.

I've already got an iPhone. How do I know if I'm eligible for an upgrade?

We've got a complete article on upgrading to an iPhone 4S, but here are the key points about checking your eligibility: Visit Apple's website to determine whether you're upgrade eligible. AT&T subscribers can dial *639# on their iPhones to check eligibility or go to the carrier's upgrade website. Since the iPhone 4 debuted on Verizon just eight months ago, Verizon iPhone subscribers are not going to be eligible for an upgrade.

Why the iPhone 4S? Why not the iPhone 5?

Apple usually keeps the reasons behind some of its product development decisions pretty close to the vest, and the iPhone 4S is no exception. Still, the naming convention is not too big of a surprise if you take a closer look at the relatively brief upgrade history of the iPhone product line. When it came time to replace the iPhone 3G in 2009, Apple didn't name the new device "iPhone 4"; rather, it tacked on an S to make the iPhone 3GS. In that instance, the iPhone 3GS offered few changes to the iPhone 3G's case—some stylistic changes to the lettering on the back of the phone, and a oil-resistant coating for the front screen were about the only exterior modifications. In the iPhone 3G-to-iPhone 3GS transition, the biggest changes occurred to the phone's interior, and that appears to be the case with the iPhone 4S as well—hence, the name.

This phone looks the same as the iPhone 4. Are there any differences on the outside?

The iPhone 4S looks a lot like the iPhone 4—in fact, it's a dead ringer for the Verizon model of that phone. (The markings on the case of both the Verizon iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S are slightly different from the original version of the iPhone 4, and the side buttons are shifted slightly upward.) There's one small difference between the 4S and that of the Verizon iPhone 4: a SIM card slot on the phone's right side. Since the iPhone 4S supports both GSM and CDMA networks—we'll explain what this means in greater detail below—all models feature a small tray along the right side of the frame for a GSM SIM card.

What are some of the changes on the inside?

For starters, the iPhone 4S has a faster processor—an Apple-built A5 chip, which also happens to be the processor that powers the iPad 2. It's a dual-core processor (compared to the iPhone 4's single-core A4 processor), which should mean improved performance not only for the CPU, but for graphics on the device as well.

In addition, there's a new wireless system, featuring two antennas. The iPhone 4S switches back and forth between the two when its transmitting and receiving data. Apple says the aim is better call quality and faster download speeds. It's clear that one reason Apple is trumpeting this new antenna system is the criticism the iPhone 4 received after media reports indicated that holding the phone on the bottom could attenuate the signal; in theory, this two-antenna approach means that in most cases holding the phone shouldn't have any effect on your signal. (For more on this topic, see below.)

What's more, the iPhone 4S supports a faster form of cellular data transfer. As a result, when the iPhone 4S is connected to cellular towers that support that transfer method, the maximum download speeds can be impressive. Apple claims the iPhone 4S's maximum cellular transfer speeds are 5.8Mbps for uploads and 14.4Mbps for downloads; that's the same maximum upload speed as the iPhone 4, but the rated maximum download speed on that phone was only 7.2Mbps.

So the iPhone 4S is faster than the iPhone 4?

Apple certainly says it is. At Tuesday's event, Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller said the iPhone 4S should offer CPU performance that's twice as fast the iPhone 4, and seven times faster graphics performance. We'll have a better idea of how this translates to real-world performance once we have an iPhone 4S in hand and can run some tests.

What about battery life?

Apple is promising eight hours of talk time on 3G, 14 hours of talk time on AT&T's EDGE network, six hours of 3G browsing, nine hours of Wi-Fi, ten hours of video, and 40 hours of listening to music. The key number there is the 3G talk time—it's an hour improvement over what Apple claimed for the iPhone 4. The reason? The A5 is a more power-efficient chip, Apple says. Again, this is something we plan on testing once the iPhone 4S arrives.

I read reports about trouble with the iPhone 4's signal strength when it came out last summer. Did Apple do anything to fix the problem with the iPhone 4S?

Yes and no. You did indeed see reports about alleged issues with the iPhone 4's antenna—namely, that a measurable drop in signal could occur if you touched the iPhone in a specific spot.

Apple addressed the issue at a press event last July, explaining that all smartphones can suffer from signal attenuation when you touch them in certain spots. The company also clarified that iPhones had, until that time, displayed signal strength incorrectly, and the company issued a software update to address that issue. Apple also offered early iPhone 4 adopters free bumper cases, which alleviated the signal drop issue. In practice, though, few iPhone 4 customers ever noticed real-world problems from the supposed antenna issue—small comfort if you were one of those few, we realize.

As we've mentioned, the iPhone 4S features a new antenna design. On the original iPhone 4, touching the phone at the antenna seam on the lower left side of the device could cause the signal drop. We won't know precisely where, or if, we'll see signal attenuation is on the iPhone 4S until we get our hands all over one.

The iPhone 4 comes in CDMA and GSM versions. Is that the case for the iPhone 4S as well?

The iPhone 4S is a world phone, meaning its internals support both CDMA and GSM networks. So you can buy any iPhone 4S you'd like, and it will work on the supported network of your choosing—AT&T's, Sprint's, Verizon's, or international carriers that support those standards.

It's a significant change, particularly for world travelers. With the iPhone 4, globetrotters were inclined to purchase the AT&T/GSM-compatible model because that network standard is more prevalent outside the U.S. Now, a customer who signs up with Verizon and its CDMA-based network will be able to travel overseas more easily—when they're in a country that adheres to the GSM standard, their iPhone 4S will still be able to connect to that network and just work. (Provided you've signed up for an international roaming plan with your carrier, of course.)

So I'll be able to buy an iPhone 4S with AT&T and then switch over to Verizon later, right?

Not necessarily.

You might think that you'd be able to move from carrier to carrier since the iPhone 4S can access both GSM and CDMA networks, but it's not that simple—not even if your contract with one carrier expires. A closer look at Apple's fine print uncovers this passage: "The iPhone model you purchase is subject to your wireless service provider's policies, which may include restrictions on switching service providers and roaming, even after conclusion of any required minimum service contract."

iPhones sold with two-year contracts are "locked" to a particular carrier. There's some dispute about whether you're allowed to unlock the phone when your carrier contract lapses, but it generally is not something the carriers or Apple want to talk about. It's complicated. The short answer is, don't buy an iPhone 4S expecting that you will be able to freely move from one carrier to another. Expect to commit to a carrier and stick with it.

Are there any other carriers offering service for the iPhone 4S besides AT&T and Verizon?

Indeed. Sprint is the third U.S. carrier to get the iPhone, and in fact will carry both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Note that Sprint, like Verizon, has a CDMA-based network.

The iPhone 4 is still available? Why?

It's still a great phone. Apple now has a history of keeping previous generations of iPhones available for purchase when new models are released. You can grab the iPhone 4 (the 8GB model only) for $99 with a two-year contract. You can even get the 8GB iPhone 3GS—yes, it's not dead yet!—for free with a two-year contract. If you're looking to save some money and aren't yet on the iPhone bandwagon, both phones are fine alternatives to the iPhone 4S—though of course they lack many of its features.

What's new with the camera?

Plenty. The iPhone 4S's rear-facing camera is 8 megapixels. (The Phone 4 offers a 5-megapixel camera). The camera also boasts an improved custom lens and a wider f/2.4 aperture to allow in more light—that should provide brighter colors and better lowlight performance. Apple says you can print 8.5-by-11-inch iPhone 4S photographs, and that they'll be literally pixel-perfect.

The camera also leverages an image signal processor that's part of the A5 chip that powers the phone. Apple claims that the processor rivals the ones you might find in DSLR cameras. That processor, Apple says, should help you take pictures faster, with more vivid colors and better white balance. The processor also helps focus and balance exposure as you snap photos, with the ability to detect up to ten faces in a group shot.

What about shooting video—has that changed at all?

Yes. The iPhone 4S's rear-facing camera can now shoot HD video at much higher resolution than the iPhone 4. The previous model was limited to 720p (1280 by 720 pixels) while the 4S shoots up to 1080p (1920 by 1080 pixels), and still at 30 frames per second. Be aware that those 1080p videos will also take up a lot more room on your iPhone and computer if you download them for keeping.

Do those changes affect the front-facing camera as well?

Sadly, no. The front camera is the same, lower-resolution VGA camera that's on the iPhone 4. So both photo and video quality remain the same as before.

I keep hearing about something called Siri. What does it do?

Whatever you tell it to.

But seriously, Siri is a voice-command feature built into the iPhone 4S that responds to natural-language requests. Siri can even speak to you.

You trigger Siri by pressing and holding the Home button for a second or two. Then, you can ask Siri questions or provide instructions. It's easiest to understand just what Siri can do by reading a sample exchange that Apple says Siri could conduct:

You: Is it going to be chilly in San Francisco this weekend?

Siri: Not too cold. Maybe down to 61 degrees in San Francisco.

You: What about Napa Valley?

Siri: Doesn't seem like it. It won't get below 68 degrees.

Siri is more than just a talking weather widget, though. You can give Siri commands, like scheduling a meeting at 4 p.m.; if you've already got a meeting scheduled at that time, Siri will alert you verbally about the conflict. You can also tell Siri to remind you to do something when you get home or leave work, using iOS 5's Reminders app. Since you can tell Siri about important people or places in your life ("my wife," "work"), it can understand what contact or address you mean when you use such terms.

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Notification Center                                            Contact AppzDev iPhone Development

All your alerts. All in one place.

You get all kinds of notifications on your iOS device: new email, texts, friend requests, and more. With Notification Center, you can keep track of them all in one convenient location. Just swipe down from the top of any screen to enter Notification Center. Choose which notifications you want to see. Even see a stock ticker and the current weather. New notifications appear briefly at the top of your screen, without interrupting what you’re doing. And the Lock screen displays notifications so you can act on them with just a swipe. Notification Center is the best way to stay on top of your life’s breaking news.

Newsstand

A custom newsstand for all your subscriptions.

Read all about it. All in one place. iOS 5 organizes your magazine and newspaper app subscriptions in Newsstand: a folder that lets you access your favorite publications quickly and easily. There’s also a new place on the App Store just for newspaper and magazine subscriptions. And you can get to it straight from Newsstand. New purchases go directly to your Newsstand folder. Then, as new issues become available, Newsstand automatically updates them in the background — complete with the latest covers. It’s kind of like having the paper delivered to your front door. Only better.

Reminders

A better way to do to-dos.

Next time you think to yourself, “Don’t forget to…,” just pull out your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and jot it down. Reminders lets you organize your life in to-do lists — complete with due dates and locations. Say you need to remember to pick up milk during your next grocery trip. Since Reminders can be location based, you’ll get an alert as soon as you pull into the supermarket parking lot. Reminders also works with iCal, Outlook, and iCloud, so changes you make update automatically on all your devices and calendars.

Twitter

Integrated right into iOS 5.

iOS 5 makes it even easier to tweet from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Sign in once in Settings, and suddenly you can tweet directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, or Maps. Want to mention or @reply to a friend? It’s easy!

Camera

Capture the moment at a moment’s notice.

Since your iPhone is always with you, it’s often the best way to capture those unexpected moments. That’s why you’ll love the new camera features in iOS 5. You can open the Camera app right from the Lock screen. Use grid lines, pinch-to-zoom gestures, and single-tap focus and exposure locks to compose a picture on the fly. Then press the volume-up button to snap your photo in the nick of time. If you have Photo Stream enabled in iCloud, your photos automatically download to all your other devices.

Photos

Enhanced photo enhancements.

Turn your snapshots into frame-worthy photos in just a few taps. Crop, rotate, enhance, and remove red-eye without leaving the Photos app. Even organize your photos in albums — right on your device. With iCloud, you can push new photos to all your iOS devices. So if you’re taking photos on your iPhone, iCloud automatically sends copies to your iPad, where you can quickly touch them up before showing them off.

Safari

Even better site-seeing.

iOS 5 brings even more web-browsing features to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Safari Reader displays web articles sans ads or clutter so you can read without distractions. Reading List lets you save interesting articles to peruse later, while iCloud keeps your list updated across all your devices. On iPad, tabbed browsing helps you keep track of multiple web pages and switch between them with ease. And iOS 5 improves Safari performance on all your iOS devices.

PC Free

Independence for all iOS devices.

With iOS 5, you no longer need a computer to own an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Activate and set up your device wirelessly, right out of the box. Download free iOS software updates directly on your device. Do more with your apps — like editing your photos or adding new email folders — on your device, without the need for a Mac or PC. And back up and restore your device automatically using iCloud.

Mail

Your inbox is about to receive some great new features. Format text using bold, italic, or underlined fonts. Create indents in the text of your message. Drag to rearrange names in address fields. Flag important messages. Even add and delete mailbox folders on the fly. If you’re looking for a specific email, you can now search in the body of messages. And withiCloud, you get a free email account that stays up to date on all your devices.

Calendar

Get more perspective on your schedule with year view on iPad and week view on iPhone and iPod touch. Tap to create an event and drag to adjust the time and duration. Add, rename, and delete calendars directly from your device. And view event attachments without leaving the Calendar app. iCloud lets you share calendars with friends and family, and it keeps your events in sync on all your devices.

Wi-Fi Sync

Wirelessly sync your iOS device to your Mac or PC over a shared Wi-Fi connection. Every time you connect your iOS device to a power source (say, overnight for charging), it automatically syncs and backs up any new content to iTunes. So you always have your movies, TV shows, home videos, and photo albums everywhere you want them.

More Features here:  http://appzdev.com/mac-iphone-blog/2011/09/documents-in-the-cloud-for-iphone-and-ipad-ios5/