A version of the iOS operating system | |
![]() | |
![]() iOS 5 home screen | |
Developer | Apple Inc. |
---|---|
Source model | Closed, with open source components |
Initial release | October 12, 2011 |
Latest release | 5.1.1 / May 7, 2012 |
Update method | Software Update |
Package manager | App Store |
Platforms | |
Kernel type | Hybrid (XNU) |
License | Proprietary EULA except for open-source components |
Preceded by | iOS 4 |
Succeeded by | iOS 6 |
Official website | Apple - iOS 5 - 200+ new features for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. at the Wayback Machine (archived September 10, 2012) |
Support status | |
As of May 2012, there are no longer security updates, but still partial 3rd-party app support. Drops support for the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch (2nd generation). |
iOS 5 is the fifth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to iOS 4. It was announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6, 2011, and was released on October 12, 2011. It was succeeded by iOS 6 on September 19, 2012.[1]
iOS 5 revamped notifications, adding temporary banners that appear at the top of screen and introducing the Notification Center, a central location for all recent notifications. The operating system also added iCloud, Apple's cloud storage service for synchronization of content and data across iCloud-enabled devices, and iMessage, Apple's instant messaging service. For the first time, system software updates can be installed wirelessly, without requiring a computer and iTunes. iOS 5 also featured deep integration with Twitter, introduced multitasking gestures on iPads, and added an easily accessible camera shortcut from the lock screen.
iOS 5 was the subject of criticism for iPhone 4S users, as the initial release had poor battery life, failures of SIM cards, and echoes during phone calls. These problems were fixed in subsequent releases.
Apps
- The iPod app is split into Music and Videos on iPads and iPhones, as with the iPod Touch.
- Reminders
- Newsstand
- Siri (4S and up)
History
Introduction and initial release
iOS 5 was introduced at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 6, 2011, with a beta version available for developers later that day.[2][3]
iOS 5 was officially released on October 12, 2011.[4][5]
Updates
Version | Build | Release date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
5.0[a] | 9A334 | October 12, 2011 | Initial release |
5.0.1 | 9A405 | November 10, 2011 | Bug fixes |
9A406[b] | December 12, 2011 | ||
5.1[c] | 9B176 9B179[b] |
March 7, 2012 |
|
5.1.1 | 9B206 | May 7, 2012 | Bug fixes |
9B208[d] | May 25, 2012 |
System features
Notifications
In previous iOS versions, notifications popped up on the screen as dialog boxes, interrupting the current activity. In iOS 5, notifications are revamped, and show up as a temporary banner at the top of the screen. Recent notifications can also be accessed by pulling a "Notification Center" down from the top of the screen. Users who prefer the old notification system can keep it by choosing the appropriate option in the Settings menu.[6][7]
iCloud
iOS 5 introduces iCloud, Apple's cloud storage service. The new service allows users to synchronize their music, pictures, videos, and application data across all of their iCloud-enabled devices.[7][8]
Wireless updates
iOS 5 enables wireless system updates on supported devices, meaning a computer and iTunes aren't necessary to update devices.[9] Both activation of new devices and updates can be done wirelessly.[7]
Twitter integration
iOS 5 features deep Twitter integration. Users are able to sign in to Twitter directly from the Settings menu. Photos can be "tweeted" directly from the Photos or Camera apps, and users are also able to tweet from the Safari, YouTube, and Google Maps apps.[10][11]
Multitasking
Multitasking gestures debut on iPad with the release of iOS 5. Multitasking allows users to jump between apps without double-tapping the home button or first going to the home screen.[12] Multitasking gestures were only available on the iPad 2.[13]
Keyboard
The iPad keyboard could be undocked from the bottom of the screen, and could be split into two half-keyboards.[13]
App features
Photos and Camera
The first iOS 5 release allowed the Camera app to be easily accessed from the lock screen for the first time. Users double-clicked the home button, a camera icon would appear next to the "Slide to unlock" message, and users would click on it to directly access the camera.[14][15][16] The iOS 5.1 update streamlined the process, dropping the home button double-click procedure, but requiring users to swipe up the camera icon.[14] For security purposes when the device is locked with a passcode, this method of accessing the camera only allows access to the Camera app, and no other features of the device.[7]
Pressing the volume-up button allows the user to take a picture.[16][17]
Messages
iMessage, a new instant messaging service built into the Messages app, allowed anyone with an iOS 5 device to send both basic and multimedia messages to anyone else with a compatible iOS 5 device. In contrast to SMS, messages sent through iMessage use the Internet rather than regular cellular texting, but also in contrast to regular SMS, Android and BlackBerry devices are not compatible with the service.[18][19] iMessages are synchronized across the user's devices, and are color-coded blue, with regular SMS in green.[7]
The iOS Mail app included rich text formatting, better indent control, flagging of messages, and the ability to drag addresses between To, CC, and BCC lines.[20][21]
Reminders
Reminders allows users to create lists of tasks with alerts that can either be date-based or location-based.[22][23]
Newsstand
Newsstand does not act as a native app, but rather a special folder. When selected, it shows icons for all of the periodicals that the user has subscribed to, such as newspapers and magazines. New issues are downloaded automatically.[24]
Music and Videos
The iPod app was replaced by separate Music and Videos apps.[13][25]
Problems
Initial upgrade issues
The initial October 2011 release of iOS 5 saw significant upgrade issues, with errors during installation and Apple server overload.[26][27][28]
iPhone 4S battery life
Following user complaints, Apple officially confirmed that iOS 5 had poor battery life for some iPhone 4S users, and stated that an upcoming software update would fix the issues.[29][30] The iOS 5.0.1 update fixed bugs related to battery issues.[31]
Wi-Fi connectivity drops
In November 2011, Engadget reported that the iOS 5 update caused Wi-Fi connection drops for some users. The report also wrote that "The recent iOS 5.0.1 update certainly hasn't fixed the matter, either", and questioned whether the events were unrelated or part of a larger issue.[32]
SIM card failure
Some iPhone 4S users reported issues with the SIM card in iOS 5, being given error messages about "Invalid SIM" and "SIM Failure".[33] Apple released a second software build of the 5.0.1 update designed to fix SIM card issues.[34]
Phone call echo
Some iPhone 4S users reported the random appearance of echoes during phone calls made with earphones in the initial release of iOS 5. The other party in the call was sometimes unable to hear the conversation due to this problem.[35][36]
Reception
Many aspects of iOS 5 received positive reviews, including the new notification center, the ability to sync and update wirelessly, iMessage, and more. Richmond Shane of Telegraph said "iOS 5 is a brilliant upgrade to an already brilliant operating system. Different people look for different things in a mobile operating system. That's why some people prefer BlackBerry, Android or Windows Mobile. I value ease of use and attention to detail in design. With iOS 5, Apple continues to deliver the best user experience available."[37]
Richard Goodwin of Know Your Mobile said "All in all, we reckon iOS 5 is everything it needs to be a more. We can't wait to get our teeth stuck into it as soon as it's released in the Autumn of 2011."[38]
Supported devices
With this release, Apple dropped support for older devices, specifically the iPhone 3G and the second-generation iPod Touch.[39]
iPhone
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iPod Touch
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iPad
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Apple TV
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References
- ^ Tam, Donna (September 12, 2012). "Apple's iOS 6 release date: Start your downloads on Sept. 19". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Savov, Vlad (June 6, 2011). "Apple's iOS 5: all the details". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Ziegler, Chris (June 6, 2011). "iOS 5 announced: iMessage, Notification Center, and more; comes today for devs, this fall for everyone else". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Hardawar, Devindra (October 12, 2011). "iOS 5 available now, makes the iPhone 4 feel completely new". VentureBeat. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Schultz, Marianne (October 4, 2011). "iOS 5 To Be Released on October 12". MacRumors. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Friedman, Lex (June 7, 2011). "First Look: iOS 5 notifications". Macworld. International Data Group. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e deAgonia, Michael (June 9, 2011). "The 5 best features in Apple's iOS 5". PC World. International Data Group. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Caldwell, Serenity (October 4, 2011). "iCloud to make official debut on October 12". Macworld. International Data Group. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Caldwell, Serenity (October 15, 2011). "Up close with iOS 5: Wireless syncing and updating". Macworld. International Data Group. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Friedman, Lex (October 13, 2011). "Up close with iOS 5: Twitter integration". Macworld. International Data Group. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Van Grove, Jennifer (June 7, 2011). "Apple Blesses Twitter, Makes It the Social Network on iOS Devices". Mashable. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Cesa, Dante (October 12, 2011). "iOS 5 review". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ a b c Ritchie, Rene (October 12, 2011). "iOS 5 review". iMore. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ a b Cipriani, Jason (March 8, 2012). "Access the iPhone camera from the lock screen even quicker on iOS 5.1". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Lynch, Jim (October 21, 2011). "iOS 5 camera lock screen". InfoWorld. International Data Group. Retrieved June 17, 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Golson, Jordan (October 13, 2011). "iOS 5 Camera: Volume Shutter, Lock Screen, Remote Triggering". MacRumors. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Wollman, Dana (June 6, 2011). "Apple iOS 5 adds instant camera access from lock screen and shutter release to volume-up button". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Caldwell, Serenity (October 12, 2011). "Up close with iOS 5: iMessage". Macworld. International Data Group. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Kim, Arnold (June 7, 2011). "Walkthrough of Apple's iMessage in iOS 5". MacRumors. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ^ Profis, Sharon (October 13, 2011). "How to use the new Mail app in iOS 5". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Frakes, Dan (October 13, 2011). "Up close with iOS 5: Mail's changes". Macworld. International Data Group. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Cipriani, Jason (September 13, 2011). "How to use the iOS 5 Reminders app". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Friedman, Lex (October 13, 2011). "Up close with iOS 5: Reminders". Macworld. International Data Group. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Snell, Jason (October 13, 2011). "Up close with iOS 5: Newsstand". Macworld. International Data Group. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ "Macworld Feature: iOS 5 - what you need to know". Macworld. International Data Group. June 21, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ Panzarino, Matthew (October 12, 2011). "iOS 5 Error 3200 or "internal error" update issues? Apple's servers are getting slammed. [Updated]". The Next Web. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Love, Dylan (October 12, 2011). "Updating To iOS 5 Has Been A Massive Headache". Business Insider. Axel Springer SE. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Goodin, Dan (October 12, 2011). "iOS update woes prompt gnashing of teeth for Apple fans". The Register. Situation Publishing. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Cheng, Jacqui (November 2, 2011). "Apple: iPhone 4S battery issues due to iOS 5 bugs, update coming". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Bonnington, Christina (November 1, 2011). "Apple confirms battery life problems are iOS 5 related". Wired. Condé Nast. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Parr, Ben (November 10, 2011). "Apple Fixes Critical iPhone Battery Issues With iOS 5.0.1". Mashable. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Lutz, Zachary (November 21, 2011). "Thanks to iOS 5, some users lose WiFi connectivity". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Hughes, Neil (November 17, 2011). "Users report SIM card issues with Apple's iPhone 4S and iOS 5.0.1". AppleInsider. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ "New iOS build meant to fix iPhone 4S SIM card issues". AppleInsider. December 16, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Epstein, Zach (November 1, 2011). "Audio echo bug plagues iPhone 4S owners during voice calls". BGR. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
- ^ Mack, Eric (November 17, 2011). "iPhone 4S owners complain of persistent echo". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
- ^ Richmond, Shane (October 12, 2011). "Apple iOS 5 review - Telegraph". Telegraph Media Group Limited. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- ^ Goodwin, Richard (June 7, 2011). "Apple iOS 5 review round up - Reviews - Know Your Mobile". Dennis Publishing. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- ^ Gamet, Jeff (October 4, 2011). "Apple to Release iOS 5 October 12". The Mac Observer. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
External links
- iOS 5 at the Wayback Machine (archived September 10, 2012)