Wisely, Apple didn’t settle for a simple facelift. The new software is a substantial upgrade, and since it runs on the venerable iPhone 3GS, last year’s iPod Touch, and the original iPad, the new software will bring even older iDevices up to date.
After all, it’s a little embarrassing to see how easy it is for competing Android smartphone users to track incoming messages. Android creator Google Inc. gave us the “windowshade’’ feature for quickly viewing the latest e-mails, text messages, and missed phone calls, with a top-to-bottom finger swipe. That’s the kind of slick feature an Apple device ought to have, and now it does. The iOS 5’s unified notification service goes a little further too, by letting you add little extras, like constantly updated weather reports and stock quotes.
Microsoft Corp’s Windows Phone 7 devices make it easy to shoot photos even when the phone is in sleep mode. Apple saw the light, and added a quick-shoot feature of its own. Just press the “home’’ button twice, and start snapping.
Then there’s the instant messaging feature that’s built into Research In Motion Ltd’s BlackBerry phones. Forget about costly SMS texting plans; any BlackBerry user can message any other, free of charge. Until this week, anyway, when a mysterious malfunction crippled BlackBerry’s e-mail and instant messaging worldwide.
Apple’s iOS copies the BlackBerry system. Any phone with the updated software can ping any other, any time, no charge. Suddenly, millions of angry BlackBerry buffs have a new reason to switch.
