Yesterday, Steve Jobs and other Apple executives previewed iOS 5, the next version of the operating system for the iPhone and iPad. Due to be released this Fall, this is a major update that provides incredible enhancements. Apple says that there are 200 new features, and highlighted a sampling of them yesterday. Here are the features that I think lawyers will really love about iOS 5 on their iPhone or iPad.
- Better e-mail. The Mail app is probably the most important app for most lawyers, and thus I am thrilled to see that it will receive many improvements. First, your messages will look better with support for bold, italics, underline, indents, etc. Second, you'll be able to drag an address between the fields, making it simple to change someone from a "to" to a "cc" or vice versa. Third, on the iPad a new split screen keyboard will make it easier to use your thumbs to type, much like you do an on iPhone. Fourth, the Mail app (and other apps) will include a dictionary, making it easy to look up what a word means. Fifth, you will be able to flag messages so you know to follow up on them later. Sixth, you can now search the contents of messages (even older messages on your server not yet downloaded to the iPhone), making it much easier to locate an older message just by looking for a word that appeared in the message. (Right now, you can only search the "to" "from" and "subject" fields.) Seventh, in portrait mode on the iPad, you'll be able to swipe from the side to see your inbox list. Eighth, you be able to send and receive encrypted e-mails if your company supports S/MIME. Ninth, there will be better offline support in Mail. Tenth, iOS 5 will support custom keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can tell your iPhone that every time you type p-c it should automatically change it to "Privileged and Confidential." This is an amazing set of improvements to what I consider the most important app on the iPhone.
- iCloud. This free service will automatically sync your contacts, calendar entries, mail, Safari Bookmarks and iBooks across devices, replacing the current $99/year MobileMe service. Once a day, iCloud will also backup your data over Wi-Fi. If you ever lose your phone and need to get a new one, just log in on the new iPhone to quickly restore from the last automatic backup. iCloud should also make it simple to share documents and photos between your iPhone, iPad and computer (both Mac and PC). The document syncing service could be particularly useful to attorneys, addressing the constant problem of what is the best way to get a document from your computer to your iPad. Many attorneys currently use Dropbox for this; we'll have to see how iCloud compares, how Apple handles document security, etc. Apple only showed the sharing of iWork files (Pages, Keynote and Numbers); I want to know about sharing Word and PDF files. You can also use iCloud to share calendars, so for example you can set up a calendar with activities relating to your kids. Every new calendar entry that you add automatically goes via iCloud to your spouse's iPhone and vice versa. I have a feeling that iCloud will become one of the best parts of iOS 5.
- Music. iCloud's treatment of music deserves special mention. Songs that you buy from iTunes will automatically sync to all of your iOS devices. You can buy a song on an iPad and then quickly listen to it on an iPhone. Additionally, if you have music that was not purchased from iTunes (such as music that you ripped from a CD), you can pay Apple $25 a year to have the rights to download or stream those songs to any of your devices.
- Redownload of apps. iCloud will make it easier to re-download an app that you previously purchased (or, for free apps, previously downloaded). Part of this feature is actually working already. Go to the App Store on your iPhone right now, tap on the Updates button at the bottom right, and then tap the new "Purchased" link at the top. You will see a list of all apps currently on your iPhone and all apps that you previously purchased which are not on your iPhone with a link to tap to redownload the app. (By the way, the iTunes app on the iPhone also now allows you to redownload songs that you previously purchased.)
- Improved notifications. The current notification system on the iPhone has shortcomings. Currently, if you miss a call or a text message, a notice appears on your iPhone. Often however, I pick up my iPhone and swipe to unlock only to realize too late that there was a notification there, which I have now missed. Plus, it can be cumbersome when you have multiple notifications build up. Also, if you are using your iPhone, notifications currently interrupt what you are doing. iOS 5 has a Notification Center that stores all notifications in a single place. As new notifications come in, that just appear in a small bar at the top for a few seconds and then they go away. You can access your notifications at any time just by swiping your finger down from the top of the phone. You can even see your notifications when the iPhone is locked. It looks very slick.
- Reminders. Apple's new Reminders app will allow you to create multiple to do lists, including tasks with due dates. The app will even be location aware, so you can tell your iPhone to remind you to get the milk when the iPhone sees that you are at the grocery store, and you can tell your iPhone to remind you to call your spouse when it sees that you have left your office. Reminders will also sync your to do lists with Tasks in Outlook. The Reminders app looks to be really useful and I suspect that a lot of lawyers will use this one all the time.
- Newsstand. If you subscribe to a magazine or newspaper on the iPad or iPhone, all subscriptions will appear in a new location called the Newsstand. Best of all, new issues will download automatically in the background. Thus, whenever you are ready to read, the latest issues are already on your iPad or iPhone.
- Safari improvements. You can tap a button to make the text of an article on a web page more readable (removing the ads and side columns), similar to what you can do with Readability (my review is here). You can also start reading a webpage on one device, such as an iPhone, and then save it to a Reading List so that you can continue to read it later on your iPad or computer. Safari in iOS 5 will also have tabbed browsing.
- Text messaging improvements. Instead of just using the Messages app on the iPhone to handle text messages, a new iMessage app for the iPhone or iPad will support realtime messages of text, photos, videos or contacts using 3G or Wi-Fi without using your phone company's text messaging service. This looks similar to the messaging system on BlackBerries, but it has a lot more enhancements. You can even get delivery and read receipts, the messages exist on both the iPhone and the iPad, and the system is secure encrypted for privacy.
- Faster, better pictures. Currently to take a photo on the iPhone you need to swipe to unlock the screen, then launch the Camera app, then take a picture using the on screen button. With iOS 5 you'll be able to launch the Camera app directly from the lock screen by double-tapping the home button, and you'll even be able to press the volume button to take a picture. All of this will make it much faster to take a picture with your iPhone. Plus, the Photos app will include some simple editing tools so that you can crop, rotate, remove red eye and enhance the photo.
- No computer necessary. No longer will you need to connect to a computer running iTunes to first use an iPhone and to update the system software. With iOS 5 this can all happen over Wi-Fi.
- AirPlay mirroring. If you want to show off to others what is on your iPad 2 screen, you will be able to do so wirelessly if the TV is connected to an Apple TV (which is so small that it is easy to take to any meeting).
- Wi-Fi iTunes sync. You won't have to plug your iPhone into your computer to backup and sync with iTunes. With iOS 5 you can do so over Wi-Fi.
- Twitter. For those of you who use Twitter, it will be tightly integrated into iOS 5, making it easier to share a photo, webpage, map location, etc.
- Switch apps quickly. A new multitouch gesture will let you swipe to switch between different apps, which should be faster than double tapping on the home button to do so.
- FaceTime improvements. The video quality in FaceTime is improved, and you'll be able to receive FaceTime call invitations even if you are currently on a FaceTime call with someone else.
- Games. Improvements to the Game Center feature will enhance the ability to play games with other people.
- And more. Apple did not provide many details, but additional improvements in iOS 5 include alternate routes in maps, persona directory support (whatever that means), hourly weather forecasts, new typing shortcuts, custom vibration patterns, real-time stock quotes, an option to speak text, improved PDF support, and the ability for the LED light (the flash next to the camera) to blink when you have a phone call or an alert.
In addition to providing a preview of iOS 5 yesterday, Apple announced some updated numbers that demonstrate the strength of the iPhone and iPad:
- Apple has sold over 200 million iOS devices to date, about 44% of the mobile market. (Android has 28%, RIM has 19%, and all the rest are 9%).
- Apple has sold 25 million iPads since they first came out 14 months ago.
- Apple has sold 15 billions songs on the iTunes music store, making it the #1 retailer of music in the world.
- Customers have downloaded 130 million iBooks.
- The App Store now has over 425,000 apps, 90,000 of them designed for the iPad. Over 100,000 of the 425,000 apps are games.
- Over 14 billion apps have been downloaded since the App Store launched less than three years ago.
- Apple has paid iOS developers over $2.5 billion.
iOS 5 will be a major release that will provide some amazing enhancements to the iPhone and iPad. The only bad news is that we need to wait until this Fall to get it. I can't wait.