Apple iOS 5 review: You've been notified

Twitter integration

Social network integration has been a long-requested feature on iOS devices, but why limit it to Twitter only? Well, it’s the Apple way or the highway. Now about that Twitter integration.

Adding a Twitter account

There is a separate Twitter tab in Settings. You can sync your Twitter contacts to the phonebook or you can search your existing contacts for matching Twitter ID’s. Another addition is a Tweet option in the Share menus across the UI (Maps, YouTube, Safari, etc.) next to Email, Print, MMS, etc.

Are we the only ones that find this popup way too big already? Just kidding.

Twitter integration in the gallery and Safari • Tweeting a picture

You can manage multiple Twitter accounts as well.

The new camera app - grid, swipe for gallery, pinch to zoom

The Camera app on the iPhone 4 has been enhanced with a viewfinder grid, an HDR setting, pinching gesture for digital zoom, a new excuse for the lack of a proper hardware shutter key and swipe gesture for quick gallery access.

The new camera interface

All fine and dandy - but making the volume key double as a camera key is more like guerilla tactics used by third-party hacks to make up for the missing hardware feature. But when a manufacturer himself resorts to a rather makeshift solution as this hack, it does little good - other than the fact that they own up to a mistake. Secondly, we still remember Apple banning a certain Camera app for enabling this function.

Just so you know, you can also use the headset volume up key as a camera remote release shutter. It's a small thing, but it might be useful if you're seriously into iPhone photography.

The last thing we found that Apple didn't give enough credit in their elaborate presentation is that a swipe to the right on the camera viewfinder opens the last picture taken. A swipe to the left in turn brings back the camera's live view instantly. Perhaps the reason for laying low on this one is it’s an honest rip-off from the Windows Phone 7 camera app. Still, it’s one neat feature and we love it.

Multimedia changes - separate Video app, Music app replaces iPod, integrated photo editor

The iOS 5 has finally given the iPhone a dedicated Video app and removed the video section from the iPod player. The Video app is the same as on the iPad. As of iOS 5, you are now able to sync and play 1080p videos to the default video player.

The Video app and the new Music icon for the iPod player

Speaking of the iPod player, this is no longer its name. The music player is now simply called Music and has a new icon. As it no longer handles video, the renaming makes sense. There are no other changes - visual or functional.

The Music player has no changes except the missing Video tab

The Photos app has a new nifty feature - a photo editor. It enables rotation, cropping, and red-eye removal. There's also an option called Enhance over which you have no control - it's all automatic. In Edit mode four keys appear at the bottom for the available editing options.

Editing a photo - rotate, crop and auto-enhance