Apple iOS 5 Rumors

As we continue to inch towards Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2011 - scheduled to be held from 6th June - 10th June in San Francisco, the tech arena is being flooded by rumors about something being cooked in the Apple Inc. backyard. This comes after Apple - in their press release dated March 28, 2011, announced that they intend to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS at the WWDC 2011. If these rumors are to be believed, Apple is all set to announce the next version of iOS (the default operating system for Apple products like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad), - the iOS 5, at this event. At the same time, all these rumors about Apple iOS 5 release date have also been fueled by the fact that Google announced the new Android OS update - Ice Cream Sandwich at its 2-day developers conference earlier this month.

Are we Heading for Apple iOS 5 - Android Ice Cream Sandwich Clash?

There do exist some sources which suggest that Apple Inc. will announce the next iPhone at the WWDC 2011. Though the chances cannot be ruled out, most of the tech experts out there are of the opinion that Apple will focus on the software this year. (Once again, we are not ruling out the release of iPhone 5 this year as that would mean drifting away from the traditional practice of summer release for iPhone.). As Android tablets continue to gain momentum with the launch of Android 3.1 update, and Ice Cream Sandwich promising to bring all the features of tablet PCs to Android smartphones, Apple cannot afford to lose its focus this time around. As far as the release date pattern is concerned, Apple is known to come out with a software update sometime during the spring before it comes up with a new hardware in summer. If things take place as we expect them to, it wouldn't be surprising to see Apple devices with iOS 5 pitted Android devices with Ice Cream Sandwich platform.

iOS 5.0 - iPhone 3GS Compatibility Issues

Yet another Apple iOS 5 rumor which is making the round of the tech arena revolves around the compatibility of the new iOS version. It is believed that this Apple iOS update will be made available on iPhone 4, and not iPhone 3GS. While the history of iOS versions suggests that this operating system is made available for current products (which happens to be the iPhone 4 in this case) and the previous one (i.e. the iPhone 3GS.) However, things are not expected to be the same this time around, and the fact that iPhone 3GS will not be iOS 5 compatible will just shorten the life of this device. The chances are that Apple intends to release iPhone 5 sometime soon which would make the 5th generation iPhone the current device, and 4th generation iPhone the previous one - and that does put things in place.

Apple iOS 5 Features

While most of these Apple iOS 5 rumors are related to its release date, there also exist some which stress on the features that it would have to offer. Being an upgraded version, iOS 5 is bound to be better than its predecessors iOS 4.3. However, this time around Apple is also expected to introduce new features with the intention of countering Android devices which are flooding the market. The new OS is expected to be armed with an all powerful voice control which will reduce your efforts to type on the touch screen. At the same time, new features like Near Field Communications (NFC) and Cloud Computing are also on the cards this time around.

Amidst all these Apple iOS 5 rumors, people are also coming up with a list of features that they would love to see in this software. While different people have different needs, and thus have a different wish list, some features - such as the revamped user interface (UI), new widgets, a better camera app, etc. are common to all the lists that you are likely to come across. While Apple fans continue to be wishful about this software release, whether the new platform will stay up to their expectations is something that only time will tell.