IOS 5: everything you need to know about new products

Need a computer?

With iOS 5, Apple intends to cut the cord completely from the computer ... or almost. You can now use your entire iPhone, iPod touch or iPad without touching a computer, the initial setup to daily management.

Initial Setup

Up iOS 4, the first image that appears at power terminal iOS was a dock cable and iTunes: it was necessary to connect the terminal to a computer to start using it. With iOS 5, those days are over: on startup, the terminal will simply ask the user to configure it.


Several questions were asked in succession, as the choice of language, a geographic region or the activation of optional location-based services. Past these first steps, the user can either configure a new iPhone or restore from iTunes or even from the Internet. Restoring a backup requires iTunes then connect the terminal to a computer, but the other two choices are again independently.



If you want to start on an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad virgin iOS 5 will still require some additional steps. It will connect to a WiFi network, enter their Apple ID (creating if necessary) and activate or not icloud, services in the cloud of Apple, or Find My iPhone. Each time, you can create accounts as needed.

These steps, you can immediately use your mobile device. The restorations are obviously approaches the longest, especially since the restoration icloud which passes entirely through the Internet. Apple has done things, however: once your data returned, IOS will download 5 applications. All we need to retrieve the multimedia content that is not automatically sent to the terminal.

A fully self-contained terminal iOS 5?

The independence of the terminals is not limited to the initial configuration. Apple has added to the whole system of how to fully manage a terminal IOS and its data without using a computer. The settings provide an easy way to manage installed applications and monitor their place and their data. This is a view useful for identifying the most cumbersome applications. However iOS 5 does not only purge the data from these applications. This could be useful in some cases (below, we would like to be able to recover the space occupied only by data from iMovie).

As discussed later, Apple has changed most of its applications to give them their independence. You can remove the music in Music or freely organize albums in Photos, for example. And to cut the wire completely, Apple now allows wireless synchronization of its terminals. This function must be enabled in iTunes for each device and it must be powered and connected to the same network as the computer for synchronization is performed.

iTunes Sync Wirelessicloud

The link with the computer would still be too strong without a storage of certain data or content on the Internet. icloud is Apple's answer to this problem. All services in the cloud of the company is available free to all users of a terminal IOS.

Backup and Restore

The idea is to store icloud on Apple's servers your data to restore in case of problems. And backups can be performed on icloud, in case of trouble, you can always clear the terminal and restore the same with icloud. The space in the cloud is still limited: the first five gigabytes are available, it will then pay € 16 a year for 10 GB or € 80 a year for 50 GB, for example.

Fortunately, Apple leaves it to the user to choose precisely what he wants to save. In the settings icloud, we can know the size of all items saved for, if necessary, restrict the backup. The backup images increase rapidly the size of data sent over icloud.

Synchronization of personal data

icloud is not just data backup. The service in the cloud Apple also offers a simple way to synchronize all data between IOS devices, or between an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and a computer, Mac or PC.Icloud an account will synchronize files and address book, calendar events, tasks, notes, bookmarks, Safari, the latest photos and even personal documents. Note also that Apple provides to its subscribers a free e-mail address en@me.com.

icloud synchronizationFlow function automatically sends pictures of the last 1000 icloud pictures you take with your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad 2. Interest? Find an iPad immediately or even on your Mac a photo taken on an iPhone, for example.

RSS photo

icloud is finally able to store documents created in applications in the cloud. We already know that the three applications of the iWork suite will be compatible, but all developers can enable their users to store their documents on icloud. A document stored on icloud will be updated automatically on all terminals.

Documents icloud

Access to shops Apple

Apple did not just put your data in the cloud, it is also placed all of its virtual stores. The App Store, the iTunes Store or the iBookstore icloud thus benefit: if you want, any application, any book or piece of music downloaded on a terminal will be automatically downloaded to all other devices you own. There is more: you can always re-download applications, music, movies or books you've already purchased. At least you can do: in France, only the App Store and iBookstore can re-download previously purchased items.

United States, contains a section icloud music much more interesting match with iTunes, a feature that allows access to all his music from the cloud, even that which is not purchased from Apple. The opening match is scheduled to iTunes in other countries, but at a later date still unknown.

Find My iPhone and my friends

icloud finally contains two geographic services free. Find friend has features similar to Google Latitude (Free) with follow-up of friends and family members on a map and the possibility of organizing meetings.

Find friend

Find My iPhone has in turn a simple way to find all IOS devices and even his Mac for loss and theft. You can even block or remotely wipe the device lost or stolen. Contrary to what its name implies, the service works for all devices and IOS Find My iPhone (Free) is an application for iPhone and iPad can use the service in mobility.