Key Improvements Developers Are Eyeing On iOS 5

Apple just released iOS 5 on October 12th along with the debut of its iPhone 4S and it is touting a long list of changes and additions. These additions will give more options for iPhone applications and has developers and businesses the utilize mobile applications to market very excited. Apple says iOS 5 has over 200 new user features and over 1,500 new APIs available. Here is a quick list of the highlights that are being discussed:

1. iCloud API – Apple now allows third-party developers to create applications that store and backup data to iCloud. Additionally, application files don’t have to be transferred from your iPhone to your iPad. Several iPhone applications are currently in development to help you leverage the power of iCloud.

2. Storyboards – This is a new iOS 5 feature that simplifies the process of creating apps with multiple menu screens. You probably won’t notice the presence of this feature directly, but iOS application developers have and are making good use of this feature already.

3. Newsstand Support – Publishers that want to sell content through Apple’s Newsstand app are excited that developers can now write Newsstand-enabled apps.

4. Message UI Framework – Updated to add support for iMessages and text messaging that can be sent between iOS devices without incurring carrier text messaging charges.

5. Core Image Framework – APIs that give iPhone app developers a set of  filters that can be used to manipulate video and still images. The  Core Image Framework supports various filter effects like color changes, gradients, and transformations, as well as face and feature detection.

6. Twitter Framework – This framework makes it easy to integrate Twitter messaging into apps and simplifies Twitter user authentication.

There are several more that you will certainly be able to take advantage of over the coming months as applications are built to take advantage of them.