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PC Magazine reviews Apple iOS 5: The best phone and tablet OS, Editors’ Choice

Saturday, October 15, 2011 · 12:00 pm · 33 Comments

“iOS 5 is now here, and it surpasses iOS 4 with its overhauled alerts and notification system, wireless syncing, the ability for users to activate iPads without first connecting them to a Mac or PC, and many other much-welcomed features,” Jeffrey L. Wilson reports for PC Magazine.

“No operating system—be it mobile or desktop—is without flaws, but Apple iOS 5 manages to keep the dings to a minimum and retains its place as the best phone and tablet operating system,” Wilson reports. “iOS 5 is an excellent mobile operating system that dares to do more than Android, BlackBerry, and Windows.”

Wilson reports, “If you own a compatible iDevice, consider this a must-have upgrade.”

Read more in the full review here.

Categories: Review

Tags: iOS 5, PC Magazine

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Comment Feed

33 Comments

Wil

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 12:24 pm · Reply

Damn, this never gets old!
Ballmer's left nut

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 12:35 pm · Reply

I have no doubt that iOS 5 pushes the frontiers of mobile computing forward. The notifications system alone is worth the price of admission. It’s so streamlined now that it’s like night and day between the new version and the one that came with iOS 4.3.5. Pulling a window shade down to read all notifications is great.

It’s the iPhone hardware department that’s lacking in terms of a bigger screen which Apple should address in the next revision update.
- The Castrator
  
  Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 1:14 pm · Reply
  
  I guess since the glossy screen crying didn’t get anywhere it’s on to the next bitchfest for your kind, the horribly undersized iPhone screen. I envision you as an obese, unwashed, half-blind retard with fingers the size of Polish sausages, unable to see or manipulate an iPhone like the rest of the world.
  
  Please migrate to Android where you belong.
  - AlfieJr
    
    Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 1:39 pm · Reply
    
    that’s too mean.
    
    no doubt many people honestly find a bigger screen easier to use and would buy the larger model if both iPhone sizes were offered. there is nothing sacroscant about 3.5″. i guess it would be thinner too.
    
    a 5.5″ iPod touch model would be very popular too, for the same reason. and that size has been shown in the market to be best for gaming.
    
    Jobs was too stubborn sometimes. hopefully the next Apple generation will be just a bit more flexible.
    - The Castrator
      
      Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 2:54 pm · Reply
      
      Well yeah, it was kinda mean. But after all, it’s “Bln” we’re talking about. OK, I will retract the unwashed comment. I’m sure he takes a bath once a year, whether he needs it or not.
      - Ballmer's left nut
        
        Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 4:42 pm · Reply
        
        I bet you’re the kind of prick who enjoys eating turd sandwiches. And a dickless jag to boot.
      - HughB
        
        Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 8:52 pm · Reply
        
        My god Castrator, leave that BLN ahole alone. He is worse than a troll. Maybe he will repeat his Obama cracks. When you see that rotten apple icon just skip over it.
  - breeze
    
    Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 2:53 pm · Reply
    
    You forgot : master bater
- Soniq2
  
  Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 2:10 pm · Reply
  
  Two reasons perhaps why Apple has not gone to a 4″ screen?
  
  1) Retna display not yet perfected/available in the larger size.
  2) More difficult for the majority of users to navigate the screen one-handed (most people’s thumbs cannot reach the far side of a 4″ screen when held in one hand).
  - silverhawk1
    
    Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 3:24 pm · Reply
    
    There’s what, half a million apps in the App Store? That’s an awful lot of work to make those fit a larger screen. Too much work. The screen size in fine, bln is about the only one with a problem.
    - kingmel
      
      Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 4:20 pm · Reply
      
      I don’t believe that Apple would change the number of pixels (currently 960 x 640) if they increased the display from 3.5″ to 4.0″ diagonally. The would simply reduce the resolution (pixels per inch, or ppi) a bit to around 280 ppi and the pixels would be slightly larger. I suppose that they could not call it a retina display anymore (under ~300 ppi), but it would still look fantastic and everything would be a bit easier to read and manipulate.
    - kingmel
      
      Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 5:18 pm · Reply
      
      In order to avoid fragmenting the iOS App market, I believe that Apple will maintain the iPhone aspect ratio and number of pixels for some time to come. The current resolution is quite high, so there is no real reason to add pixels unless the display size increases substantially.
      
      The current iPhone display is 960 x 640 pixels. The current resolution of the iPhone is 326 ppi and its dimensions are approximately 2.912″ in height by 1.941″ in width (3.5″ diagonally).
      
      If you increase the dimensions of the iPhone display to approximately 3.328″ in height by 2.219″ in width (4.0″ diagonally), the display resolution would drop to around 288 ppi. I would be fine with this slightly reduced resolution, even if Apple could not call it a “retina” display anymore.
      
      The increase in dimensions from a 3.5″ to a 4.0″ diagonal display seems rather small – 0.416″ in height and 0.278″ in width, or approximately 14.3%. In fact, it might even be possible to squeeze the 4.0″ diagonal display into the current iPhone 4S form factor. But the effect on display area is substantial – an increase of approximately 30.6%. I sketched the two displays to scale and overlaid them, and I assure you that the increase would be quite noticeable.
      
      The current iPhone 4S display is very nice. But a larger 4.0″ multitouch iPhone display would be welcomed by many, IMO. I wish that I could easily post the image of the overlaid displays.
    - kingmel
      
      Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 5:51 pm · Reply
      
      I posted a .png image of my iPhone display sketch at:
      
      http://gallery.me.com/kingmel/100310/iPhone-20display-20size
      - Ballmer's left nut
        
        Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 6:11 pm · Reply
        
        Thanks for posting that up. I actually did look at it. You did a good job there kingmel. The dimensions look like it can be squeezed in the current iPhone 4S form factor.
        
        Indiemuppet
        
        Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 8:15 pm · Reply
        
        There’s this thing called an ‘iPad’ -mate, you’d love it!
- Jesus
  
  Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 3:13 pm · Reply
  
  I don’t get it. It’s a phone. Why would you want it to be bigger?
- Robert
  
  Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 10:00 pm · Reply
  
  I don’t know if you realize that a bigger screen means a larger device. Apple makes a bigger screen called the iPad. No one want to carry a huge device and stick it up to their ears to talk.
  
  Get real.
KillBill

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 1:01 pm · Reply

“…dares to do more than Android, BlackBerry, and Windows.”

err it invented the genre MOFO
His Shadow

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 1:03 pm · Reply

There will be no bigger screen iPhone.
- BoC
  
  Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 1:10 pm · Reply
  
  …& if it is bigger…
  
  It will be a MacBook Air which can flip to touch mode!
  Then you can carry an iPad and MacBook Pro in one case!
- KSH
  
  Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 1:45 pm · Reply
  
  Let me guess, you got an iPhone 4S and don’t want to believe that you’ll need to upgrade next year?
Theappleogist

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 2:28 pm · Reply

Frankly, I don’t understand what’s the big deal is about having an additional half inch of screen size. The “bigger is better (even if the screen resolution isn’t optimal)” mantra was concocted & is being propagated by Apple competitors who don’t offer Retina display. And to offer a bigger screen size while sacrificing screen resolution would be one step forward, two steps back for the smartphone category re-creator (that’s Apple). Thus, I give Steve Jobs’ team super props for adhering to Apple’s core values & refusing to be swayed by pseudo-trends.
- BillD
  
  Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 2:58 pm · Reply
  
  +1
  
  With that sharp Retina screen, I see no need for a bigger iPhone screen, and I certainly don’t want the iPhone itself to become larger.
  
  A really bigger screen does come in handy, of course, for serious Web browsing or reading. That’s why I’ve got an iPad2 and Macs. But that slightly larger screen on some other phones doesn’t cut it for those uses, especially as most of them have lower resolution than the iPhone. For the way I will use my iPhone, I don’t see a real advantage in making the screen slightly larger. And I’m delighted that my older belt case for iPhone holds the iPhone 4S just fine.
breeze

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 2:55 pm · Reply

Is anyone holding their breath for the Consumer Reports crowfest?
- Jubei
  
  Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 3:18 pm · Reply
  
  They will give it a bad review. They want the web hits and traffic to bring in the bucks.
- Jax44
  
  Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 5:30 pm · Reply
  
  I was, but I was holding it wrong.
Jesus

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 3:16 pm · Reply

People want a bigger screen? Mirror on an AppleTV. Problem solved
oldjoey

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 4:20 pm · Reply

Consumer Reports: “uuuhh… iPhone still sucks, we’re never wrong”
oldjoey

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 4:24 pm · Reply

Consumer Reports continued: “and… they should have named it 4ss – for still sucks”
Bono

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 6:32 pm · Reply

It’s a perfect size , besides it’s a phone! Not a tv.
NHL

Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 6:48 pm · Reply

If Apple released a 4″ screen iPhone, within milliseconds the whining for a 4.5″ screen iPhone would commence.
- HughB
  
  Saturday, October 15, 2011 - 8:58 pm · Reply
  
  Exactly, exactly. And after 4.5 they would want 5″ and on and on until they were up to an iPad. Idiots who think a bigger screen is important should just get a big ass droid. Or maybe some Dean Edells so it would look bigger. I am 6’2″ with extra large hands and I think the iPhone is the perfect size.
  - silverhawk1
    
    Sunday, October 16, 2011 - 12:36 pm · Reply
    
    So there you go, making a reason for the 7″ Dell what ever’s existence.