Latest iPhone News
Since the launch of the iPhone 5 with its larger four inch display and widescreen aspect ratio, a number of app developers have released updates to their software that better fit the new device.
The new phone is not only equipped with a bigger display and a different aspect ratio than last year`s iPhone 4S, but it also has a different resolution which the developers have to take into account to get their apps looking their best.
One of the first companies out of the gate was Google, which announced that it has optimised its Gmail application in order to better fit onto the iPhone 5.
The main difference between this app and its predecessor is the iPhone 5 owners will be able to see about two more emails when viewing their inbox in a portrait arrangement.
Google was also quick to publish its first iPhone 5-oriented apps for the Chrome web browser and the YouTube video streaming service.
The Facebook Messenger app has received similar iOS 6 treatment, allowing it to fill the screen and also offer a gesture-based interface that allows users to see when their friends are online and available to chat.
Some aesthetic changes mean that instant messages now appear in their own speech bubbles, which makes them look quite similar to Apple`s own SMS service and gives the app a nice degree of consistency and integration with iOS 6.
Perhaps the most sorely missed app for iPhone 5 owners will be Google Maps, because Apple`s decision to remove this and use its own native app for navigation has proven to be something of a disaster.
Google Maps was used by the iPhone family for years in order to provide various location based services harnessing GPS. However, in Apple`s efforts to purge Google`s influence from iOS, it seems it has got ahead of itself.
The Apple Maps app was quickly derided by critics and users and has reportedly caused the number of people using it daily to drop to four per cent. When Google Maps was onboard, 25 per cent of iPhone owners used it at least once every 24 hours.
Apple`s Tim Cook has admitted the mistake made by the company in relying on a mapping app that is clearly not quite ready for mainstream consumption. While the firm is working on updates at the moment, Mr Cook recommended alternative apps that users can harness in the mean time.
Of course all of these issues and minor embarrassments cannot detract from the success of the iPhone 5`s launch, along with the speed at which apps are being released and updated to suit its new hardware and operating system.
Some of the best smartphones around are produced by Apple and although rivals are beginning to catch up, it is still at the forefront of the mobile market.
Cheers,
AVTMobile
