iOS (previously iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system developed and distributed by Apple Inc.

Originally released in 2007 for the iPhone and iPod Touch, it has been extended to support other Apple devices such as the iPad and Apple TV. Unlike Microsoft's Windows CE (Windows Phone) and Googles Android, Apple does not license iOS for installation on non-Apple hardware. As of June 12, 2012, Apple's App Store contained more than 650,000 iOS applications, which have collectively been downloaded more than 30 billion times.[3] It had a 23% share of the Smartphone operating system units sold in the first quarter of 2012, behind only Google's Android.[4] In June 2012, it accounted for 65% of mobile web data consumption (including use on both the iPod Touch and the iPad).[5] At the half of 2012, there were 410 million devices activated.[6] The user interface of iOS is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. Interface control elements consist of sliders, switches, and buttons. The response to user input is immediate and provides a fluid interface. Interaction with the OS includes gestures such asswipe, tap, pinch, and reverse pinch, all of which have specific definitions within the context of the iOS operating system and its multi-touch interface. Internal accelerometers are used by some applications to respond to shaking the device (one common result is the undo command) or rotating it in three dimensions (one common result is switching from portrait to landscape mode). iOS is derived from OS X, with which it shares the Darwin foundation, and is therefore a Unix operating system. In iOS, there are four abstraction layers: the Core OS layer, the Core Services layer, the Media layer, and the Cocoa Touch layer. The current version of the operating system (iOS 5.1.1) dedicates 1-1.5 GB of the device's flash memory for the system partition, using roughly 800 MB of that partition (varying by model) for iOS itself.[7]

HISTORY: The operating system was unveiled with the iPhone at the Macworld Conference & Expo, January 9, 2007, and released in June of that year. At first, Apple marketing literature did not specify a separate name for the operating system, stating simply that the "iPhone runs OS

X".[9] Initially, third-party applications were not supported. Steve Jobs argued that developers could build web applications that "would behave like native apps on the iPhone".[10][11] On October 17, 2007, Apple announced that a native Software Development Kit (SDK) was under development and that they planned to put it "in developers' hands in February".[12] On March 6, 2008, Apple released the first beta, along with a new name for the operating system: "iPhone OS". Apple had released the iPod touch, which had most of the non-phone capabilities of the iPhone. Apple also sold more than one million iPhones during the 2007 holiday season.[13] On January 27, 2010, Apple announced the iPad, featuring a larger screen than the iPhone and iPod touch, and designed for web browsing, media consumption, and reading iBooks.[14] In June 2010, Apple rebranded iPhone OS as "iOS". The trademark "IOS" had been used by Cisco for over a decade for its operating system, IOS, used on its routers. To avoid any potential lawsuit, Apple licensed the "IOS" trademark from Cisco.[15] VERSION: Apple licensed the trademark for "iOS" from Cisco Systems (which owns IOS), the same company with which Apple had earlier settled a dispute over the "iPhone" trademark.[16] Apple released iOS 4 on June 21, 2010, three days before the iPhone 4,[17] in an effort to reduce the strain on Apple's servers. iOS 4 was the first version of the OS to be a free upgrade on the iPod touch; Apple had charged $4.99 for earlier upgrades. Apple previously announced that iPad users with 3.x software would receive a free upgrade to the next major (4.x) release.[18] iOS 4.0.1 included a fix to the reception signal strength indicator(s). It was released on July 15, 2010, the day before Apple hosted a press conference to discuss its response to the widely publicized iPhone antenna issues. Apple also released iOS 3.2.1 for the iPad which tweaked the tablet's Wi-Fi connectivity, video playback, and copy-and-paste for PDF attachments, among other updates. iOS 4.1 for the iPhone and iPod touch was released on September 8, 2010; the update fixed some bugs reported by users, improved battery life and added several new features:

Game Center, which allows gamers to play multiplayer games online, upload high scores and unlock achievements (though Apple removed Game Center from the iPhone 3G because of reports of slow performance)

The ability to toggle spell checking on and off HDR photography (iPhone 4 and 4S only) Ping, a social music network and discovery tool

iOS 4.1 also updated carrier settings which (at that time in the United States, AT&T 8.0 only). At the same time, TV show rentals became available on the iTunes US Store. iOS 4.2 was never released but instead iOS 4.2.1 was released on November 22, 2010. It added iPad compatibility. Further on iOS 4.2.5 was released as a demo version for the CDMA version of the iPhone 4. This iPhone 4 variant was released for Verizon Wireless customers in the US on February 10, 2011, but pre-ordering was available for qualified Verizon Wireless Customers on February 3. The version released with the phone, 4.2.6, has some slight UI changes specifically for the CDMA version of the phone, including a "Personal Hotspot" switch in the Settings app, a service which has to be activated by the carrier in order for the feature to be usable. This became available for purchase from Verizon as a separate plan, as is currently possible on other smartphones. iOS 4.3 was released to the public on March 9, 2011, two days before the iPad 2 was available in the United States. In addition to earlier features, the public release of iOS 4.3 included many new features such as a Nitro JavaScript engine in Safari, making Safari run up to twice as fast according to Apple.[19] iTunes Home Sharing also received a major revision in iOS 4.3; it allows users to connect to their home Wi-Fi networks and stream content from iOS devices to speakers, TVs and other devices, or vice versa.[19] Personal Hotspot for iPhone 4 is a new feature to GSM iPhones (previously released with the Verizon CDMA iPhone) that allows the user to create a Wi-Fi network with an iPhone 4 and provide Internet access for up to five other devices on Verizon Wireless, three on AT&T.[20][21] In addition, the side button on the iPad is now customizable, with users able to use it either as a system sound mute or as a screen rotation lock.[19] iOS 4.3 was not released for CDMA iPhones, which stayed on 4.2.x versions until they were upgraded to iOS 5 with the rest of the iOS line on October 12, 2011.

iOS 5.0 and its features were announced on June 6 at the WWDC 2011 keynote address. The update was released at 6 pm GMT on October 12, 2011. iOS 5 introduced the iCloud service and theNotification Center, as well as improvements to native apps such as Camera. The operating system also features new applications, such as the "Reminders" app and "Newsstand", a special home screen folder and App Store category that contains newspaper and magazine apps. "iMessage" is an application that allows iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad users to communicate, much like a chat service only used between these devices. The iMessage feature has been integrated into the "Messages" application on the iPhone. The iPod application on the iPhone and iPad has now been split into the Music and Video application, just as it had been on the iPod touch. On the iPhone 4S a virtual assistant named Siri was added. Siri allows users to talk to their iPhone 4S and perform various tasks, send messages, create alerts, and do internet searches. The new OS also features Twitter integration. All devices can now be setup without using a desktop or laptop computer. Almost all system apps were updated with new features or a redesigned interface. It also added updated security and bug fixes. According to Apple, the new OS has over 200 new features.[22] iOS 5.0.1 was released in November 2011.[23] This update Included a number of various bug fixes and a security update.[24] The update also fixes battery problems with new devices and errors with the iCloud service.[25] Also included were various other bug fixes and some new methods for developers.[26] iOS 5.1 was announced alongside the iPad and Apple TV (3rd generations) during a special press event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on March 7, 2012. [27] Not much of the event was dedicated to the new software release, and it was generally viewed as a minimally incremental release.[citation needed] Later that day, users of iOS devices were able to upgrade to the new operating system.[citation needed] New features include support for Siri in Japanese as well as the ability to delete photos from Photo Stream on an iOS device.[citation Store was increased from 20 MB to 50 MB.[citation needed] iOS 5.1.1 was released in the spring of 2012.[citation various bug fixes and a security update.[citation originaliPad and the 3rd generation iPod Touch.
needed] needed]

The iPad also

received a redesigned camera app.[citation needed] The over-the-air 3G download limit from the App

This update included a number of

needed]

It was the last release to support the

[citation needed]

iOS 6 was announced on June 11, 2012, at Apple's WWDC 2012 keynote event.[3]There are over 200 new features in iOS 6 including:

Maps, Apples new mapping software (TomTom rather than Google Maps) Turn by Turn Navigation, Traffic and Flyover.

Siri Support on iPad 3rd Generation, Sports, Movies and Restaurants. Facebook integration (Similar to Twitter integration in iOS 5) Post directly to Facebook, Contacts, Calender and Like Apps and Songs.

Shared Photo Stream Passbook FaceTime over cellular New Phone App Features Changes in Mail App iCloud Tabs in Safari New Accessability Features Remodeled Stores (iTunes, App Store and iBooks) New Features for China

This new interface is due to be launched in the fall of 2012 Multitasking Before iOS 4, multitasking was limited to a selection of the applications Apple included on the devices and an array of jailbroken modifications.[32] Starting with iOS 4, on 3rd-generation and newer iOS devices, multitasking is supported through seven background APIs:[33] 1. Background audio application continues to run in the background as long as it is playing audio or video content[34] 2. Voice over IP application is suspended when a phone call is not in progress[34] 3. Background location application is notified of location changes[34] 4. Push notifications 5. Local notifications application schedules local notifications to be delivered at a predetermined time[34]

6. Task completion application asks the system for extra time to complete a given task[34] 7. Fast app switching application does not execute any code and may be removed from memory at any time[