Compared with past years' WWDC keynotes, this year's wasn't all that enthralling. Largely, it's because there was no new iPhone announcement. Partly, the changes outlined for iOS 5 doesn't seem all that exciting. But that's our take. You can read the details below to see what new stuff's in store for the latest iteration of Apple's mobile platform.
Notifications. This could be one of the bigger changes for the OS. Instead of the annoying pop-up menus, iOS will now get a Notification Center that you can pull down from the top of the screen similar to Android's implementation.
iCloud. Naturally, the new platform has been designed to work seamlessly with Apple's iCloud service, allowing you to backup all your data without connecting to a computer.
iMessage. This is an instant messaging app that borrows liberally in concept to BBM, with support for text, photos and videos. All messages exchanged are done through your data connection and won't count against the monthly allotment on your contract.
OTA Updates. No more having to plug into a computer for software updates -- iOS now supports OTA, as other mobile platforms have been doing all along.
Newsstand. Similar to iBooks, this app is strictly for organizing your magazine subscriptions, bringing them all into a single place. Issues will be delivered in the background, eliminating the need to manually grab them every release.
Camera. You can now launch the camera app directly from the lock screen, using volume control as a shutter button. A variety of enhancements to the application are also implemented, including posting to Twitter without having to leave.
Safari. Tabbed browsing will now be supported, as well as the Reader option for streamlining article reading Instapaper-style.
Others. Multiple minor changes are implemented, as well, including an improved mail app (with rich text formatting), a new Reminders app, new multitasking gestures, WiFi sync with iTunes and more
