Click here

Apple iOS

Apple's mobile operating system for its iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Apple TV and similar devices. iOS was originally called the iPhone OS but was renamed in 2010 to reflect the operating system’s evolving support for additional Apple devices.

Apple iOS is currently in v5.x release, with iOS 5 having debuted in October 2011 at the same time as the iPhone 4S.  iOS 5 introduced a number of powerful new features to the mobile OS, most notably a built-in instant messaging client (iMessage) and built-in support for Apple's iCloud personal cloud storage service.

Older devices such as the original iPhone and iPod touch are not supported in the iOS 4 or iOS 5 family of updates, and the iPhone 3G and second-generation iPod Touch cannot be updated past iOS version 4.2.1.

The primary competitors to Apple iOS in the mobile operating system space are Windows Phone 7, Google’s Android OS, and the BlackBerry OS.  Apple iOS does have a head start in the apps department, with its App Store already featuring more than 500,000 third-party applications.



Top Terms
  • 1

    Consumerization of IT

    Consumerization of IT is a phrase used to describe the cycle of information technology (IT) emerging in the consumer market then spreading to...

    Read more »

  • 2

    ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning

    Short for enterprise resource planning, ERP is business management software that allows an organization to use a system of integrated applications...

    Read more »

  • Click Here!

Connect with Webopedia

Did You Know? Archive »

  • Quick Reference Archive »