What the iPhone 5 and iOS 6 mean for your business

More screen real estate

The iPhone 5 has finally launched and it's time to have a look at the new device and see just what it can do for your business.

The most important update for business users is the new fast 100Mbs 4G connectivity, which allows iPhone 5 users to receive and send emails, download and upload files significantly faster than before, as well as making video conferencing a buffering-free proposition.

Faster Wi-Fi

Unfortunately to get the full benefit of the iPhone 5 in the UK you will need to be a business customer with the all new EE network who will be launching an exclusive 4G LTE version of the new iPhone when their network launches in a few weeks. Everyone else including Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2, Three will get the slower 3G versions of the iPhone 5 when it's released on the 21 September.

If you mostly connect via WiFi then you'll also see an improvement with the iPhone 5, it now has dual-band 802.11n wireless connectivity which means the device is capable of connecting at up to 150Mbs.

Get more work done faster

The new faster Apple A6 processor on the iPhone 5 has twice the CPU speed and twice the graphics power of the iPhone 4S, which means you'll be able to do more number-crunching work, access apps quicker, and work for longer. Apple says it's better on battery life than the iPhone 4S, although the improvement isn't huge, and you'll still need to charge the device every night if you're a heavy data user.

Now with 720P HD video conferencing

The main camera hasn't changed radically over the iPhone 4S, it's still the same basic 8 megapixel device however improvements to the chipset mean it will take pictures faster, it has better low-light performance and you can now take panoramic pictures.

The big improvement for those wanting to use the device as a video conferencing device is the front camera is now a 720P High Definition camera rather than the previous VGA, additionally the iPhone's microphone has been improved to make the sound quality better than ever.

The new stretched 4-inch display with its 1136 by 640 pixel resolution means you will be able to see more of your colleagues on a video conference, and the extra screen real-estate means you won't need to scroll around so much on websites. It also means you get an extra row of apps – five instead of four – and you get more events displayed in your calendar app and more emails on screen in the email app.

iOS 6

If you can't justify the new iPhone 5 but you have an older iPhone then there's still some good news as the new version of Apples' mobile operating system iOS 6 offers some real improvements for the business user.

Better maps and now with turn by turn directions

The new non-Google Maps app uses vector based maps, which means graphics and text are incredibly sharp, even when you zoom in, and they're quicker to download. The new directions facility in the maps app has also been improved and it now not only shows you how to get from A to B, but it also gives you audio, turn by turn instruction. Maps also gives you real-time traffic information and reroutes you to avoid delays.

Siri gets more intelligent

Apples voice recognition tool Siri is still in beta, however with iOS 6, it gets a few more improvements. It now understands more questions, and knows more answers. You can ask Siri about where to eat, ask Siri to make Facebook posts or tweet for you and ask it where the nearest cash point is. Apple is also working with car manufacturers to integrate Siri into voice control systems, so you'll be able to activate Siri through a voice command button on your steering wheel, you'll be able to ask Siri questions without taking your eyes off the road.

Alas iOS 6 will not be available to everyone and not every feature will be available in the UK. Apple will be bringing the update to the iPhone 3GS and above and iPad 2 and above and the new iPhone 5 will run iOS 6 out the box. Apple will start to make iOS 6 available to non-iPhone 5 devices for free from September 19.

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