iOS 5 - Worth the effort?
18th October 2011
Now it’s installed on my iPhone and iPad I love iOS 5. iCloud and in particular the synchronicity between my 2 mobile devices and laptop, iMessage and the notifications section are definitely improvements. This is important given the lukewarm reception to the new iPhone 4S handset. However, what of the experience of upgrading to iOS 5? Was that commensurate with the technology benefits?
Well, in total, upgrading both the iPhone and tablet took 11 hours over 2 days. This was a combination of a resource issue with the update centre at a given time (sadly the time I did my updates), the requirement to install iTunes 10.5 and both the backup and restore processes.
It is made clear from the outset that iTunes 10.5 is required for the update and that the mobile devices will only synch with this release or above. ITunes 10.5 duly downloaded taking roughly 45mins to do so. So far so good.
At the backup stage 3 different error messages were encountered (examples shown below). The first providing a string of characters that did not provide any direction to resolve the problem.
By the time the 3rd error message presented itself it became clear that there was an issue with the Apple update centre with words to that effect provided in the dialogue box.
After attempt number 7 there was success and the new software extracted and the backup started.
At this stage having a large number of apps, music or video on the device leads to a longer backup. What would’ve been helpful at this stage would be the ability to select what should be backed up. This would have shortened the process should the owner choose not to backup, say an entire TV series currently on the device. Providing this degree of control could have reduced the process duration.
The restore process took around 30mins to complete but the progress bar did not move at all during that period. It was unclear if the process had stalled or was likely to take so long that it had not registered on the progress indicator. At around the 30min mark the messaging in the box changed and the restore had taken place. The device becomes visible in iTunes and switches itself off for the final stage of the update. By 11.30pm I was pleased that I had completed the update but a little frustrated by amount of time it had consumed.
What of the device once iOS 5 is installed? The tutorial is helpful and explains the various features on offer. Clearly specifying this in iTunes upfront would have helped to set expectations and ultimately promote the update. Particularly if support will not longer be provided by certain device models working on older operating systems. After tapping through the tutorial the home screen is then visible. It appears I have been fairly lucky with the success of the update. Apart from Tweetdeck no longer working and no update available to resolve this, my music files loosing all cover artwork and some apps such as Viber requiring me to register my account again, my device looks as it did previously but with the new operating benefits I mentioned at the start.
The following evening it was the turn of the iPad. As I already installed iTunes 10.5 I was spared this part of the process. I had read a number of reviews on Twitter that suggested the tablet update took significantly longer than the iPhone equivalent. This was concerning and also true. Connection to the update centre was the main problem. The error messages, this time around, said that from the outset. However, after 8 attempts there was still a capacity issue. Despite accepting all terms and conditions previously and having already clicked through the multiple dialogue boxes, there is still the need to do this again. If the user loses focus (as I did) and forgets about the dialogue boxes and confirmations the process remains uninitiated and more time is lost. Removing the need to click through all the pre-update screens after the first attempt would expedite the process overall.
This was a painstaking process that could’ve been made more straightforward by providing a little process flexibility (select elements to backup), with improved error reporting and status indicators and by removing the need to confirm multiple times at the restore and backup stage.
I do really like iOS 5 but considering everything "Good but could be improved" would be my verdict.
What can you do next?
- Read some more usability and accessibility articles.
- Find out how usability testing can improve your offering.
- Explore our mobile usability services
Want this article on your website?
If you liked this article, feel free to republish it on your own website. All that we ask is that you include the citation below, including links, at the end of the article.
Submit this article to:
