I've been an iPhone owner for years, and it's so intuitive and easy to use, I tend to think of it as a fairly simple device. You know, because a phenomenally powerful palm-sized computer that can take photos, run applications, surf the web, play music, send messages, and make phone calls is so SIMPLE, right?
Aside from occasionally downloading new apps, I basically use my phone for the same functions over and over, so I'm not super savvy on all the latest iPhone tricks.
After putting together this list, however, I feel like some sort of iPhone SUPERNINJA. Not only do I have a deeper appreciation for just how much power's under the hood in iOS 5, I actually learned some useful ideas for improving my own productivity.
Holding down the home button to talk to Siri can make you feel like a douche in public. Do it stealth-style by going to Settings > General > Siri, and then select Raise to Speak. Now all you've got to do is hold the phone up to your ear to summon Siri.
Texting a million words a minute is for teenagers. Us older folks need some shortcuts, by golly. Settings > General > Keyboard and Shortcuts (scroll down) lets you enter a phrase and its shortcut, so the next time you type that shortcut the phrase will appear.
Speaking of teenage texting, if this kind of smiley face just won't do :-) then get yourself a crap-ton of cartoony images at Settings > General > Keyboard, and adding the Emoji keyboard. I don't endorse this practice, I'm just letting you know it's out there, okay?
If you keep missing your alerts, go to Settings > General > Accessibility and turn on LED Flash for Alerts to trigger the LED flash on your phone so you are notified, perhaps blindingly, when something comes in.
Want to add some flair to your text? Highlight the words you want to call out, then select the arrow and then the BIU button to pick between bold, italics, or underline.
Sometimes lowercase just doesn't cut it. Toggle on caps lock by double tapping the shift key so you can SHOUT ALL YOU WANT.
You knew you could use the Weather app to see the week's weather, but what about two hours from now? Tap anywhere in the week and the current day will expand to reveal the hourly forecast for the rest of the day.
Are you chronically forgetful? Try the GPS features in the Reminder app to have your iPhone keep track of all your to-dos. Make a reminder, then select to remind you At a Location. Choose a location and pick whether you want a reminder when you leave or when you arrive. Now your iPhone can do things like ping you about that prescription you've been needing to get -- at the moment you're driving near the drugstore.
