The holidays are here and you know what that means? Many of you will be proud new owners of a new iPhone from Apple. For some of you, this will be your first experience with iOS and iPhone.
Others may be coming back from another operating system or simply upgrading from an older version of the iPhone. Whatever the case, we want to help you make your experience with your new gadget as smooth as possible.
Here you will find a ton of useful information that will not only help you set up your new iPhone but also get the most out of it from day one.
From battery life tips to apps you should consider getting started right away, it’s all here.
Set Up Your iPhone Correctly
Installing a new piece of hardware can be a nightmare for those who can’t keep up with the times. In fact, it can even be a daunting task for the technologically sound. It’s no different than the iPhone.
Well, let’s try to simplify this, shall we?
There are a few important things you will want to do as soon as you take the phone out of the box and activate it with your service provider. Here are four important things you’ll want to do right from the start.
If your new iPhone is running iOS 5 (iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS), you will have access to Apple’s new iCloud service. iCloud backs up your iPhone’s important files and pictures to the cloud, which will protect them from harm should your iPhone meet a dreadful end. Or it is played. Speaking of which, it also lets you take advantage of Find My iPhone, which can track your device if it gets lost.
For more information about iCloud:
Another feature that comes with iOS 5 is wireless sync. Wireless sync lets you back up and sync your iPhone wirelessly. That’s right, no more wires. Once, your device syncs with your computer without any action. Chic.
Installation involves about 9 steps but only takes a few minutes.
When you’re done with these, you’ll want to set up your iPhone with a passcode to protect your information inside. It’s a painless procedure and highly recommended, especially if you travel a lot with your device in your pocket.
What you should do:
And in just a few minutes, your iPhone will be more secure than in previous minutes.
:
Finally, you’ll want to put your iPhone in a case to protect it from the dangers of the world. The case is particularly useful for the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, both of which use a glass backing that can easily break.
Assuming you have a brand new iPhone 4S, the . Or if you’re just looking for a little help choosing a new case, you can get some guidance.
Master iOS
Ok, now that you’ve set up your iPhone, it’s time to familiarize yourself with the phone’s software. With the launch of the iPhone 4S, Apple released its most ambitious software to date on iOS 5.
The new software brings several hundred new improvements from previous versions, so there’s a lot to digest here. So, to get you started, here are a few tips to help you get a better idea of what iOS 5 includes.
With iOS 5 come Notifications, alerts that let you know when you receive anything from a text to a Facebook message. For a comprehensive look at how to master them, see the .
The new software also brings some new features to the iPhone’s camera, including quick access to your camera where you can double-tap the home button from the lock screen, using the volume button as a shutter, and built-in photo editing – straight to your Phone.
This video will get you started, but if you’re still craving information, you’ll want more advice on how to best use the camera on your new iPhone.
If you’re tired of the default ringtones on your iPhone, you’re in luck because with iOS, iTunes and a little patience, you’ll be able to create your own ringtones. You can find the step-by-step instructions accurate.
Or you may want to set custom vibration alerts on your iPhone. Yes, iOS 5 lets you do just that. Once you set it up, you can mute your mom’s phone call without anyone knowing. We joke, we joke. Go find help on how to set this up.
Yes, now you can be like your friends on Android and get a flashing indicator on your iPhone. If you are interested, go to get started.
Of course, these are just a few tips.
For more, you can find our iOS 5 help guide here.
Get to Know Siri
For those of you using the iPhone 4S, you’ll want to get to know your new personal assistant, Siri. Siri can assist you with a variety of tasks, from scheduling a meeting to texting your friends to helping you find things to buy at Best Buy. It can even help you with math problems.
Here are a few tips to help you master what Siri has to offer.
One of the coolest things Siri can do is remember your relationships with your iPhone’s contacts. This helps speed up both messaging and searching, and allows you to use nicknames for people. For example:
For more information on how to set this up, go here.
If you’re good at Twitter, you’ll be happy to know that Siri can help you Tweet. It’s not direct, but it works.
Here’s how to do this.
Or, if Twitter isn’t your cup of tea, you can do the same for Facebook.
Here’s how.
For more, you’ll want to check out our guide to help you unleash the power of Siri.
Learn How to Optimize Your Battery Life
Ask any smartphone user what they want most from their device and, guaranteed, the majority will answer that they want good battery life. And while iPhone battery life is up there with the best, you’ll still want to help make sure your battery life doesn’t degrade every day.
There are a few easy steps to help you achieve this. Here are a few to get you started:
Believe it or not, the brightness of your screen plays a big role in your phone’s battery life. To make it easy, you’ll want to go on your own and save the . Once there, open it if it isn’t already open. This will allow your iPhone to automatically adjust to brighter and darker settings, helping you save battery in the process.
We said it once and we’ll say it again. The more email accounts and services you sync, the faster your battery life will go. One thing you can do to help is to prevent your email accounts from syncing automatically.
To do this go to -> and translate.
Your iPhone also has something called Airplane Mode. This turns off your WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G connection at the expense of not receiving any new messages, text messages or phone calls. Perfect for when you’re on a low coverage area and can’t get them anyway.
To turn it on go to -> Toggle to.
For many more battery life tips, you’ll want to check out our extensive list.
Get Yourself Quality Apps
Once you’ve got the initial setup, familiarized with iOS 5, started playing around with Siri’s features, and learned how to master your iPhone’s battery life, you’ll want to find yourself some quality apps for your smartphone.
Lucky for you, Apple’s iOS App Store offers a selection of over 500,000 apps to choose from.
Here are some things to help you get started:
You’ll probably also want to check out the Top 25 in the App Store for more apps to add to your new iPhone.
