Six iOS 5.0 Features Apple Borrowed From Other Devices

Apple certainly has a reputation for being an innovative company, but it's also taken features other companies have tried out and applied them to its own products. Here are six features in Apple's upcoming iOS 5.0 that were found in competing devices first.

1. Over the Air Updates WebOS and Android

If we can download updates to our apps over the air, why do we need to connect our devices to our computers to update their operating systems? Well, if you have a Palm/HP WebOS device or a Google Android phone you already can. Apple's pretty late to this game, actually. But it's certainly a welcomed feature that'll save users the hassle of having to run home to get the latest version of their iOS software.

2. Notifications WebOS and Android

Many have called the notification system for texts and push on iOS devices pretty annoying, as messages pop up right in the center of your screen interrupting whatever you were in the middle of doing. They're also not particularly descriptive. WebOS has been known for having a useful notification system that lists out text messages, emails, upcoming appointments and other things right on the lock screen. And the swipe-down gesture to view all current notifications is very much like the experience on an Android smartphone.

3. Sync iTunes Via WiFi - Android (Via 3rd-Party App)

So, granted, this isn't built in to Android phones, but with a third-party app called DoubleTwist, Android users have been able to synchronize their smartphones with iTunes over WiFi for a while now.

4. iMessage - BlackBerry

Apple's upcoming iOS messaging client screams BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) -- letting users see real-time typing notifications and get read receipts when the user they're sending to has read a message sent to them. Indeed, some say BBM is one of the strongest features keeping everyday users (as opposed to business users) hooked on their BlackBerry devices.

5. Integrating Twitter - WebOS

Palm's "Synergy" feature on WebOS lets users plug in their logins to multiple social networking sites as well as email services and get everything in one place, pulling in the latest updates and even adding Facebook and LinkedIn contacts to their phone.

6. Flag Emails for Followup - WebOS and Android

A biggie to the highly-organized, both Android and WebOS smartphones have the ability to flag emails for followup at a later time. Without it, users have to resort to keeping messages unread or worse& actually remember to follow up on things without the help of technology.