Top 5 iOS 5 apps for iPhone and iPad

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

iOS 5 brings a lot of great new features to iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad but more than that -- it lets developers bring us even better apps and games! Whether it's a great old app that's been updated with amazing new functionality, or a brand new app that never would have been possible before, they now get access to everything from Documents in the Cloud to AirPlay Mirroring to Twitter integration to Newsstand, to persistent location and more.

There will no doubt be a flood of them soon but for right now, right this minute, here are a list of our favorites, the ones we think are the best -- TiPb's Top 5 apps that support awesome new iOS 5 features!

iWork Numbers, Pages, and Keynote (Documents in the Cloud)

Top 5 apps for iOS 5 iPhones and iPads: iWork: Numbers, Pages, and Keynote with Documents in the Cloud

Apple's iWork productivity suite includes the Numbers spreadsheet, the Pages word processor, and the Keynote presentation maker. While not as powerful as Microsoft's ubiquitous Office suite, for smaller jobs they can make for even more beautiful, better laid out documents. And now, Documents in the Cloud. It only makes sense that Apple is right out of the gate with iCloud support for their own apps, and that the support is pretty good. Any Numbers, Pages, or Keynote document that you start on your iPhone or iPad is stored up on iCloud and pushed back down to all your other devices, including -- eventually -- the iWork apps on the Mac.

There's no file system, no file management. The idea is for you to simply open your apps and find your documents there waiting for you, up to date and ready for more. If editing on all your iOS and OS X devices is important for you, iWork is now a powerful, easy way to do it.

Note: iWork apps are universal, so you only have to buy once to use on all your iOS devices, including iPhone and iPad. However, each app needs to be bought separately, and the Mac versions need to be bought separately as well.

  • Numbers - $9.99 App Store link (opens in new tab)
  • Pages - $9.99 - [App Store link](mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pages/id361309726?mt=8&at=10l3Vy
  • Keynote - $9.99 App Store link (opens in new tab)

Magazine and newspaper apps (Newsstand)

Top 5 apps for iOS 5 iPhones and iPads: Magazines and Newspapers that support Newsstand

While many people seem to hate even the presence of Newsstand on their home screens, it actually manages to very neatly solve several problems previously associated with subscription media like magazines and newspapers. It's really just a custom folder, and magazines and newspapers are still served up as apps, but Newsstand keeps them all in one place, updates automagically when new issues "come out", and takes you to a subscription section of the App Store so you don't have to wade through games and novelty apps to find your periodicals.

Those magazine and newspaper apps had to update for iOS 5 to support Newsstand, but many already have and many more will update shortly. If subscriptions are your thing, Newsstand, if not perfect, is certainly better.

Note: Some apps are universal, many aren't. Check for the + symbol on a case-by-case basis.

Real Racing 2 and Real Racing 2 HD (AirPlay Mirroring)

FireMint is always at the cutting edge of iOS gaming and iOS 5 is no different. They've already updated Real Racing 2 for iPhone and Real Racing 2 HD for iPad to support the new AirPlay Mirroring feature. It lets you stream your iPhone 4S or iPad 2 interface -- including any app or game -- through an Apple TV to a big screen HDTV. FireMint takes it to a whole new level -- they offer full on Party Play. What that means is you and up to 4 people total can each use an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 to race, multiplayer style, on the big screen. Not only is that a whole lot of fun -- it's a shot across the bow of every console in the casual gaming space.

Hopefully soon we'll see all sorts of board games, shooters, and other great titles support to feature. Until then we'll be busy playing Real Racing 2.

Note: It's not a universal binary, so you'll have to buy it separately for iPhone and iPad if you want it on both, but right now it's on 40% sale so it's as close to a no brainer as you can get.

iQuick Tweet (Twitter Integration)

iOS 5 has built-in Twitter integration so you can rapidly tweet a photo, YouTube video, etc. iQuick Tweet smartly took that rapidity and made it the focus of a dedicated app. You launch, you type a Twitter status, you hit send, you're done. It's just that simple and it's just that fast.

If you want to read timelines, search through @mentions, explore profiles, check trends, or do a lot of other stuff besides tweeting, there's an embarrassment of full fledged Twitter clients on iOS, but if all you want to do is blast off a message, iQuick Tweet has you covered.

foursquare (Location)

Top 5 iOS 5 apps for iPhone and iPad

For iOS 5 users, foursquare now offers the new Radar feature, with ability to alert you when your friends are near and doing something fun -- even if your iPhone is in your pocket. This awesome -- or terrifying -- new feature means you don't have to have your iPhone out and foursquare open all the time, in constant fear you might miss out on what's happening around you. While it's not as granular as Apple's new Find my Friends app, if your goal is to know where the cool stuff is happening, foursquare Rader is a lot more powerful.

Bonus: Instapaper (Brightness and Dictionary)

Top 5 iOS 5 apps for iPhone and iPad: Instapaper

Favored as the best way to devour web articles by geeks everywhere, Instapaper proves that it's not just the big, flashy iOS 5 features that can make a difference -- the little ones matter too. Support for the built-in dictionary and native brightness controls means downloading the app is faster, and reading your saved articles is more comfortable than ever. (The UI has also received an excellent overhaul.)

Note: Instapaper is a universal app so you can buy it once and use it on all your iOS devices.

Addenda: Jailbreak apps

A lot of Jailbreak apps and tweaks are also being updated to support iOS 5. If Jailbreak is where your heart lies, keep your browser locked on TiPb.com/Jailbreak for all the updates.

Your favorite new iOS 5 apps?

iOS 5 is only a week old and we've only just begun to scratch the surface of what iOS 5 apps and games will bring to our iPhones and iPads. Did we miss any of your favorites? Did we leave any of the best new apps and updates out? Is there anything else that should have made our top 5 list?

If so, speak up and let us know in the comments!

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

29 Comments
  • The iWork apps don't sync with the mac versions at the moment, sadly. There is a work round, but it's a bit fidly.
  • Does anyone know how much extra battery you burn by using location based reminders and stuff like radar in foursquare? I know it doesn't use the full blow GPS to track 100% of the time, but still must take some significant hit right?
  • "Radar uses a very battery-friendly location-finding mode that is totally new to iOS 5, the same one Apple’s own Reminders app uses. Over months of daily testing on our own fleet of iPhones, it had minimal impact on battery life. If you do find it to be an issue, though, just tap the Radar button to toggle it on or off."
  • I really enjoy reminders. Especially with Siri.
  • That looks like eight apps. Plus another 200 or so from Newsstand. <_<
  • 5 apps (iWorks bundled as one), a bounus app and an addendum (pluralized as the jailbreak offers multiple features). And in closing a question.
  • are you having a laugh? youre contradicting your own words in the same message here.. how stupid do you think we are? we are not buying that dumb little list of yours
  • The lag playing Real Racing 2 using air play mirroring is just bad enough to make the experience sub-par. The ATV is in bad need of an A5.
  • Hmmmm, I find it amazingly fast and no lag at all, maybe you're network it's not up to it...
  • Not sure on that. I am using an Apple Timecapsule N router. Apparently, even early beta testers experienced the same issues. Are you playing Real Racing 2 with it? I find that RR2 lags in control and makes that kind of game a bit frustrating. However, a game not specifically coded for APM (like Dragons Rage), seems to work great.
  • Not sure on that. I am using an Apple Timecapsule N router. Apparently, even early beta testers experienced the same issues. Are you playing Real Racing 2 with it? I find that RR2 lags in control and makes that kind of game a bit frustrating. However, a game not specifically coded for APM (like Dragons Rage), seems to work great.
  • My Favourite app is Zite in fact I read this article with Zite. I used this app prior to being purchased by CNN and have noticed no different in the articles showing up. In fact I have yet to see a CNN article appear in my listings.
    Zite is a news app that learns your likes for news topics and then shows you more of them. So the app gets better the more that you use it.
  • My Favourite app is Zite in fact I read this article with Zite. I used this app prior to being purchased by CNN and have noticed no different in the articles showing up. In fact I have yet to see a CNN article appear in my listings.
    Zite is a news app that learns your likes for news topics and then shows you more of them. So the app gets better the more that you use it.
  • My Favourite app is Zite in fact I read this article with Zite. I used this app prior to being purchased by CNN and have noticed no different in the articles showing up. In fact I have yet to see a CNN article appear in my listings.
    Zite is a news app that learns your likes for news topics and then shows you more of them. So the app gets better the more that you use it.
  • My Favourite app is Zite in fact I read this article with Zite. I used this app prior to being purchased by CNN and have noticed no different in the articles showing up. In fact I have yet to see a CNN article appear in my listings.
    Zite is a news app that learns your likes for news topics and then shows you more of them. So the app gets better the more that you use it.
  • My Favourite app is Zite in fact I read this article with Zite. I used this app prior to being purchased by CNN and have noticed no different in the articles showing up. In fact I have yet to see a CNN article appear in my listings.
    Zite is a news app that learns your likes for news topics and then shows you more of them. So the app gets better the more that you use it.
  • Where does on go to suggest an app to be made? I would really love an app for my iphone 4s that will change my wallpaper for me automatically every time i log in/turn on phone using only the photos i have saved on my phone as the wallpaper. I found the perfect app but it was for android phones =(
  • I don't have the new iPhone 4 but I have Radar. I just activated it a minute or so before I read your message, as a matter of fact.
  • Add Google Search to iOS5 Dictionary
  • my favorite app is the common sense app that allows me to completely close down an app while I am in it via the little x in the top left corner. oh yeah, that is not available.
  • It's usually top-right, but I understand your lowest form of whit, sarcasm.
    Now, we just use our "five-finger discount" and pinch apps shut, or slide beautifully between apps.
  • Our app LifeTopix is the most complete productivity, organization and life information app - projects, tasks, todos, shopping, assets, finances, events, travel, health, notes, files, etc. More info at http://lightarrow.com
  • I think Numbers is the worst application I have ever seen. I have been a long time Excel user, and I really wanted an alternative for use on the iPad. The reason I think it is the worst application because I can't find any documentation or books about how to use it. I've gone back to using Excel.
  • I really like the Foursquare Radar feature, and I like the changes to Zite as well.
    But as for ios5, for me the reminders with Siri are still the most impressive feature, outside the app stratosphere.
  • all these apps are amazing and best, i dont think there is any kind of drawback in it...
  • Do you want to know which iOS apps are popular category-wise? Social Nuggets analyzed social and app store data to see which paid and free apps are popular. Check out our category-wise list of popular apps on www.SocialNuggets.net!
  • Sorry not paying. I also don't know who is paying $170/month for cable, you should complain. I need live TV and Sports. Comcast gives me plenty online now as well or record everything I want with Windows Media Center and watch recordings on my iPhone or Xbox.
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  • WARNING: don't play this during office hours or the the boss'll bust your ass lol! kewl!