Collegiate Times

The phone also includes a new “Do Not Disturb” setting. A user can request that calls coming in at a certain time, say when you are asleep or in class, are automatically silenced. Those settings can be tweaked to allow certain numbers through but not others, or to silence a number that has already called recently.

Other upgrades include Facebook integration, enhanced functionality for Siri, and a new panorama mode for photos. However, some new features are available only on the latest phones.

Siri will only work on Apple’s most recent devices, even if compatible with the iOS upgrade. The same is true of the panoramic camera, and certain navigation features of the maps app. An upgrade to Facetime, which allows users on a 3G network to video chat, is also limited to newer hardware.

“I can’t really do anything new with mine,” Baker said. “It doesn’t really do anything with the iPhone 4.”

Not all users have been as quick to adapt.

“I didn’t really see why to put in the effort. I didn’t see too many new additions to it,” said Alex Roohr, a sophomore biology major. “I’ll eventually switch if I have the time.”

Other users were leery of the upgrade, after previous updates had left them with missing data and long waits.

Freshman university studies major Kayli Toulotte went through with the upgrade, only to find that it took eight hours to sync all her data.

“My phone’s been messing up more since I downloaded it,” Toulotte said.

The screen brightness on Toulotte's phone drops seemingly at random, making it difficult for her to use. She said her friends have experienced similar issues.

Michelle Zurlo, a senior communication and psychology double major, though excited about the upgrade, has experienced problems with past updates.

“Last time I did the upgrade, I lost half of my data, so I’ve been a little hesitant,” Zurlo said. “A lot of my friends did lose a lot of their data as well, which I don’t want to do because I have so many things on my phone. Last time I lost all my music and everything, which was a pain.”

As with many other past updates, Apple users tend to embrace change and quickly adapt to the company’s newest products, worms and all.

Continue Reading:  « Previous12

A version of this article appeared in the Oct 4 issue of the Collegiate Times.