Los Angeles — Barely a day before Apple is expected to release its iOS 5 update with Twitter integration, the micro-blogging outfit along with a number of apps released an update in preparation for the upcoming iOS 5 launch with new features, including photo sharing.
Twitter’s latest update to its iOS app that brings some improvements customized for iOS 5 as well as some specific features optimized for the iPad. Version 3.5.0 claims to have an enhanced sign up experience that makes it easier to access your account for the first time, full integration of Twitter’s picture service, as well as an updated Direct Message design for iPad which sorts DMs in chronological order as well as by thread.
The most significant upgrade is a feature that pits Twitter up against photo-sharing sites like Twitpic and Moby with the launch of its own photo-sharing service. This feature empowers users to share photos directly through Twitter, which has partnered with Photobucket to power the image hosting. Although Twitter’s photo sharing becomes default, users can still change the settings to use third-party photo sharing options like TwitPic.
Moreover, specific improvements for Twitter on the iPad, include a new Direct Message interface that now shows threaded conversations in chronological order. The updated app also lets you touch a location on the screen to see nearby tweets. It should be noted that these 2 features are only available on the iPad version of the app.
These recent improvements have been unfurled just before Apple’s iOS 5 releases Wednesday on October 12th, most likely prepping Twitter for the official transition to the new iOS. You can download the latest version of the app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch now.