How many features can someone put into a product before they come off as superfluous bullet points? In a new series I am dubbing the Superfluous Tech Top Five, I take a look at tech categories, single products and everything in between to find product “features” that are overwhelmingly superfluous fluff.

The product I am examining today is produced by a company that has a history of overzealously placing superfluous bullet points to “features” that are most of the time common in their competitors’ products. If you haven’t guessed the name of the company by now, it is no other than Apple Inc and the product is iOS 5.

Apple claims iOS 5 includes over 200 new features for iPad, iPod and iPhones and if you read behind the lines, they are admitting the truth. These are 200 new features for your iPad, iPod and iPhone, nothing truly revolutionary or even innovative as they have boastfully proclaimed in the past with previous products. With iOS 5, Apple is playing catch up with Android. Simply put you only have to go to the iOS 5 page on Apple’s website to realize that these are 200 new features to iDevices, not to smartphones in general.

Note: If you do head to the iOS 5 webpage or you have already visited it, you may notice a few features on this page not listed there. You may think there are too many new features to list or perhaps, many of those new features are lackluster additions.

Number 5: FaceTime over 3G

You may be familiar with FaceTime even if you do not own a capable iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone due to the marketing wizards at Apple. If you’re not familiar with FaceTime, it is an app that allows you to video chat from iPhone to iPhone, iPod Touch to iPod Touch, iPad to iPad or a mixture of the three iDevices over a WiFi connection. In iOS 5, you can finally use FaceTime over a 3G connection (good luck with those data caps). The reason why this the number 5 superfluous feature in iOS 5 is due to the competition having a multitude of FaceTime-like apps that could be used over a 3G/4G connection for a while now. Better late than never, I guess.

Number 4: Newstand

Newstand is essentially a copy of iBooks. Instead of housing digital books, Newstand brings your magazines subscriptions together; allows you to manage your magazine subscriptions and automatically download the latest issues of your magazines. The creation of the Newstand app puzzles me. Why create an app for magazine subscription when the iBooks app can easily handle both eBooks and eMagazines? For Apple, which I’ll admit is current king of user interfaces, to create two apps for similar products defeats me.

Number 3: iMessage

Most mobile phone users use text messaging and if you consider how much Verizon and AT&T overcharges for such a basic service, having iMessage could be the cure for the text messaging blues until you consider a few things. There are plenty of messaging apps that are available on both the App Store and Android Market. iMessage will be exclusive to iOS devices, so you can’t send a message to a friend using an Android or Windows Mobile 7 phone.

Number 2: Cut the Cord (Activate and setup an iOS device without a PC or Mac)

Apple has finally “cut the cord” with iOS 5, you will no longer need to be tethered to a PC or Mac to activate and setup an iOS device. This is great news for the Apple faithful, but for everyone else this is nothing special. For most mobile phone users, we have enjoyed this kind of feature for many years. Apple, welcome to the 21^st century.

Number 1: Over-the-Air (OTA) iOS Software Updates

In line with Apple’s new cut the cord motto, iOS 5 will allow Over-the-Air (OTA) software updates. This would be truly newsworthy if it weren’t common for other mobile phones allowing OTA software updates. OTA software updating is such a basic feature that even Featured phones utilize it. Before you argue with reasons why Apple didn’t include it before, know that Apple is a business and will do whatever to string its user along. You only have to take a look on how long it took Apple to implement Copy/Paste.

iOS 5 will no doubt bring many requested and unrequested features, although I can’t help feeling that Apple is pulling wool over its user eyes. Apple will continue to tout that they are the most innovative tech company in the world, but the truth is in many ways, iOS 5 only levels the playing field between Android and iOS. Considering the prospects, especially with Samsung with its Galaxy S II and the potential emergence of Amazon in the tablet (using Android) market, Apple better step up its game if it wants to keep that title.