Apple iOS 7 lands today and it’s arguably the biggest revamp the mobile operating system has seen in years. iOS 7 packs several new features that change the aesthetics and functionality of iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches. Since so many of you use Apple devices, I’d love to hear your first impressions of iOS 7. If you’re not familiar with what’s coming, here are just some of the new additions (in no particular order):
Aesthetics: iOS 7 features new system fonts, brighter default colors, new sounds, and a modern, flat appearance. While it’s not as flat as Android Jellybean, it’s pretty close. While my eyes are still getting used to the font, I love the overall appearance. iOS 6 was starting to look like a dinosaur.
Safari: The default web browser finally gets a unified search bar (about frickin’ time!) and Brazzers privacy mode. It organizes multiple tabs far better than its predecessor.
Camera: The camera in iOS 7 is something I’m still getting used to. It feels really foreign to me, but I think I’ll get the hang of it in a few days. It also has a bunch of live filters for you to play with. Personally, I don’t find them useful after using the outstanding VSCO Cam.
Photos: The iOS 7 Photo app, on the other hand, was instantly useful to me. I love all the new organizational features. This is really well done.
Notifications: I always thought that Apple’s notification system was basic compared to Google Android’s. iOS 7 is a big step in the right direction, but still not as versatile or useful as what Android features.
iTunes Radio: I recall RPadholic Tokz_21 mentioning that he enjoyed this feature. I’m actually a bad person to discuss mobile streaming audio with. I don’t use it a lot and when I do, it’s Pandora, which people tell me is outdated.
Multitasking: This iOS 7 feature has me excited, but it will take me weeks to see if the improvements are legit. On paper, it should help you maximize battery life. The new multitasking feature detects whether you’re plugged in or not and whether you’re on WiFi or mobile signal. It will gobble up data and run background apps accordingly. It’s not a flashy feature, but it’s a nerd-sexy one.
Siri: Again, I’m a bad person to talk about this with, so I’m hoping you guys and dolls have more to say. I never found Siri all that useful. It’s supposed to be better than the last version, but I haven’t found it all that useful yet.
Control Center: The iOS 7 Control Center makes several commonly used features easy to access. This is definitely useful, but I’m not used to it yet. I’m still trying to do things the old way. I’m sure it will become automatic in a few days.
Your Verdict: Kindly share your initial impressions of Apple iOS 7. Please tell me what you love, what you hate, and what you’re indifferent to.
I did enjoy iTunes Radio it’s provided more artists and songs related to the artist or song selected. Just disappointed in the lack of Spanish artists
I’m going to get you Oscar De La Hoya’s album as a belated wedding gift. You can just loop that.
I loathe u right now Ray.
To the newlyweds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1F9TqocKxE
I think the animations are encumbering to the user experience.
Block caller is a nice feature though.
I dislike the new folders. I do not like only seeing 6 items. Seriously why can’t it be an option on how to display items? This kind of crap along with social media is making people stupid.