Apple today unveiled iOS 7, the company’s all new mobile operating system. Make no mistake, this is not an iterative update, but a complete refresh, and one that takes aim directly at Android.
Following this post I’ll bring you a list of iOS 7′s top features, but for simplicity sake I’m just gonna cover the big, overall update. That being said, Apple’s philosophy is try bring order to complexity, and they feel as though iOS 7 does just that. In addition to a bolder and brighter color palette, many of the stock features of iOS have been updated to offer a more intuitive feel, and one that is arguably analogous, if not derived from Android. But that’s hardly new news.
Case in point the new swipe to multitask function that allows forgoes the ‘drawer’ system, and is replaced by large tiles that can be closed by swiping from right to left. Apple has also updated Siri to include male and female voices, as well as well as her functionality, now allowing her to update iPhone settings, such as turning on Bluetooth, simply by asking her to do so. And while the iOS stock weather app will likely continue to bring you inaccurate weather reports (not Apple’s fault), it will offer an experience that is something akin to looking out a window; hail bounces off text, fog passes in front of it, and lightning will flash. Last, and most certainly not least, iOS notification center has been overhauled, allowing you to swipe up from any screen and control your music, phone settings (Bluetooth, Wifi, etc), turn on your camera’s light (flashlight), change the screen’s brightness and more.
Apple hasn’t said when iOS 7 will arrive, but you can expect it sometime this fall. That said, it’s not clear what handsets it will be compatible with, but I’d expect it to be limited to the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, and whatever Apple announces around launch time.