By now I am sure you have heard the news that Apple is releasing the new iOS7 operating system this Autumn. (Fall for the yankees), although the beta version is out now for iphone developers, so that they can get a good Summer to get a hands-on with how to take advantage of it through new app updates and releases. But, if your like me and your not paying $99 dollars a year to be called an official ‘Apple Developer’, well we are just going to have to wait.
But I am here to tell you why it is going to be worth the wait. For a new operating system can only mean one thing. New juicy features to play with. And you have come to the right place to find out exactly what these ‘juicy features’ are going to be.
DESIGN
Lets start off by saying that, from having my own hands-on experience of the new iOS7 (Yes I do have friends outside High Tec Solutions) I can confirm that it is an interface with a makeover. Each icon has been given the more ’rounded’ feel and some of the major icons such as photos have been completely redesigned, which make them out to be not such an eyesore. However some of the icons do look as if they have been sketched by infants, but nonetheless, the brighter colours that are used, are much prettier. Another nice design aspect that has been added is the dynamic wallpaper. This means if I set a panoramic photo as my wallpaper, I can then see the whole picture by tilting and moving the phone. Which has kept asking myself “Why does Apple do this?” but then I soon found myself answering this with simply “Because they can.”
FEATURES
The Control Centre
The all new control centre allows users to swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal a new hub which essentially can control the guts of the system. We are talking everything from the Aeroplane Mode to the integrated Flash-light. Oh, did I forget to mention, there is an integrated flash-light. Music is still available in this screen, while you can also control the brightness on screen without having to exit the app. But that is not all that can be controlled from here. Airdrop my friends. Airdrop.
Airdrop
Airdrop is now finally available on iDevices, allowing you to share anything from an app that supports Share Sheet.
A quick tap on the screen will give you access to the functionality and you can share multiple items at once by adding in more caresses of the screen.
iTunes Music
Apple have went as far as saying that the new music player they have done in iOS7 is “the best music player they have ever done.” When turned in landscape mode, we are presented with tiles of all the album artwork of all your tracks. Once clicked upon we can enter into the album. But be warned, its not all rainbows & gumdrops. Rumour has it there is a integrated music streaming service included somewhere, and if I know Apple its not going to be free.
Camera App
The Camera has been given a complete new overhaul to the point I hardly recognised it when I clicked into it in the beta version. But not so much more functionality, but rather the layout. Meaning that it is a much more swipe-friendly interface.
You do get some extra features though, if you call various lens shapes new features.
Photo Gallery
Viewing your photos has also been given a new finish, with iOS 7 automatically arranging pictures by location into groups, which Apple is now calling “moments”.
Pinch to zoom out and the Photo app will re-draw your photo library into collections, recognising a day trip or recent holiday and then slinging them all into one group automatically. Will definitely be a nice feature separating those nights out in Cookstown, from those in Magherafelt.
Multi Tasking
Finally, Multi-tasking has been changed somewhat to allow you to see what you’re jumping between, replacing the little bar that comes up at the bottom of the screen.
We’re going to miss that little user interface that flipped up and allowed us to see what was going on in the app above at the same time, but the new version is pretty neat to look at, with the app icon flipping along below the pane and if I am to be completely honest, the all-new translucent thing they were going for does look tasty.
But, this by no means is it in the long list of features. But Apple are smarter than that to tell us everything. So rather, they are going to leave us in anticipation to see what these new features will be, come Autumn time. So are you under the so-called “Apple Warp” and will download it straight away or are you going to stick to what your used to?
