It’s finally here! Apple has just announced iOS 7 live from WWDC 2013! The latest instalment of iOS packs a whole host of new features including a stunning new user interface.
The iOS user interface has been the bane of my life for as long as I have used it. But finally, finally, the iOS user interface is once again beautiful. So much so that the first impressions video got a standing ovation from the WWDC audience. iOS 7 features a brand new, minimalistic design, with an entirely new color palette.
The colors look absolutely incredible, in fact, as Apple continue to announce this I’m struggling for words, so please, bear with me. New features include motion tracking, which means your icons will move with your movements, to allow you to better see your wallpaper. There’s a great new weather app, which features great new gestures, calendar, and message app, a totally redesigned game center and a brand new phone call interface. Even Newsstand, Calculator and stocks looks absolutely amazing. Gone are the days of horrendous skeumorphism, no more leather, no more green felt. I don’t want to exhaust this too much, because the best way to help you understand this change is to let you see this. App folders now include multiple pages, a fantastic update. The brand new Notification center, which is also available from the Lock Screen continues the beautifully clean and crisp design.
Alongside the brand new user interface is some new features. Firstly, control center. This swipe upwards feature allows you to access your most used settings, brightness, aeroplane mode, and a brand new stock flashlight, all in one place. Incredible.
There’s also a brand new multitasking system based around UNIX, with battery life in mind. Now, in iOS 7, multitasking is available for all apps! iOS 7 notices your usage patterns, and provides power in proportion to how much you use it. It also has intelligent scheduling, for example, opening your news apps automatically once it understands the times you most frequently use them, this also works for push notifications, where a notification will trigger power allocated to the relevant app. Again, multitasking looks beautiful, and really needs to be seen to be understood.
Safari in iOS 7 has a brand new full screen interface, with one tap access to favorite website, and a brilliant new tab interface. It also has updated parental controls, and iCloud keychain, already mentioned in our Mac update! There is also updates to Safari’s bookmarking system, and continuous scrolling between articles. Tabs are no longer limited to 8, and you can even see tabs you had open on a different iCloud device!
Another great new feature AirDrop, allows you to share content and material with your friends in the easiest manner possible. No need for “bumping your phone” (take that Samsung), it uses P2P Wi-Fi to share with as many people as you like.
The camera app allows you to swipe between your video, still, square and panorama cameras, complete with built-in filters to allow on the spot editing. There is also a brand new features called “Moments”, which organises your photos based on where and when they were taken, getting rid of the endless stream of photos we’re currently used to. There are some fantastic iCloud sharing options, which support video for the first time!
Siri has a brand new interface, and a beautiful results page that matches the rest of iOS’ clean, polished looks. There are 2 brand new voices, male and female, with support for French and German, aswell as English, and plans to add more language support. It can take instructions, such as “adjust my brightness”. It also has integration for Twitter, Wikipedia and Bing!
iOS in the Car
Building on “Eyes free”, this takes iOS in-car integration to the next level. Now, iOS will actually be displayed on the in-built screen in your car, turning your car into one giant iPhone with wheels!
Another brand new interface in-keeping with the rest of iOS. New categories include age-ranges, and apps based on popularity in your local area, tailoring your suggested apps to your current location.
Finally! App Store now updates your apps automatically! Perhaps one of the best updates yet!
“The best music player we have ever done”. Another brand new interface, with iCloud purchases right in your music app. Your iTunes movies are also now available immediately on your iOS device.
Now, if a thief tries to turn of Find my iPhone, or tries to wipe your phone entirely, your iPhone will simply shut down, ensuring only you can restart it. This is a huge development in light of ever-increasing mobile phone theft.
iOS 7 also features a massive list of new features that Apple didn’t have time to mention, such as notification syncing.
iOS 7 is available for iPhone 4 and later, the iPad 2 and later, the iPad mini and the 5th generation iPod touch! Developer previews for iPhone begin today, with iPad previews coming soon. iOS 7 will drop publicly this fall! I am so incredibly excited for this, all of my fears about iOS stagnating have been totally relieved. But, like I said, the core of the new iOS 7 is its incredible design, which is best captured in the gallery below. Make sure you take a good look at everything, and be sure to leave your comments below!