iOS 7: Apple Takes a Cue from Competitors

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The iOS 7 was recently unveiled by Apple and it shows that they are finally listening to their customers and are finally paying attention to their competitors. A lot of people were not really happy with the iOS 6 because it felt like it was such a small step forward. Then there is the Apple Maps fiasco and the OS became a running joke for a while.

iOS 7 review

While all these were happening to Apple, Jellybean was happening to Google’s Android. As a result, Android devices have outsold Apple in 2012.

Now with the iOS 7, Apple is ready to strike back. Although a lot of the features can be found on Android and, to some extent, Windows, it shows that Apple is finally ready to step out of their comfort zone.

So what’s new with iOS 7? Here are some:

A 3D wallpaper and a fresh new lock screen

The iOS interface will feature a brand new look. Gone are the old icons. Those are replaced by flatter and brighter icons that feel kind of retro. It also feels like they are in a different layer above the wallpaper because it looks like they are floating. The lock screen features a blue screen with circles on it with the “slide to unlock” written in small letters instead of being in the traditional slide box.

iOS 7 Lockscreen

In my opinion, the lock screen design reminds me of the Samsung Galaxy S3 water home screen. If you want to buy Galaxy S3 or other mobiles in India then they are easily available online now a days. Whether it is based on that or not, it does look fresh and is a welcome change to the old lock screen.

A Control center and Notifications menu (finally!!)

At last, the iOS will now be featuring a control center and a notifications menu. Something that Android had for ages. But so that it will not look like it is a copy of the Android control and notifications menu, you have to swipe from the bottom of the screen going up instead of swiping from the top of screen going down like in Android.

ios7-notifications-center

Kidding aside, this is a welcome addition to the iOS. The control center features a Wi-Fi meter, Airplane mode, brightness, and music controls. The notification menu now has a “today” pane that automatically tracks your activities aside from the usual notifications for messages and calls.

A better and prettier Safari

Finally, the URL and search field has been combined in one field. For so long, Apple has resisted the move to combine the two even if it is obviously the most practical thing to do. At last, they gave in, and now we have a wide URL and search box at the top of the browser.

safari

In addition, Safari now features vertical scrolling for viewing tabs. You can view your tabs like a rolodex. Safari also becomes less cluttered with the navigation controls disappearing when not in use.

A more organized camera

The iOS camera also got some very useful features. Change modes instantly with a swipe of the screen and use some new filters (ala Instagram).

iOS-7-camera

You can also say goodbye to the endless list of photos that you can’t make a head or tail of. The new iOS7 organizes your photos based on geo-tagged locations instead of date and time.

An iTunes Radio (watch out Pandora)

iTunes-radio-1

This is Apple’s attempt to cash in on the Internet radio trend by expanding the current iTunes. This new feature allows you to listen to different stations about different genres of music. You can also create your own station based on your favorite artists. The iTunes radio, of course, is tied to Apple ID so that if you find a song that you like, you can instantly purchase it on the spot.

Easier multi tasking

Shifting from one app to another is now easier. Double-tapping the home button shows all the apps that are open but instead of getting thumbnails, you get previews, kind of like smaller screenshots. This feature monitors the apps you use the most and keeps your content up to date.Easily shift from your virtual PBX app to your Dropbox or Evernote app with just a few taps and swipes.

These are just some of the new features you will find on the iOS7. While a lot of it are indeed based on other OS features, at least the iOS is no longer playing catch-up features wise and now feels more current compared to the iOS 6

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Vishal Gaikar

Article by Vishal

Vishal Gaikar is a professional blogger from Pune, India. If you like this post, you can follow him on Twitter.

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