Apple Announces Biggest Change to iOS in Six Years
Posted on Jun 24th 2013
This month Apple announced a major update to its beloved iOS, which has seen several minor updates over the last six years. iOS 7 users will have a new visual experience, a Control Center for easily changing vital phone settings, personalized multitasking, enhanced camera features, next-generation Siri, theft-prevention features, AirDrop for easy file sharing, streaming music and handy password assistance in Safari.
- Translucent keyboard and slide to unlock graphic
- Flat-looking app icons (no shading to give depth)
- Dots instead of bars to indicate service coverage
- New font
- Overall whiter, brighter look
- Swipe up from any screen to view
- Change basic settings like brightness, WiFi, Airplane mode, orientation lock, etc.
- Access calculator, camera and new flashlight feature
- Notification Center: Summary of notifications for weather, missed calls, texts, etc. can be accessed by swiping down from any screen
- Learns when you use certain apps and displays them automatically at that time
- Swipe to change camera type for faster experience
- Search photos for a specific date and location
- iCloud, Photo Stream and AirDrop photo and video sharing
Siri- New voice (male and female option available)
- Integration with Control Center means Siri can change general phone settings
- Siri will display Bing web search results so you don't have to be in web app to see them
- Visible audio waves indicate that Siri is listening to you
- Faster way to share photos, videos, documents and contacts with others using iOS 7
- Personalized music streaming service
- View your listening history and tap on a song to download it to your iTunes library
- Generate secure, unique passwords for all of your accounts
- iCloud can remember all of your user names, passwords and credit card information if you set it to do so and input them into Safari automatically
- Tab view so switching between open Web pages is streamlined
- Apple ID and password are necessary to turn off Find My iPhone. If phone is wiped, a personal message appears and the owner's Apple ID and password are required to reactive device
- Block messages and calls from certain numbers
- iPad 2, 3, 4, mini
- iPhone 4/4S, 5 and ...
Apple is expected to release a new phone this fall to complement the release of iOS 7. Rumors of a low-end iPhone in plastic casing have been flying, as have rumors of an iPhone that comes in various colors or multiple screen sizes. The new iPhone is expected to be called iPhone 5S. Of course nothing is official until Apple makes its announcement. The photo below is the latest "photo leak" circulating through the media.
The only visible difference between this image and the back of an iPhone 5 is the taller flash at the top of the phone. This adds some credence to the leak's legitimacy, as Apple may not want a totally new phone design to overshadow the iOS overhaul.