Apple released the highly anticipated iOS7 software upgrade almost two weeks ago and the reactions to the complete aesthetic overhaul are mixed to say the least. Whether you love it, hate it, or don’t have it, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best and worst new features that come with iOS7.
The Best:
Control Center:
iOS7 introduced the new Control Center feature (accessed by swiping upward from the bottom of any screen) which is glorious little pocket full of all the applications you want to access quickly. The Control Center not only contains a flashlight, calculator, and camera but also tools to adjust your alarms, WiFi, screen brightness, and music.
Interface-lift:
The updated interface is in one word: simplified. Relying on their popularity and the assumption that you already know how to use an iPhone, iOS7 is now much subtler than iOS6’s characteristic obviousness. With new font and light and airy overtones, Apple ditched its black borders and heavy chrome in favor of translucence and a comparatively pastel color scheme. Everything has a softer feel, down to the rounded buttons. There have been complaints that the aesthetic is too feminine, but here at HerCampus we have no issues with femininity.
iTunes Radio:
Apple’s iTunes dynasty has now put itself in the internet radio race with the new iTunes Radio. Similar to Pandora and Spotify, iTunes Radio is free (with ads and limited skips) and offers prefabricated as well as custom stations. iOS7’s iTunes Radio,however, also works in sync with all of the music on your phone. You can find iTunes Radio in the bottom left corner of the Music app.
Our other favorite things: improved weather app, message timestamps, new ringtones, and the “today” screen with calendar capabilities
The Worst:
Aesthetics over function:
As pretty as the new interface is, the new aesthetic may have taken precedence over the software’s actual function. The transparency that makes the interface look so cool also makes it harder to read. The new parallax effects(twisting of apps, movement of background image with the tilting of the phone) look great but the general consensus is that their unnecessary movements are somewhat of a waste of time and have even been known in some cases to cause motion sickness. The updated Music app is a prime example of this aesthetic favoritism. It’s glorified chaos. But hey, at least it looks nice.
Battery drainer:
If you have anything less than an iPhone 5, iOS7 will not be kind to your battery life. iOS7’s new immediate Background App Refresh feature is one of the main battery sucking culprits. You can turn off the automatic refreshing under Settings < General < Background App Refresh. Temporarily disabling other features and effects you know you won’t need all the time (WiFi, parallax effects, push notifications) will work wonders for saving your battery.
You can’t downgrade back:
Unfortunately, if you hate iOS7, you’re stuck with it. If you have enabled the new software on your phone, Apple has stopped signing for iOS 6.1.3 and iOS 6.1.4 for devices with iOS7 capability. Basically, once your phone is running on iOS7, there’s no turning back.
Our other least favorite things: you still can’t close all your background apps with one click, it’s hard to tell if your phone is charging or not, similarity and difficulty of accessing the spotlight and notification features
How do you feel about iOS7? Let us know what you think.