Apple's iOS 7 is available for free download some time on Wednesday for most Apple mobile devices: the iPhone 4 or later; the iPad 2 or later; the iPad Mini; and the 5th generation iPod Touch.
Tim Cook, Apple Chief Executive, described the radically redesigned iOS 7 as the biggest change to the iPhone since the device's introduction in 2007 at the iPhone 5s and 5c release event at Apple's headquarter in Cupertino.
Analysts agree that Apple did not gamble with their pool of users by making drastic changes in the past years because doing so would affect hundreds of millions of its users. However, while rival android manufacturers continue to improve their user-experience from interaction with apps to simply saying "OK Google Now" to obtain information, Apple must continue to surprise users in order to remain as the industry leader.
On iOS7, the first obvious change in visual display is the icons, which is described as a "flatter look," losing some of the lighting effects that made them appear to be rounded. The home screen has a more three-dimensional look, with the apps appearing to float above the background wallpaper image, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The iOS 7 interface remains familiar but fresh. Not only has the operating system changed, the Apple-built applications have all been changed. Layout of Apple's various apps remained unchanged for the most part.
iOS 7 features a new control center accessed by a swipe up from the bottom of any screen includes airplane mode toggle, a Wi-Fi toggle, a Bluetooh toggle, a Do Not Disturb toggle, a rotation lock toggle, a flashlight toggle, a display brightness slider, music playback controls, AirDrop, AirPlay and quick access to Clock app, the Calculator app and the Camera app, according to the Tech Crunch.
In addition, navigating around iOS 7 should be quicker than on other versions of the mobile platform because now users can simply swipe on their screen to go back to the previous page they were on. This gesture works on some apps, including Safari, Messages and Mail.
Meanwhile, iOS 7 also comes with increased access to search bar and a new notification center, which allows users to interact with the app without actually launching the application. This feature helps improve the user-experience in searching for apps, interacting with apps, but some still consider this improvement not up-to-par with sound-activated functions on devices such as Motorola's Moto X.
The development of iOS 7 was overseen by Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering. The interface of the new software was created by a team led by Jonathan Ive, Apple's senior vice president of design, whose role expanded last year to include both software and hardware designs.
"Since we make updates easy, and make them available to as many customers as possible, iOS 7 will quickly become the world's most popular mobile operating system," Cook said at the unveiling of the new iPhones last week.
