After much anticipation, Apple’s new mobile operating system, iOS 7, is here. And it’s awesome! To say I was excited is an understatement; I must have clicked “Check for Updates” in iTunes at least 20 times between 9:40 and 10 am this morning (which is the time it was supposed to launch)… before remembering that it was launching at 10 am Pacific Standard Time, which means 1 pm in Montreal. Oops.
When 1 pm finally rolled around, I was ready. Although I incurred many download errors both on my iPhone 5, trying to install iOS 7 over Wi-Fi as well as when I tried to update my version of iTunes, I didn’t despair. A little over an hour later, I was (finally) able to install it via Wi-Fi, and it went smoothly.
Of course, I get excited about every major update of iOS that comes out, but this time, it actually feels different. Yes, the flatter design is a big part of that; but I think the improved functionality and nice little animations and effects are really what make it special. It’s only been a few hours, and I haven’t had time to try everything out. But so far, so good.
Here’s what I love right off the bat:
- full screen images on the lock screen;
- really cool gradient effect when entering your pass code, which adjusts to the colours of the lock screen image you’ve chosen;
- cool app animation when you unlock your phone;
- Control Center, which can be pulled up in any app and easily allows you to toggle different functions like the Flashlight (a new built-in feature!), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb mode, and launch the Calculator or Camera;
- a brand new icon for the Photos app. I was so sick of the flower on the old one (yes, it’s a detail, but how the home screen looks is important!);
- thumbnails for playlists in the Music app;
- the awesome view of the tabs that are currently open in Safari.
I still haven’t found anything I really dislike, but I really haven’t had that much time to play around with it yet. Hopefully, it’s not hiding any bad surprises like Maps in iOS 6, which got me lost more than once, and that no longer gave public transit directions. Thankfully, though, Google Maps made a comeback onto the App Store, so all is well.
Although it’s tempting (really tempting) to upgrade to the upcoming iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C, iOS 7 is running extremely fast on my iPhone 5, and thankfully, it’s different enough from the previous version that I should be able to resist the urge to get a new phone until next year…
Have you upgraded your iPhone yet? How has your experience been with iOS 7 so far?