iOS 7: release date, features and screenshots
Apple has unveiled iOS 7, a sweeping redesign of its iPhone and iPad operating system.
The operating system has been given a radical visual overhaul, described as the “the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone,” by Apple CEO Tim Cook.
The new homescreen is flatter and does away with the skeuomorphic design, as has long been predicted. It’s not without sophistication, though. The wallpaper and icons appear to move as the phone is tilted, and there’s plenty of Windows 7-style transparency in apps and menus. Many of the default apps have been given striking new designs, especially Weather and Mail.
On a more practical note, folders can now accommodate any number of apps, instead of the dozen that were permitted in iOS 6, and apps will automatically update themselves in the background.
The new Control Center – activated by sweeping up from the bottom of the screen – provides fast access to a series of common controls, such as airplane mode, screen brightness, Do Not Disturb and music playback.
Music featured heavily in Apple’s demonstration. The widely predicted “iRadio” appeared, although it’s officially named iTunes Radio. It provides free music streaming of featured and user-generated stations, but it’s only ad-free for subscribers to iTunes Match. There’s also a new Car interface for iOS, providing bigger buttons for music controls and for making phone calls.
The car controls are also compatible with Apple’s revamped voice-control system Siri. It has a new look, new male and female voices, and a series of new voice commands, such as “play last voicemail”, “turn on Bluetooth” and “increase brightness”. It displays information from a host of new sources, including Twitter and Wikipedia.
AirDrop provides an easy way to share photos and other files with friends from within apps, without physically having to bump phones together. It uses ad-hoc Wi-Fi connections for faster data transfer.
The new operating system is available now in beta for developers, and will be launched – presumably with a new iPhone, of which there was no mention – in the autumn.
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