back to article Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it ... Win Phone 8? No, it's APPLE'S iOS 7

Apple's iOS 7 has come some way since its initial preview release and public unveiling back in June at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference. Back then the focus was inevitably on the operating system’s new visual styling, and Apple does seem to have taken on board the early criticism of the new look. The ultra-spindly font …

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  1. returnmyjedi

    Good to see ITLAP day is being observed at Vulture Central.

    1. Graham Marsden
      Pirate

      Arr!

      Bravo me buckos!

    2. Z-Eden
      Pirate

      Yarrr, I'll swill some grog t' celebrate ya land lubber.

    3. LarsG

      Jobs Comforter

      Crikey, reading this review article has made me want to comit suicide, Tony Smith is really nit picking to find fault, if that's all there is it's actually not bad is it.

      The tone of the article is sooooo depressing that I am about to cut my wrists.

      1. SuccessCase

        Re: Jobs Comforter

        @LarsG

        Yes,

        The point about voice recorder and moire in enter and exit animations simply isn't true! This along with other comments make me wonder if he downloaded the final build, as there were rough edges for these animations on earlier builds.

        Then I read:

        "I kept noticing occasional tiny movements of the wallpaper at the end of animation sequences as if iOS, having put icons and folders back in the right place, needed to nudge the wallpaper slightly by way of celebration."

        Yep, an early early beta build, this issue was annoying and sorted long ago. It doesn't happen now though.

        "Motion is an issue in particular. In a new animation from Apple, when a user launches an app the software's main view fills the screen as if it were growing out from its icon. The view pushes all the other icons off the screen. Like Mac OS X’s "minimise window to the dock" animation, it’s cute for the first few views, but it's ultimately unnecessary. It would be nice to disable it - why waste processor cycles on this kind of thing? Especially when you don’t need to emphasise that a given app is located on a certain part of the screen. Like all the skeuomorphic imagery ripped out of iOS, it’s trying to imply a real-world relationship that’s not there."

        Weird, because it, you know, the relationship IS there. You know, *between the app you are opening and where it is on your home screen.* He is criticising the greatest strength of iOS, that interaction animations serve a purpose, provide context and enhance understanding (and Forestall's increasing tendency to break this rule, that was so well adhered to for years was one of the heaviest points of criticism - the podcasts app tape real was the worst example)

        This was an especially annoying one because it is one of the first things my mother commented on first after I upgraded her iPad. If I was a cynic I would suggest Tony is trying to dis the very useful details he knows elevate iOS over its main competitor.

        On the use of icons versus text for buttons.

        "Not that Apple is even remotely consistent in the use of this: some apps have wordy buttons, others retain icons, albeit freshly designed ones."

        Er, he means they use both, but ARE consistent. The icon buttons are used for system functions common between apps that can be easily represented by an icon (like + for adding a new record/entry). Words are used where an icon would be ambiguous in relation to use of a word that fits. The silly thing is, his own screenshots illustrate this as clear as clear can be. Look at the use if text and icons in the calendar app where he makes this point and tell me that is not clear and the right choice between icons and text (to go to the year view). It's a model of clarity and intimates precisely the right understanding to the user before any interaction has been attempted.

        Seriously Tony, stick with being a writer on The Register, it suits you.

        1. Erwin Hofmann
          Linux

          Re: Jobs Comforter

          "But Apple has at least taken the opportunity, offered by a skin refresh, to look at some of the system's earlier usability issues and address them" ... now, don't tell me, the most glorified (ever) Mobile-OS had some "usability issues" ... and that there (previously) was something like "This was an especially annoying one" even being recognized by a "fanboy" ... hmm ... shock, horror, dismay ... I just lost faith in the simplistic workings of the world ... but, at least, switching off design thingys, being not a feature, stay's for the foreseeable future (thanks Apple for that) ... imagine what would happen, if it would be possible, iPhones could work and look like Windows (phones), or worse, Android ... what a horrible, horrible, idea ... "If I was a cynic I would suggest Tony is trying to dis the very useful details he knows elevate iOS over its main competitor" ... are you talking about the features that are running in "main competitors" phones for quit a while ... welcome to the "Android-style gallery of app windows", the Control Center (Androids Utilities) and the, now, redundant's of half of iPhones Apps. Apples commercial grip on your iPhone/iPad, through iTunes (in Tune with Apple) "not being able to delete albums without hooking the phone up to iTunes on a computer" is definitely a usability failure" ... and one of my many reason not to use an iPhone/iPad ... but hey, it's just a phone or a pad and can do, the same way other products can, whatever it should do.

          PS. Because the author (Tony Smith) actually asks himself if "this is (yet another) desktop iTunes quirk" simply tells me that he, most likely, is an adept "Apple" things user, knows what he is talking about and should not just be dismissed with remarks like: "trying to dis the very useful details he knows elevate iOS over its main competitor" ... cheers.

          1. SuccessCase

            Re: Jobs Comforter

            @Erwin Hofmann

            I despair. Do you have the slightest clue what a beta is? The issues I referred to are fixed in the final release.

      2. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: Jobs Comforter

        A fanboy depressed? Sounds like you have a "legacy" iDevice. Get the latest, you will soon feel better.

  2. GettinSadda

    But why?

    Why do we get shafted again with missing features in the UK?

    Siri is awful in iOS 7, nothing like the version advertised. And where is iTunes Radio?

    1. Vociferous

      Re: But why?

      Because you're not a real human, a ~: US CITIZEN :~ , you're a briton, which means US companies view you much like the snooty salewomen view Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, and for pretty much the same reason.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: But why?

        @Vociferous - "Because you're not a real human, a ~: US CITIZEN :~ , you're a briton"

        And this point is supposed to be somehow debatable?

      2. ThatAmericanBastard

        Re: But why?

        Hi Vociferous,

        I believe you have the shoe on the wrong foot. Working closely with many a Briton, I find that we Americans are the ones regarded as dull and subhuman. As for companies changing / withholding features from one market to the next, that can really be attributed to anything from copyright protection to market data. It's funny to me that most outside of America,except those wonderful Canadians who just think / accept that our head is on backwards, believe we have it in for them. Conversely, large swaths of America believe everyone has it in for us. But keep in mind most of those sorts of Americans also believe their neighbor, their neighbor's cat, their government, that guy at the mini-mart, and unseen shadow organizations hell bent on globalism also have it in for them. And they don't think of this in a meta way. They honestly believe all of those entities and more have it in for them specifically.

        I blame the isolation. There's a lot of lonely road in America. But of all the zaniness I can assure you that the soft handed sales people in Cupertino are not trying to slight you with feature changes. International IP protections are vast and complex. The reality is much more dull and bureaucratic than it appears.

        Sincerely,

        That Bastard American

    2. ichibrosan

      Re: But why?

      The iTunes radio is not an internet radio but rather Apple's attempt to push aside Pandora. I for one want to listen to my favorite Christian station (KLOVE), but the app isn't what I was expecting. You cannot select an internet streaming provider and listen. Instead you select your genre and Apple feeds you songs out of their iTunes catalog, which you can then conveniently buy. So you will need a third party internet radio streaming client app.

      Also the Apple "intuitive" navigation isn't happening for me with this new release. I have the same nausea that I felt when I encountered the ribbon in Office.

  3. Scott Earle

    You think support is bad in the UK??

    You should try it in Thailand ...

    We only got the ability to buy music earlier this year. AppleTV went on sale a couple of months ago. iTunes Radio? I would suspect never.

    And we have to wait until December before we can buy the new iPhones. Hopefully.

    1. dogged

      Re: You think support is bad in the UK??

      It's pretty safe to assume that anyone who moved to Thailand did not do so for the Apple support.

      1. Moosh
        Paris Hilton

        Re: You think support is bad in the UK??

        I also think its safe to assume that the vast majority of people living in Thailand are in fact natives and have lived there all their lives and don't want to move out of the country merely to get the latest features for their overpriced phones.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: You think support is bad in the UK??

        @dogged - "It's pretty safe to assume that anyone who moved to Thailand did not do so for the Apple support."

        And yet, all Android services work just fine in Thailand.

        It isn't that Apple CAN'T support foreign users - it's that they don't desire to.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: You think support is bad in the UK??

          It wasn't services under discussion, it was content. Content that has owners with all sorts of "rights" bollocks.

          Are you claiming that Google are selling music and TV shows in Thailand?

        2. Philip Lewis

          Re: You think support is bad in the UK??

          All iPhones work in Thailand as well.

          Even better, you can waltz on down to MBK and buy an unlocked new iphone at the daily rate. Thailand is a country where almost everyone is on PAYG, though some carrier subsidised programs exist, I know no one who got their phone this way.

          There is a very robust used market for EVERYTHING, including smartphones, so the value of your device is known on a daily basis.

          iOS works in Thai language just fine.

  4. Zippy's Sausage Factory
    FAIL

    To me, it looks like they took iOS 6 outside and gave it a good, hard beating with the ugly stick. I mean, it's hideous. Having spent three hours desperately trying to download it so I could play with AirDrop, I almost immediately reverted the iPhone to iOS 6.1.4. And that's where it's going to stay. Next phone will be an Android if they continue with this hideousness.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      To me it looks like they took iOS 6 and finally realised iOS looks seriously dated compared to Windows look and feel - so they copied the general skinny fonts and flat look from Windows.

      They then thought "what other features should we add"...... and then lifted the most obvious android features that they had not yet copied.

      I really hope google or someone else already has a patent on the swipe of a app thumbnail to close the app. Such a blatent copy.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        I'm a Windows Phone user and iOS7 looks awful, I installed it on my iPad yesterday and wish I hadn't.

        The main difference is that Windows Phone's design works because it uses a black/unlit background (apart from emails), this means that the tiles and icons can still be in a darker pallette but appear bright because of the contrast. iOS7's usage of primarily white and pale backgrounds means there's a bigger insistence on bright colours that seem more neon or "baby" variants and for me they are an eyesore, its all too busy like a My Little Pony surfing on a rainbow vomiting skittles and when its not being busy it doesn't look minimalist it looks incomplete, like the icons are only half done.

        Which is a shame because the actuall improvements are good, the new multitasking and the control centre do improve usability but I just wish it was with iOS6. If I can take one positive from iOS7's UI design its that I now better understand why people have a problem with Windows 8.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

        2. wikkity

          Re: I'm a Windows Phone user

          Congratulations, admission is the first step to recovery.

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Coffee/keyboard

          MattEvansC3 - "its all too busy like a My Little Pony surfing on a rainbow vomiting skittles"

          And there's something wrong with that?

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @AC 09:41 - "I really hope google or someone else already has a patent on the swipe of a app thumbnail to close the app. Such a blatent copy."

        I'll be interested to see if Microsoft sues Apple over their patents for an "ugly phone interface".

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          "I really hope google or someone else already has a patent on the swipe of a app thumbnail to close the app. Such a blatent copy."

          Of WebOS?

    2. Vociferous

      In other words, Apple copied Microsoft.

      Because if anything's ever been the victim of a brutal and prolonged violation with the ugly stick, it's Windows 8.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I mean, it's hideous

      It looks like the child of the unconventional marriage of webOS, Mac OS 7, Windows Vista and the Book of Kells, seen through tracing paper.

      Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but the design influences do seem rather plagiaristic.

    4. Dapprman

      Another Hater Here

      While the old wireless hotspot issue appears not to have raised its annoying head at work (where a wifi DC ends your certificate), I've struggled to like it since upgrading my iPad last night. There's just too much visibly wrong with it. Sure I like what they've done to the calendar app and also making newstand an app so I can file it away is also a good thing, but it's just too garish, too obtrusive, poorly designed, in your face.

      The old look may have been dated but it just felt right, from first time till I upgraded last night. This is just proof that Jonny Ives might be a great technical designer but he shows little knowledge of user itnerfaces (and/or was stoned when he signed this off).

      What sums it up for me is the fact it askde me to give permission for the Weather App to have access to Location Services - however the iPad does not get it ....

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Doesn't look too bad.

    That's a lot of Tull in the album cover example though.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Doesn't look too bad.

      And there I was looking for your posting ID to be Gerald Bostock...

    2. btrower

      Re: Tull

      Au contraire, mon frère. That is just about exactly the right amount of Tull and representative of the percentage on my own phone (really). The author obviously has great taste.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Tull

        @btrower - "That is just about exactly the right amount of Tull and representative of the percentage on my own phone (really). The author obviously has great taste."

        Leave it to the Brits to try to make rock music with a flute.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Tull

          Leave it to the Brits to try to make rock music with a flute.

          Well, we got sick of the Septics making rock music with no talent. (Thinks of those Bob Harris fronted Old Grey Whistle Test reruns on BBC3 and shudders).

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Icons by MS Paint

    Really thought they would have used artists to help overhaul the UI, but no.

  7. That MrKrotos Bloke
    Facepalm

    Word of warning if you are using audio production software/hardware.

    It seems a lot of people are having issues with this latest update

    http://www.native-instruments.com/knowledge/questions/1723/Important+Notes+regarding+iOS+7+compatibility+with+Native+Instruments+products.

  8. Z-Eden
    Gimp

    Ugh, the new translucency effect. Not a bad feature per se. But it will now be used by a certain type of graphic designer who think that because Apple are using it, then it is the ultimate in design and must use it in every single design. You know the type - has a myriad Apple devices, Hipster styled and very defensive if any of their designs are challenged

    1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

      I guess they felt they had to wait until Microsoft had abandoned Aero Glass.

      1. cambsukguy

        Not to mention that the N900 used translucent pop-ups in exactly the same way - for focus.

        WP throws everything away and puts the "Yes or No" type boxes on their own screen - I prefer it, it is not a desktop, pop-ups are pointless; you can't leave them and go do something else on the same screen like you can on a desktop.

        Still, nice to see that they realise making buttons from text - thus avoiding having to have a button in the first place - is a good idea. I wonder if the texts tilts and distorts upon pressing giving the very nice feedback it does on WP, lawsuit waiting to happen if so.

        And, by the way, you don't really have to indicate that text is a button on WP, almost anything that logically could be a button IS. In a text conversation? Press the persons name at the top, bingo, contact card. Accent colour is used to good effect where highlighting a button is useful.

        Even with the occasional "Oh, wow, didn't realise that was a button" moment, it is way nicer to use than a desktop grid-of-icons motif - obviously not a Win8 desktop but all the other static ones.

        As for the swiping left and right, I like the guided indicator menus, greyed out but visible that informs you what awaits in that direction (which you can also tap rather than swipe to).

        If they copied enough of them I would drag their asses into court on general principle if I were MS, simply to prevent them suing me after-the-fact for copying their "more-popular" interface techniques.

        1. Paul Shirley

          @cambsukguy

          "to prevent them suing me after-the-fact for copying their "more-popular" interface techniques"

          Does create an amusing possibility: Microsoft agreed to not copy the iPhone UI in WinPhone... so what happens when iPhone starts looking like WP, do Microsoft have to dump those bits?

          ;)

      2. Steve Todd
        Stop

        I guess you've never seen the early Aqua interface for OS X then, as released for the original iMacs and copied by Microsoft in Aero.

        1. RussellMcIver

          OSX? Original iMacs?

          Those original iMacs which ran OS9 you mean?

          Either way early OSX had nothing like the Aero Glass style interface, whereas the trasnparency in IOS7 is practically identical.

          1. Steve Todd

            Re: OSX? Original iMacs?

            Those original iMacs as in the G4's (the G3 had admittedly gone out of production), glass effects were liberally spread about in that. Aeroglass was a mix of that and hardware compositing, which was a feature of 2002's OS X 10.2.

            1. Steve Todd

              Re: OSX? Original iMacs?

              Here's a screenshot from OS X 10.1 circa 2001. Translucent/glass effects galore.

              http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/article/20000913/apple2.jpg

              1. RussellMcIver

                Re: OSX? Original iMacs?

                Ah yes, that authentic "pinstripe" glass effect.

                OSX did indeed incorporate lots of transparency effects, but as I said in my previous comment nothing like the brushed glass effect seen in Vista/Win7 and which iOS 7 very closely resembles.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: OSX? Original iMacs?

            "Either way early OSX had nothing like the Aero Glass style interface, whereas the trasnparency (sic) in IOS7 is practically identical."

            Ummmm...

            NYT's David Pogue on Windows Vista

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT6YO30GhmQ

            ..of course you are absolutely correct..

            Oh.. I see what you meant there. You meant the blurring effect? Correct. OSX never stooped to doing that.

            Where they did do transparency, you could read what was underneath. Useful that, especially with terminal windows.

  9. robin thakur 1

    I like it

    I've been using it since the first beta and the GM version is way better and confounds my earlier misgivings. There was never really anything particularly wrong with iOS6, just that a load of stuff had been bolted on since it was first envisioned that made it seem a bit unwieldy along with all the Skeumorphism which is currently hated by the chatterers. The new interface is clear and beautiful, and the transparency and blur is used very effectively (eg the camera app defocuses before it closes) I even have got used to the parallax effect on the background now and this has also been toned down a bit from the early beta. The new wallpapers are gorgeous too, which was a nice surprise in the release version. We just need the apps to get some updates now, most work apart from Google Translate for me which stubbornly quits even now...and PLEASE Apple let Airdrop on iPhone work with Airdrop on OSX. As always with Apple I expect this to be the first rough step and it will be further polished.

  10. Darren Barratt
    Flame

    Folders for phones?

    I've only had an hour on it, but I do have a gripe about the way expanded folders display their icons. 3x3 grid of icons, with the capacity to scroll across, might be just the thing on a tiny screened iPhone, but on the iPad it's a frustrating waste of screen space.

    My eye sight is ok, so I don't need icons big enough to press with my forehead!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Folders for phones?

      "My eye sight is ok, so I don't need icons big enough to press with my forehead!"

      You chose it so you WILL be treated like EVERY ONE else and you WILL like it!

      Trys to appeal to everyone while pissing off the majority.

    2. btrower

      Re: I don't need icons big enough to press with my forehead!

      I do. At my age, I need glasses to find my own head.

  11. Jemma

    Is it a bird, is it a plane?

    Nope, its a donkey with wings...*

    There, I fixed it for you..

    Lets be fair, this new version has merely nicked everything it can from everywhere else, bunged it in and prayed to Jobs that nary will notice...

    Oooooh joy. I can use my camera flash as a torch with a software button. How 2009.

    If I was still nicking features from Symbian a year after its death I'd be a little worried. I'd be even more worried if even Windows Phone, the destroyer of market share, had actually beaten me in same. Oh look both those facts be true...

    Then there's the economy iPhone for the price of which a person with a clean licence could buy and insure a 'beater' car... and a dual core Android for £65 starts to make Apple look pretty maggoty on the 'value' front. Note to Apple - value in a smartphone is £150-250 or so...

    * See Shrek

    1. PerlyKing

      Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane?

      Value may be in the £150-£250 range but where is the profit? Apple have always been at the high margin end of the spectrum and it seems to be working quite well for them. Why should they change?

      1. Jemma

        Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane?

        I just bought a dual core Android phone with HDMI out for <£65 delivered & unlocked. People wouldn't sell for that price if they didn't make something on it. Before my dad retired he had a rule of thumb; if he made more than 26% profit on the year he was happy.

        Going by that and assuming a lower profit on the generic stuff I'd love to see Apples %ages. Nothing like a 300% markup to make a customer feel loved..

        I think a lot of Apple customers would be surprised how much they're being screwed on price/profit. In all fields of Apple endeavour.

        1. Darren Barratt
          Meh

          Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane?

          "Value" apple would be missing the point though. The reason the apple faithful value them so highly is the fact that the price keeps them exclusive.

          They're a votive offering to mammon in an attempt to acquire value for yourself in the eyes of others.

          1. Irongut

            Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane? ( Darren Barratt)

            Exclusive as in all the neds round here have got one?

            I see more single mums with iPhones than anything else. Even our 17 year old office girl has one.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane? ( Darren Barratt)

              @Irongut

              And I see more 'single mums' with S3s. So? What's your point?

              Anecdotal means nothing, and we certainly see what you think of portions of society.

              1. Steve Todd

                Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane? ( Darren Barratt)

                I think the point was that if it's something that is affordable by single mums then it's not really eyewateringly expensive or out of the budget of mere mortals. The S3 isn't a "value" phone either.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane?

        Value may be in the £150-£250 range but where is the profit? Apple have always been at the high margin end of the spectrum and it seems to be working quite well for them. Why should they change?"

        That comment smacks of desperation!

        "Please Apple only make expensive phones, how else wholud I know who I am?"

        1. PerlyKing

          Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane?

          Having never owned an iDevice, your comment amuses me :-)

          Leaving the ad hominem aside, would you like to explain why my initial comment seemed desperate? Note that I am making no claims one way or the other about the quality of Apple's products: my point was that Apple has built up its business by selling attractive products at the premium end of the market, with nice fat profit margins. It is possible that they might make slightly more money by selling high volume, low margin products. But it is also possible that they could fail in that market, and even if they didn't they could taint their high-end products by association in the eyes of their traditional customers. Their current method is working pretty well, evidenced by the fact that they are rolling in cash.

          Hence the question: why should they change?

          1. Deathstroke

            Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane?

            You make a very valid point. I went through three generations of iPhone, switched to a Windows Phone and have never turned back. (Say what you want. My WP8, Lumia 920, integrates with my work apps like a boss. Ironically, my boss uses an iPhone and has issues with work app integration)

            My despise for all devices fruity not withstanding, I would completely agree with your assessment. Why should they change their pricing model? There are enough sheep out there that will buy the new shiney at whatever price they dictate. In fact, instead of offering the 5s at the normal price and the 5c at a lower cost, what they should have done was kept the normal price on the 5s and created a 5s with chrome trim and a special gold apple sticker for your car and charged double. They could have been called the iPhone 5ex. (Note how 5ex looks a lot like Sex) They could have blown the roof off of their profits with that one!

            Anyway, you're right. They want to look like the premium brand, and I can't blame them for that. Whether they are the premium brand or not makes no difference.

            I think it's humorous when they copy other device OS features, but hey, imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? I see it as a plus that they have moved to a look that is more Androidish/WP8ish. When their users wake up from their fruit induced coma and see all that the other devices have to offer, it won't be much of a shock to move to a more productive OS.

      3. Pookietoo

        Re: Why should they change?

        Because they've introduced an "economy" model to the range?

    2. Geoff Campbell Silver badge

      Re: Nope, its a donkey with wings...

      Linda? Is that you?

      GJC

    3. Chris 171

      Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane?

      My first thoughts when I saw the revolution that apple have imbued to their clients was Symbian Belle.

      Yet it apple still doesnt have proper mapping, a memory card slot, USB OTG, a camera that's not run of the mill, or even proper drop testing...

      iOS anything? no thanks,.... N8 still the one, 1020 at a push.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane?

      "...value in a smartphone is £150-250 or so..."

      Here in the cold colony called Canada, most smartphone users seem to be in two categories.

      The majority of Apple iPhone fanbois sign-up for an ACTUAL mobile data plan (for those not familiar with this concept, it means you don't have to spend all day at Starbucks using Wifi). As part of this plan, they get to purchase a subsidized iPhone for about $300 - exactly in the value sweet-spot. The price of the data plan typically doesn't change if you take advantage of the subsidized phone or not (some exceptions, but only $10 per month).

      The descendents of the wee feisty tight-fisted cheap-ass Scotts that moved here hundreds of years ago, they typically buy an Android outright (for about the same sweet-spot price range you mentioned), but they avoid having an actual mobile data plan. So they don't have an actual mobile data plan. So they drone on and on and on about how their phone is better, faster and cheaper; but they then ask if you could please Google things for them because they've used up their 100MB watching an advertisement video.

      This bifurcation of the market is a function of the marketing strategy employed by the telcos. It's perhaps a local phenomenon. YMMV.

      Both solutions are locally optimized; but only one approach gets you a smartphone that's actually connected to the Interweb-thingy.

      Excuse me, the Android fanbois need to borrow my iPhone again...

      PS: I'm not a fanboi, I have several gadgets of each OS.

    5. Steve Todd

      Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane? @jemma

      Who told you that they were building a value phone? Apple certainly didn't. Their "budget" model is the old iPhone 4S. It would certainly be unwise for any manufacturer of high end/luxury products to jump straight to the budget end of the market. Firstly it devalues the brand and secondly the margins are terrible. There are basically 2 companies these days who are making a profit selling smartphones, Apple and Samsung.

      Be happy with your budget phone, but stop trying to pretend that there's no cost or value in producing higher end products.

    6. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: Is it a bird, is it a plane?

      It's like some unholy cross between Android's Holo Light theme and Nokia's Evolve theme on MeeGo/Symbian Belle.

      It's a shame Apple didn't knick Symbian themes (you know, where everything is themable) so they could forget about the pastel shades for a while and concentrate on other things.

  12. CADmonkey

    I feel like I have a stylish, niche product that sets me apart from the herd.

    trouble is, it's a Lumia 925

    Oh the irony

    1. Duncan 4

      Re: I feel like I have a stylish, niche product that sets me apart from the herd.

      As another lumia 925 owner I have to agree, switching to this from my (pretty old) iphone was like coming out of the dark ages! It's a thing of pure beauty. I have to say though IOS 7 looks like a big step forward and not before time IOS is getting old but was starting to look a heck of a lot older than it is, does look a bit windows vista esk though at a glance. I expect it'll be a design that gets tweaked to perfection over time. who knows I might switch back one day but I think they've got a long way to go before that happens...

      did I mention how much I like my Nokia 925 lol

      1. cambsukguy

        Re: I feel like I have a stylish, niche product that sets me apart from the herd.

        My friend just bought a 925, it is beautiful indeed. And - because my 920 still hasn't received the upgrade for the Pro Camera app to work - makes me envious indeed.

        Obviously, having an indestructible, wireless charging, 2nd best, soon-to-be 3rd best camera is still cool as hell and drooling after the 1020 will keep me sane.

        It's hysterical that people think having Instagram matters more than having a camera that takes good pictures - pitiful. Come to think of it, that must be the reason they designed Instagram in the first place.

        1. Andrew_b65

          Re: I feel like I have a stylish, niche product that sets me apart from the herd.

          @cambsukguy

          Little did you know that you'd be tinkering with Nokia Pro Cam on your own phone today!

    2. Amraj
      Thumb Up

      Re: I feel like I have a stylish, niche product that sets me apart from the herd.

      As a seasoned iOS dev, I jumped to my Nokia Lumia 925 after the iOS7 beta 6 release.

      When I saw the final product I jumped hard and fast! I still smile at the Carphone Warehouse rep trying to convince me "you want to stay with your iPhone for iOS7" despite admitting that he had never seen it beyond the screenshots on the Appl site :-)

      I was, and still am, properly shocked how awesome this little thing is! Every time I launch Pro Cam my inner 10 year old plays with all the settings fluently like some sort of Arty Hipster!

      N.B.

      Since seeing all the reviews and comments around, me thinks I may start looking at installing Visual Studio (as everyone who hates iOS7 seems to be heading to Nokia) Thanks El Reg!

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    visual feedback to replace missing tactile feedback

    yeah - that's why you have those animations. It's wonderfully thoroughly thought.

    "why waste processor cycles on this kind of thing?" because we're not in 2000 anymore...

    Anyway I've installed it and the mechanics of the interactions feel very nice.

    The calendar "day view" has changed a lot - it takes advantage of the higher definition so it's actually quite useful now. Which makes me think that iOS7 doesn't support below iPhone 4 because it's made to use a higher definition.

    It obviously takes some pages out of Windows Phone's book - which I liked a lot visually, but found it a bit too reliant on text.

    1. magnetik

      Re: visual feedback to replace missing tactile feedback

      "why waste processor cycles on this kind of thing?" because we're not in 2000 anymore…

      You mean back when the battery on your phone lasted a week instead of having to be recharged on a daily basis?

  14. Charlie Clark Silver badge

    Good review

    Nice to see Apple taking inspiration from other systems to improve the UX.

    And: Bluetooth file transfer! That is both revolutionary and magical! Oh, except everyone else has had it for over 10 years… Can assume it's I-Phone to I-Phone only? Or will it also worked with the devil's devices?

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Puke OS 7

    1. Jemma

      Now Eadon, play nice... what did we say about the passive aggressive thing?

      1. M Gale

        That's not passive aggressive. It's just aggressive.

  16. Lamont Cranston

    Translucency?

    Wasn't that Microsoft's big thing when they introduced Aero with Vista? They should sue, or summat.

  17. Justin Stringfellow
    Meh

    Nothing tempting me away from my nexus 4 there.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Non Retina

    Can anyone tell me what ios7 looks like on a non-retina iPad (eg. the iPad mini).

    I'm worried that the thin user interface elements might not be very clear.

    1. ChrisB 2

      Re: Non Retina

      It looks pretty good. If you want slightly heavier text, then you can choose "bold" in the accessibility menu. I've done this for my 4S (age-induced eyesight deficiency) but not needed on my iPad mini.

      1. Richard 12 Silver badge

        Re: Non Retina

        Thanks for that, I'd never have found it otherwise.

        Two things rather surprised me though:

        Why does making the font bold force a reboot?

        And why didn't it change the text on the onscreen keyboard?

  19. btrower

    Thumbs up. Apple Vs Microsoft

    First: Thumbs up on the iOS upgrade. It is loading on my phone now, but my daughter had it loaded up last night and is *delighted*. Since she is in the demographic that is likely driving this stuff, it looks like another home run for Apple.

    Meantime, in the same 24 hours slice that Apple quietly let me know that they had a dynamite *free* upgrade to my phone that was delivered without a fuss, Microsoft informed me, in a note dated the 15th, but only sent on the 18th that my MS Partner Subscription, that I *pay* for had to be renewed. I went to do so as soon as I got the note, but after struggling with their truly horrible Partner web UI and complying with their various demands I was informed that I no longer had access to the software they induced me to run my company on. Huh. It so happens that my next installation of an OS was going to be Debian anyway, but this has only strengthened my resolve.

    My experience with RIM/Blackberry was similar to my experience with Microsoft. Both were hostile to the point that I do not wish them well. I am not a big fan of Apple, but you can be certain that unless they do something very noxious my iPhone 4s will be upgraded to the iPhone 6 when it comes out.

    I don't know about the rest of you, but I vastly prefer being courted with honey by Apple rather than being bullied with vinegar by Microsoft.

    1. JC_

      Re: Thumbs up. Apple Vs Microsoft

      You are comparing the following:

      MAPS:

      10 Office licenses

      10 Windows licenses

      Server 2008, 2012 licenses

      SQL Server license

      3 (possible) VS2010 licenses

      A bunch of others stuff on annual renewal.

      iOS:

      An update for your phone.

      At least compare Apples with apples and look at the iOS update vs. Windows updates (guess what, Windows 8.1 is free and will be a piece of piss to get via Windows Update).

      Your comparison is inane. The MAPS program is an annual subscription for businesses, and noone at your business track invoices so you blame MS. Even if you forgot, they send out endless reminders, and it's not like the software stops working...

      1. Steve Todd

        Re: Thumbs up. Apple Vs Microsoft

        That whooshing noise is the point going completely over your head. He tried to pay Microsoft as soon as they actually sent him the email. They made the process unpleasant and, after he'd jumped through rings and hoops, said no he couldn't have the package after all. Apple made it simple and easy to get their free update. He wouldn't have minded paying Microsoft, and considering they were asking a customer for cash you'd have thought it would be something they'd make quick and simple also.

        1. JC_

          Re: Thumbs up. Apple Vs Microsoft

          There's no woosh, here. MAPS is a business to business partnership agreement - MS sells licenses for a lot of software at a massive discount, intending to get a benefit in return. The hoops they make partners jump through (basically, a 10 minute questionnaire about IT) are cursory at best. The site is ugly, but it's business, try and get the same software for £300 elsewhere.

          If "btrower" wants an example of getting software without any hassle, Windows Phone updates are the same as iOS updates. An update alert shows, it downloads & installs, no problems at all. He's just looking for a reason to bitch.

  20. Jonathan 29

    ipad review?

    I wish some of these reviews would look at iOS7 on the iPad. By all accounts it suffers from some major problems, even the latest one, but it would be nice to see some independent verification of bugs and poor performance, ui features inconsistently applied on iPad 2 and 3, etc. The update crashed too frequently for me to find out yesterday, but now I think I will wait for 7.1.

    1. Jonathan 29

      Re: ipad review?

      At 2 thumbs down I am going to have to reply to my own post. OSX daily, hardly the most Apple hating publication, are recommending people don't install iOS7 on iPad 2 or iPad 3 and seriously think before installing it on any iPad, but I am sure they are just making it up too.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: ipad review?

        well I've had quite a few crashes on my iP5 since this morning, I managed to update an iPad 2 at the same time - but then left it for the 4yr old to play with whilst I came to work! If 7.0 (11A465) isn't good on the pad then I'm sure I'll find out about it soon.

        The crashes should be detailed in

        General\About\Diagnostics & Usage\{if Don't Send }\Diagnostics & Usage Data\

        for example I have a bunch of Preferences.plist errors with ARM 32bit code SIGSEGV's today , compared to a single crash since 2012 with CarrierIQ 'style' AWDD in 6.1 (10A525)

        the phone seems to be working fairly well, the worst fault sofar an unresponsive black-screen-of-death for about ten seconds sometime today, and no-one's actually phoned me yet - so I dunno if it actually works as a phone!

      2. Tony Paulazzo

        Re: ipad review?

        Still no full screen on Safari for iPad users. Why do Apple hate me? And still no touch navigation or choosing your default browser (like icab browser which does do full screen and touch navigation).

        CC handily also provides direct access to the Calculator and Camera apps, and the Timer section of the Clock app... ...a button that lets you use the camera’s flash as a torch.

        Except on the iPad, timer and camera only.

        And as for anti skeuomorphism, there's still notepad, camera and a few others, and the games centre icon imparts no information just bubbles...

        Think I'm going back to jail broken 6.1.2.

      3. pomegranate

        Re: ipad review?

        Link?

    2. amanfromearth

      Re: ipad review?

      Have it on ipad2and it's fine.

      Strangely, changing the wallpaper takes at least 30 seconds while it does something, but this is hardly a serious problem.

      Otherwise, up and running with no issues.

  21. DrXym

    Looks a lot nicer

    I have to say that most of the GUI changes look pretty sound. Things like brushed metal, cloth, bookshelves were always dumb design elements and it's a wonder they survived as long as they did. There is a lot of cribbing from Windows Phone, Android though which have been anti-skeuomorphism for some time now and even shades of WebOS and BB10.

    1. Tony Paulazzo

      Re: Looks a lot nicer

      Still is bookshelves, check out iBooks app.

  22. Psycho Flump

    Apple have obviously "borrowed" extensively from other OSes and spaffed a load of electronic paint over all the things. I wish they'd have actually copied some useful features though; persistent notifications, the ability to reply to a text message without quitting out of the current app, or maybe being able to open files in whatever app I please rather than the bloody awful "Open In..." crap.

    Adding to the annoyance is seeing some pretty popular apps release their updates one nanosecond after Apple and now those apps are iOS7 only. Evernote is the most obvious one I've noticed.

    I'll probably update to iOS7, one there's a jailbreak. If my iPhone has a catastrophe before that point... the Nexus 4 looks quite nice.

  23. All names Taken
    Paris Hilton

    iThing iThink iLuvU

    dang dang da-da-da-dang

    dang dang da-da-da-dang

    iKnow 4 Sure uh (I forget the wurdz)

  24. NogginTheNog
    Thumb Down

    UI gubbins!

    Arrrg (no piracy intended)!!! If there's two things that get my goat with modern UIs, it's translucency and animations! Maybe I'm getting old and my eyesight isn't what it was, but I find ghosts of items underneath visible through windows to be intensely distracting, and likewise objects than boink and swirl and flap about the screen are also a pointless waste of CPU.

    Thankfully Start8 has the option disable transparency in Windows 8 (worth the price alone!). I was actually considering a Windows Phone 8 handset recently, until I saw the awful way the tiles peel away whenever you select one of them, and that's it's not disable-able!

  25. Matthew 17

    Thumbs up

    So far so good, seems faster, I had no issues with the old OS but the new one so far seems to be an improvement, it doesn't really 'do' anything different from before but it's an OS on a phone so didn't expect different. Looks nicer than before so no issues from me.

  26. Big_Ted
    WTF?

    Oh Dear.....

    "iOS 7 feels modern and fresh in comparison to its Google rival."

    So changing the colours to pastel, adding a few new backgrounds and windows 7 Aero transparency makes it modern ? ? ?

    WTF, this is the same old same old with new cloths on and catch up attempts with "new" things copied from other mobile OS's.

    Well done Apple, last years phone made plastic and re-released and now the same old UI with extra gadgets you really have lost your mojo.....

  27. All names Taken

    pondering and wondering

    potential Q: what has the Apple done with cover-flow?

    potential A: sold it or let others purchase it while retaining IP?

  28. Mage Silver badge

    Garish

    Are there other "themes" less eye bleeding?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Garish

      I haven't found any yet - early iOS7 developers mentioned that there was a choice of two themes in Beta testing - but looks like AAPL are giving us a wide choice! (I was able to invert all UI colors in Accessibility, but that's probably garish squared!)

      Personally I'm OK with the 'neon' colour scheme - thankfully I'm slightly colour-blind - but SHMBO 'hates' the neon, and I was rooting around for a 'skin for her with the better eyesight/more colour-depth etc... Apple will probably SELL us something to improve the neon look in a week or two....?

  29. mark9876

    Small Text

    Are you having problem reading the rather thin small text, this can be changed. go to settings/General/Accessibility/Bold Text - turn this on, now the text is more easily seen and readable

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      Re: Small Text

      Assuming you can actually see the controls in the first place…

  30. Paul Naylor
    Thumb Up

    Quite like it

    It's an okay update. The flatter icons are growing on me (make third party icons look a bit messy and silly now) and I like the new Control Centre, something I've been envious of my Android-weilding chums for some time. But I have noticed that the up-down slide of Notification and Control Centres can be a bit hit and miss.

    I do like having multiple pages for apps in folders but, like a previous poster commented on, only having a 3x3 grid of icons on each page is a bit pointless, especially on the iPad.

    One thing I'm not keen on is that the Photos app no longer displays photos in full screen, unless I'm missing something obvious. The Collections idea of organising photos is probably useful but not something I see myself using.

    Overall, it's a decent upgrade for my three year old iPhone 4 and I see no reason for switching for Android (won't touch Microsoft) just yet. But a bigger screen iPhone would be nice...

    Upgrade took ages to download but that's only because I live in the sticks and my broadband is delivered by arthritic donkeys. Otherwise no installation problems.

    1. Mike Bell

      Re: Quite like it

      "One thing I'm not keen on is that the Photos app no longer displays photos in full screen, unless I'm missing something obvious."

      Open a photo.

      Single tap.

      Full screen. Menus gone.

  31. Frankee Llonnygog

    Thanks for the consumer review

    When do we get the developer review?

    1. Amraj

      Re: Thanks for the consumer review

      I'm a developer, its not great.

      From a code base perspective it just seems to be on the edge of mediocre and bloatey.

      Some will cry "Ah thats because your coding just plain sucks! blah blah blah!" and they probably are right: show me one dev who who says he can code with zero memory leaks and i shall show you a liar!

      The extra frameworks is great and really gives the codebase some extra depth to easily implement ideas and features. I just get the impression that Apple are over simplifying EVERYTHING, even Xcode feels too much like a "Fisher Price My First Codey Machine" when you first loads it. I might be getting a bit long in the tooth, but I don't want or need glossy anything when developing. a straight plain box with auto suggestion and variable tracking is all that a good developer should need.

      1. MIc

        Re: Thanks for the consumer review

        +1 for managed heaps :p

  32. Winkypop Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Thick as a brick

    Great.

    I see that iOS7.0 fully supports Tull 1.0

  33. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    it looks better but....

    ...all they appear to have done is taken some modern visual design cues from WP, and taken some features from Android. And they still don't appear to have widgets or live tiles which I would consider to be pretty fundamental these days.

    This does seem to confirm that Apple is no longer leading the way in terms of ideas or sophistication.

    1. Mike Taylor

      Re: it looks better but....

      As someone who uses wp, bb, android and ios, I completely agree. It seems strangely dull and uninviting even compared to the maemo interface without live tiles/widgets.

  34. amanfromearth

    Not the end of skeuomorphism on ipad

    IBooks and "find my friends" still have it

    1. Steve Todd

      Re: Not the end of skeuomorphism on ipad

      They're apps, not part of the core OS. Apple will no doubt update them separately.

  35. Packet

    nice review - there are some things missing that one can only seem to be bugs/oversights that they will remedy in the next scheduled release, both on the iPhone and iPad.

    the primary reason for my posting was to express delight at all the Jethro Tull album covers.

  36. Steve Evans

    Apple maps still lol...

    Just performed my standard test on the just updated office iPad...

    Maps still terrible.

    If you don't believe me, go and find Reigate, Surrey, UK.

    Think you have? Nope, that's Redhill...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Apple maps still lol...

      They are quite close together (couple of miles). it's not quite middle of Sydney and somewhere in the outback difference

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Apple maps still lol...

        Yeah. Close enough. What's a couple of miles between friends?

        After all, you've seen one English town, you've seen 'em all.

        In other news, Apple is considering adding some substance to one of their slogans:

        Apple Maps: It just has to look good. Nobody cares if it actually works!

    2. amanfromearth

      Re: Apple maps still lol...

      If you'd used the report error feature in maps when you first noticed this, it would have been corrected by now.

  37. Paul Shirley

    they managed something I thought impossible...

    They managed something I thought impossible, making Android look restrained and uncluttered!

    My eyes hurt just looking at the screen caps.

  38. Sooty

    I used safari

    For about 10 mins before going in search of a replacement.

    I'd love to know what idiot though it would be a clever idea to completely hide the full URL. Maybe it's because I'm a techie, but I actually want to know exactly where I am on the net, not just get the gist of it.

    There maybe an option to disable it, but I can't find it anywhere.

  39. MikeCorris

    Clock app

    Just noticed the clock icon is actually a working clock at long last!

  40. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    'Clean' = plain. 'Bold' = Garish.

    Does strike me that these gush pieces that reviewers are pumping out over this piece of Emperors new IOS keep referring to it using those synonyms.

    Frankly it looks pretty fugly to me, and in no way offers anything new.

    E.G. The total lift of the multitasking screen from ANdroid ails to even include a 'end all' button for closing all open apps except the current foreground one. Nor is the control centre customisable in any way. No equivalent of the Google Now functionality, no extensibility or customisation.

    And the old problem with IOS on the iPad being that it's launcher screen is merely a grid of icons is a total waste of nearly 10" of high definition screen - no widgets, welcome screen or any such useful application of such a large screen.

    I am waiting for the eventual lifting of the rose tinted (or rainbow coloured) spectacles when everyone realises how god-awful this mess looks!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 'Clean' = plain. 'Bold' = Garish.

      "E.G. The total lift of the multitasking screen from ANdroid ails to even include a 'end all' button for closing all open apps except the current foreground one."

      With iOS, there's no need. iOS only allows 3rd party apps very limited multitasking... basically just music, GPS, and downloading something in the background (for a maximum of 10 minutes). There's basically no chance that a "background" app will drain your battery, use up your network data quota, or slow your handset down, so there's no point to killing it.

      "And the old problem with IOS on the iPad being that it's launcher screen is merely a grid of icons is a total waste of nearly 10" of high definition screen - no widgets, welcome screen or any such useful application of such a large screen."

      As a user of both OSs, I question how "useful" any of that widget stuff really is. Maybe I'm in the minority of people who do not need to see an enormous analog clock and a picture representing the current weather every single time I need to launch a damn app.

      Meanwhile, Android drives me insane because apps in Android don't have badges... Even though iOS's launcher is lame, worthless, boring, outdated, etc., I can still tell at a glance how many new emails I've received, how many new text messages, how many unread messages on 4 other different chat/message services, how many missed calls/voicemails I have, how many new issues of the Economist, etc.

      This is actually one of the reasons I prefer iOS... its launch screen is genuinely useful, conveying information I value in an easy-to-scan way... instead of just being a giant damn fake clock.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: 'Clean' = plain. 'Bold' = Garish.

        "With iOS, there's no need. iOS only allows 3rd party apps very limited multitasking... "

        See, there's a problem right there. if ther eis no need at all for apps to be closed by the user, then why do you have the 'flick app out of the way' action to end it on IOS7 or the 'long press to get x ' on IOS6?

        The truth is, apps do misbehave, memory leaks do happen, OSs do have bugs - and therefore ending all apps is often neccesary if you want to clear your RAM without rebooting the entire phone.

        Yes, I had to do it on occasion on the iPhone 4 and iPad that I owned.

        'Maybe I'm in the minority of people who do not need to see an enormous analog clock and a picture representing the current weather every single time I need to launch a damn app.'

        By 'user of both OSs' do you mean 'I played with a freinds for 5 minutes and the rest I've seen onliune'?

        If you actually used Android then you'd know the following:

        1. Widgetes are often resizable and customisable.

        2. Android apps do have badges - I should know I can see unread mail, text and Facebook messages, along with missed calls. What Android variant did you use?

        3. The fact that you need a 'badge' suggests you need quick glance information, which is precicely what Widgets can do.

        I have customised a screen for quick glance information telling me - last few emails received, last few texts, current weather and time, and weather for next few days. I dont need to open a signle app to do that, whereas you have to on iPhone. If I dont want that - I dont have to have that. That's the beauty of Android!

        I read a report suggesting Android is stagnating while IOS7 represents a giant leap forward for apple. Piffle. Android is extensible, and therefore can accomodate any feature at any time without a major OS update.

        As soon as ios7 was announced, parallax background apps started springing up everywhere, as did themes to make the phone look like an iphone. Not that I'd want to!

      2. Matt_payne666

        Re: 'Clean' = plain. 'Bold' = Garish.

        "thats what i like about the launch pad..."

        call me mad, but opening up an app to see all my important, need to know information seems like a waste of taps... Wouldn't it be faster if all that data was just there on the lock screen, or in the launcher itself?

        on my launcher screen i have speed dials for my important contacts, my next 5 calendar appointments are shown, my latest emails are displayed... I also have the shortcuts to regularly used apps... Some big some small... My xbmc app icon changes to show what's playing on my tv, my oyster balance is pinned to the screen when i hit the city... I could go on...

        but then there are some tiles that annoy me... So i just turn them off... Choice is a good thing

        winpho 8 - good at not hiding all your important information in a cupboard...

  41. J 3

    Yeah, but...

    Have they finally learned to properly (pseudo)randomize the list of songs in the "shuffle" feature of the music player? My iOS 6 running iPod Touch sure sucks in that respect. Always getting in what I call "song ruts", frequently starting from the same song, etc.. I wonder if they'll ever be bothered to get that working.

  42. CaptainBlue
    FAIL

    Windroid

    I'm not a fan of the new look: like the bastard lovechild of Windows 8 and Android. It's as though we are all children and need to have pretty icons with easy to understand letters.

    More irritating is IOS7's inability to use your own wallpapers as they did on IOS6, so they're zoomed in which means that my lovely photographs are cropped on my personal iPhone 5 and our corporate logo has lost the left bank of shapes and the last letter of the company name.

    Why?

    Also there's an irritating delay from trying to do anything from a blank screen whilst the lock screen slowly comes into sight. I want the screen to come on immediately thanks.

  43. Wild Bill

    Haven't upgraded yet. Was at the pub with a friend yesterday who has updated and thought it looked pretty slick. One thing I realised was that after he'd unlocked the phone a few times to check Facebook / football scores etc. (I'm a pretty boring pub companion evidently) that I unintentionally knew his pin.

    The large numeric buttons flash white when pressed, and you can't help but pick up on the pattern even in peripheral vision. Think that needs dialing back pronto.

  44. CyberMatt

    Musical Spoof

    I was taking it all seriously until I saw Def Leppard was playing.

  45. PixelPusher

    Gratuitous flattness

    Ahh, fashion. Since gratuitous 3D effects have come and gone once again, now Apple is trying out the new gratuitous flat button effect. It's ugly enough that it may be deliberately ugly -- "let's excite people with a new but shocking look, then fix it later with iOS 7.1. That will put Windows 8.1 in it's place!" Or is my imagination way off base?

  46. Tillsbury

    At least FIVE Jethro Tull albums on your cover flow... plus Script and So... what a good fellow you must be. Now I will have to go back and read the article properly... :-)

  47. Flippit

    For the love of all that's right and proper!!!!!!

    So on Wednesday evening (over a nice Thai Prawn curry and a game of cards - yes, it's tricky to avoid getting the cards covered in Nam Pla) I attached my iThing 4 to my PC and clicked Update... Admittedly I had to repeat this sequence a couple of times as iTunes also needed an update - anyway - the point is that "Update" was clicked. Having become decidedly petulant when it comes to watching progress bars counting up I decided to climb the wooden hill and rest my somewhat weary head (obviously the curry, beer and cards had concluded at this point and the effects of beer were inducing me to sleep - Incidentally I won a couple of hands too, which is nice).

    I excitedly scurried downstairs on Thursday morning in my dressing gown, much like an 8 year old boy on Christmas day expecting to find a Big Trak under the Christmas tree (showing my age now). Having tapped the home button on the phone to see where I was up to I was relieved to see that the update had completed and that the iThing was awaiting my input for the basic configuration steps - hooray" I thought (actually as it was Thursday I actually thought - "Splice the main brace 'tis time to heave ho and get busy with iOS 7 - Yarrrrrr).

    My first impression was one of "oh, ok. So that's not so different." - How wrong I was... Having been a veteran of Blackberry, Windows Phone and even a Roamer 300 from 1995/6) I was a little surprised to discover that my magic, revolutionary and (to quote Jony Ives) "Essential" iThing had been sent back in time for a rendezvous with Tinky Winky, Dipsy, La La and Po! Clearly they were given some "Enterprise Architecture Crayons" and set loose - "Dear god!" I thought as I started to discover some of the finer points of the OS like Bevel Edge gestures - a feature that drove me away from Windows Phone - A calendar function that doesn't summarise what's coming up that day - again something that WinPho did that really annoyed me, a search function that has clearly been drinking from the wrong end of a bleach bottle as it doesn't behave correctly when taking you to tracks listed in your music library but are actually in the iCloud. It wasn't until I decided to sync my email that I issued a cry usually reserved for the moment after a shot of Naga Chilli Vodka "HELLS TEETH" - I cried, the damn iThing now reports that I have 1000 unread emails in my inbox!!!! Why oh why doesn't it know the difference between an inbox and my spam folder - even my old Blackberry (most henious of corporate devices) could get that right.

    All in all I'm more than a little disappointed with iOS 7 - it genuinely feels like Apple have taken a long hard look at WinPho and 'Droid and taken some of the things they thought were cool without actually living with them for any decent interval. I chose iPhone originally because I just wanted something that worked - but I'm now considering making the leap to an Android device and taking the migration/intergration hit on the chin again.

    Meanwhile, I tried contacting the Tellytubbies at C-Beebies only to have someone called "Iggle Piggle" pick up the phone, and I *SWEAR* I could hear Jony Ives talking to Upsy Daisy in the background about going back to the very essence of what a phone was... Maybe next time it'll be less bad than the current incarnation...

  48. ThatAmericanBastard

    Unbiased Tech Reviewing at its Finest

    Dear Omnipotent Tech Reviewer for The Reg,

    Thank you for the enlightening and not at all condescending review of iOS 7. It is a breath of fresh air on the internet to see such even handed coverage of a free upgrade for Apple gadget users. I am almost confounded by your complete lack of unneeded cynicism as well as your ability to avoid childish grievances.

    So often I wonder aloud, to myself, how the cacophony of internet vitriol spewed forth about technology, the arts, and celebrity will ever amount to anything constructive. It was pleasing to finally read a constructive piece that was, with no doubt, penned by a capable software design engineer who had the knowledge base to truly critique Apple's new gadget UI.

    I gleefully await the mobile operating system you are no doubt painstakingly crafting in your bog, hobbit house, pub, or whatever you people refer to as a workshop.

    Sincerely,

    That Bastard American

  49. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    why waste processor cycles on this kind of thing

    "It would be nice to disable it - why waste processor cycles on this kind of thing? Especially when you don’t need to emphasise that a given app is located on a certain part of the screen. Like all the skeuomorphic imagery ripped out of iOS, it’s trying to imply a real-world relationship that’s not there."

    The inability to disable this type of thing is what stopped me from getting an iPhone when the man himself was still alive. He'd probably turn in his grave if an option to disable was made available.

    My theory about this (and UI animation on desktop OSes as well) is that extra processor cycles mean more energy usage - multiply that by millions of devices, and it's extra profit for the power companies. Do Apple and Microsoft have shares in utlility companies?

  50. Dwayne

    The best new phone ever - For free.

    I have an iPhone 5 and I'm really really impressed with iOS 7. The look and feel of the phone is so different while being intuitive and faster. The graphical elements and transitions are smooth and pretty much everyone I know who has an iPhone is raving about their iOS 7 upgrade. Well done apple for pulling this off so well.

  51. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Attention to detail

    Sorry am I missing something but the "Find Friends" app on my iPhone 4 is still made of leather and stitching. Steve Jobs had the attention to detail to spot something like this. Egg on face

  52. Gio Ciampa

    A personal gripe... or three...

    Does nobody else find the keyboard annoying?

    a) it doesn't display the letters in lower case if that's what will be typed next, so you have to distract yourself by hunting for the indicator on the shift key (unless you just assume that auto-capitalisation is perfect - or just don't care)...

    b) if (for example) you're entering a post code, when you press space on the numeric keypad it jumps back to the letter mode so you have so switch back to the numeric mode to finish off...

    c) it doesn't have a "long press to shift" so you can type numbers without having to switch to the numeric keypad and back...

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