It was just a rumor mid this year, that IOS 7 will be coming. I was not suspecting a new hardware to be released with the new operating system, but thought of just to liven up the bored familiar and unchanged interface of the apple mobile products since it's beginning. The rumor is realized this month, plus two new hardwares, the iPhone5S and the iPhone5C. And here's the ups and downs I've experienced during the first month of IOS7 experience.
The Update
I experienced no problems downloading the update OTA (over the air), though I've heard friends having to retry many times to complete the update. I did actually pressed the update button during the night and slept over it. The following day, it is ready to install. Installation is a breeze as well, and in one go.
The First Look
The slide to unlock arrow button doesn't look special, in fact it's like drawn by a child, so simple! The passkey's rounded shape and spacing are good and the transparent look makes the numbers look classy and modern. I am not really gone crazy with the changes within the icons. They look simpler than the previous design and have a retro touch, however the name of the applications underneath are not easy to read. If you have a problem like this then using a darker themed wallpaper will help. Or you can make them appear bigger by choosing bold text by going to Settings, General, Accessibility, Bold Text.
The Control Center
Swiping the screen from the bottom upwards activates the control centre. This is the most used feature of IOS 7 I use. It shows a summary of functions and the ease of activating and deactivating them.
- Airdrop
Apple is catching up with connectivity. Whilst the competition can transfer any type of files wirelessly long time ago, apple "prohibits" this even to an another apple device. Apple might have realised that this is a let down to advance users so it decided to include airdrop function. This is the direct wi-fi function apple style. The dismal part of this is only the latest apple products is supported like the iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, iPad (4th generation), iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th generation). This means a let down to earlier devices that upgraded to the IOS7.
- Airplay
Pinoys with TFC online subscription who usually stream contents to apple TV will find this very easy and handy to use. It can also mirror what's on the device's screen. This is handy when you want to show off photos and videos or editing easier with bigger screen.
- Other Shortcuts
Other handy features included in the control center are, flashlight, wi-fi, flight mode, screen brightness, calculator and camera shortcut. But I think apple need to include the mobile data button. As this can save unnecessary internet bill when abroad and it should be easy to access like the other functions in the control center.
Assistive Touch
This can be turned on by going to Settings, General, Accessibility, Assistive Touch. This feature allows user to turn up or down the volume, mute or unmute the phone without touching the physical button. The feature I use most in this function is the screenshot function. Instead of pressing two buttons, with this function, you just need one to press.
Background App Refresh
This is a new feature that refreshes the contents of an application when internet connection is established using either wifi or cellular connection. This feature can be useful as it can provide up to date information to the user. But if battery and bill is a concern, then it is better to turn this feature off. This can be accessed under Settings, General, Background App Refresh.
Notifications Centre
Swiping the top of the screen downwards brings about the Notifications Center. This is another feature that updates application's content automatically. And just like the Background App Refresh, it uses, wi-fi or cellular data access. It can be helpful or just an annoyance. The good news is you can control which application can get their contents to the notification menu. Just go to Settings, Notification Center, Select an Application from the list and toggle the switch on or off.
The New Safari
The new browser impresses me the most. This now includes easy private(incognito) surfing, easy sharing button and superb visual effect. Though some users say that they feel sea sick with the animation, I see it differently as entertaining. You can tweak it's settings to change the default search engine. You can also save names and passwords as well as credit cards! But if you think this is a rather threat to security, then better not. To increase your privacy, the do not tract button is also handy. These tweaks can be accessed by going to Settings then scroll down to Safari.
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