Some quick (non NDA breaking) thoughts on my first week with iOS 7. Obviously it's not fair to review a product in a private beta, this is not that. Just thoughts on everyday use after a week.
- It surprises me a little they are even calling this iOS 7. This is such a leap from before that just adding a number doesn't seem enough. While it is familiar enough most people who used iPhones won't be lost, it's a whole new ball game. It's as if it has been redesigned from the ground up.
- I love it. I love the translucency, I love the new control panel, the improved notification center. BUT, it's going to be really polarizing. Brace yourself now for the next wave of Apple has lost its magic stories. Maybe make a game out of it and drink anytime a review hammers ios 7 with "Steve Jobs would have never..."
- The "problems" that most people are focusing on are the wrong things. The icon design (which are growing on me) is not a fundamentally important part of the iOS. And they can be changed quickly. The fonts can be (and already have been) adjusted. Remember how many substantial things changed from the original iPhone Keynote to the release. Don't panic.
- This isn't to say there aren't issues that need to be addressed. It's amazing how many iPhone veterans (myself included) have trouble unlocking the phone at first. (Seems like it should swipe either way, doesn't). The music app (esp. On iPad) is pretty, but seems less functional. Folders hold more but show less. If their is a App you are looking for on the second page of a folder you can't see it unless you open the folder and swipe. You can't even see that the folder has multple pages without launching it.
These are nitpicks and may even be addressed by launch.
- one last thing. iOS 6 was not new. It added features to iOS 5. 5 wasn't new. It added to 4.
What I'm saying is 7 is new. And that's hard. There are going to be some growing pains. But it's growing. For everyone who worried that iOS was stagnet, it's growing. And that is something Steve would have done.
Kudos Jony.
- It surprises me a little they are even calling this iOS 7. This is such a leap from before that just adding a number doesn't seem enough. While it is familiar enough most people who used iPhones won't be lost, it's a whole new ball game. It's as if it has been redesigned from the ground up.
- I love it. I love the translucency, I love the new control panel, the improved notification center. BUT, it's going to be really polarizing. Brace yourself now for the next wave of Apple has lost its magic stories. Maybe make a game out of it and drink anytime a review hammers ios 7 with "Steve Jobs would have never..."
- The "problems" that most people are focusing on are the wrong things. The icon design (which are growing on me) is not a fundamentally important part of the iOS. And they can be changed quickly. The fonts can be (and already have been) adjusted. Remember how many substantial things changed from the original iPhone Keynote to the release. Don't panic.
- This isn't to say there aren't issues that need to be addressed. It's amazing how many iPhone veterans (myself included) have trouble unlocking the phone at first. (Seems like it should swipe either way, doesn't). The music app (esp. On iPad) is pretty, but seems less functional. Folders hold more but show less. If their is a App you are looking for on the second page of a folder you can't see it unless you open the folder and swipe. You can't even see that the folder has multple pages without launching it.
These are nitpicks and may even be addressed by launch.
- one last thing. iOS 6 was not new. It added features to iOS 5. 5 wasn't new. It added to 4.
What I'm saying is 7 is new. And that's hard. There are going to be some growing pains. But it's growing. For everyone who worried that iOS was stagnet, it's growing. And that is something Steve would have done.
Kudos Jony.
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