IOS 7: a review of Macradar

3 months ago, right after the WWDC 2013, I I delivered the first beta of iOS 7 on your iPhone 5 and it was generally dissatisfied with the new mobile OSes from Apple. Past experience suggests that a final release fundamentally nothing has changed. But I decided not to give up on iOS 7 - say, first try the final version, but the findings made there.

September 19 iOS 7 has finally been uploaded to my iPhone - it's time for the daily operation and objective evaluation of the new iOS. During this time I talked to quite a new mobile OSes from Apple and is willing to share with you the impressions of her. Let's find out what eventually became iOS 7 - a qualitative leap forward or a failure for Apple?

New design: even simpler, more accurate

The most important thing that has changed in iOS 7 and that immediately catches the eye - this design. User interface redrawn application icons become more minimalist, font - thinner. In terms of appearance, iOS 7 - it is really a completely new system, unlike the previous one. Apple has managed to infuse "fresh blood" into its mobile platform - you need to get used to the new design. One shudders to think of the past 6 years, iOS design has remained virtually unchanged and all of the past years and we get used to something it was not to anything.

New design meet immediately - on lock-screen and desktops

The team Quince courage can not be denied. Skeuomorph replaced with a new, minimalistic, more "pure" and clean design with an emphasis on typography - long-known trend in the design that emerged in Switzerland in the late 50-ies. Its center was the Helvetica font that Apple already makes extensive use for many years. It is in this printing style drew inspiration Ive.

The most prominent representative of this design can be called the Calendar application - thin letters and numbers on a pristine white background - a striking example of typographic style

Many (and I had) called iOS 7 design flat. Let's just say it has some elements of a flat design. But it is impossible to name all neskevomorfizm flat design, there are many other areas. If in iOS 7 was really flat design, it would have looked differently. Compare concepts flat on Dribbble iOS and iOS 7 itself - in some places they have something in common, but in general - they are different.

So-called "functional layer" and the translucent steel business cards iOS 7

Under the new design update their applications and third-party developers. But most of the programs are now adapted even under the old design. It will be several months before most of them will be further developed under the new design standard. Look new applications well, but it will be even better, because there is little who knows how to work in the new interface environment.

So look first updated for iOS 7 design applications

In general, the design of "Seven" is still quite moist. Many redrawn routines look strange animation - izlshinyaya, some icons Application manifestly flawed - I want to believe that Apple is also aware of and will soon begin to correct position. Of course unfortunate that kupertinovtsy so lowered the bar - imagine that something like that was impossible under Jobs. Maybe, iOS 7 and designed to last much longer, but it was much smaller claims.

Despite this, successful examples of redesign in iOS 7 missing. I really liked the updated interface photoappendices, who now looks much more modern than before. As they say, better design - is as little design and it is especially noticeable in the application for the shooting. We can not say that the camera in iOS 6 was bulky design and prevented to take pictures, but in iOS 7 we saw that perfection really is no limit.

iOS 7 makes shooting more convenient and organizing photos

Also, I liked applications such as calendar and weather. It is difficult to add such applications some functions, but thanks to redraw the interface they have become more convenient and informative.

At first, I really did not like the new thin font - there were serious concerns that there will be problems with typing on the keyboard and readable articles. In fact, everything turned out differently - in a few days you get used to the new font, with no problems with reading and typing does not arise.

To quickly get used to the new design, but then again, many flaws strongly catch even the untrained eye - Apple definitely need to refine their new "visual language", that he was more coherent and consistent than now. However, ideally completely redraw the entire interface in such a short period of time (iOS 7 was developed only 10-12 months) is quite difficult. It is seen that the Apple hurry - apparently, they themselves are tired of the old design, and would like as quickly as possible to refresh the look of their OSes.

Forehead-to-forehead

, We offer a look at iOS 6 and iOS 7 comparison screenshots to visually assess how much iOS 7 design has changed

desktops

notification center

folders

Applications for viewing photos

Clock

New features: better late than never

iOS 7 brought not only a new design, but also a host of new features that greatly simplify life iUstroystv owners. Many of them are asking for years and only now Apple has implemented them in their mobile OSes.

Control Center

The most convenient and useful innovation - is, of course, Control Center. His appearance suggested itself for a long time - thank God that at least in 2013 kupertinovtsy heard our requests. ControlCenter accessible from any iOS 7 places enough svaypnut upwardly from the lower edge of the screen. It is terrible to imagine how many unnecessary actions we had previously done, simply turn Bluetooth.

The item can control fast settings: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, brightness, volume, screen orientation, the AirPlay and AirDrop. Now you'll be treated to the much less conventional settings. But some things can be improved. Why not make a long press on a button to open it from the settings options? For example, when you hold the icon for Wi-Fi, to open the settings Wi-Fi. It would be convenient to set and modify the settings: I, for example, lacks 3G mute button and transmission over the cellular network.

The new center of notifications

Changed and the notification center, which is now divided into 3 tabs: "Today", "All" and "Missed Calls". In the tab "Today" you get a summary of your calendar events, tasks of reminders, weather information and promotions. I liked such a thing - really convenient. I began to refer to the calendar and reminder application rarely, only when I add a new appointment or task, or note made Taxco.

Tab "All" - all your notifications in recent years, and the "Missing" - the ones that you have not noticed. This may be a missed call or a message.

In general, if possible, is a good old center of notifications of iOS 6. Still can not quickly respond to a message from Twitter, iMessage, email, or Facebook - why it has not yet been implemented remains a mystery to me. But here is the screen "Today" - one of the best features of the new iOS.

The updated Safari

It is impossible not to note the updated browser Safari, after surfing the web - this is one of the important tasks that have to cope modern smartphones and tablets. Finally I got a single Safari Omnibox Yandex search support and new design tab. Previously, the standard iOS browser looked pretty archaic to use a separate search box and switch between tabs in horizontal mode was uncomfortable - it was a great desire to change seats, say, Chrome.

Now, this desire does not arise and use the Safari was an order of magnitude more comfortable. There is also a long time innovation arises and I'm glad that Apple is here and listened to the users.

Multitasking and background software update

On iOS 7, Apple removed the terrible multitasking system that existed before. Instead of application icons at the bottom of the screen with microscopic "bricks" appeared separate window for managing multitasking, with snapshots of applications that can be closed by simple swipe. Compared with what it was - it's just heaven and earth, it was definitely better.

The programs themselves are now able to load the data in the background. For example, Pocket application before could not independently load the desired article from Network - required to open the application to Load. Now this archaic and obsolete applications can update the data in the background.

And it's all?

It is worth noting support for gesture "back" in the standard and compatible applications - the speed with such programs has increased significantly. But it would seem - just a gesture, but seriously accelerate the program of work.

The App Store now has a "Near me", which shows the popular applications in your geopozitsii. I've got so far is empty.

Spotlight search has moved - now it is not the extreme left of the screen, and appears at the top search bar. However, functionally, it's good old Spotlight, no innovation has not appeared.

Change window "rassharivaniya" of content, now it has become more convenient:

An important innovation was the support AirDrop protocol that allows the exchange of data between devices iOS7-air. Unfortunately, there is not yet able to test this feature, but judging from the reviews, it really simplifies the process of data exchange between iDevices and does it quickly.

The rest of the new features are not so important, and do not form a "face» iOS 7. Main functionalities: Control Center, AirDrop, Safari, multitasking... Apple to add or update a lot of new features. But. Compare iOS 7 with Android has not come out in terms of functionality - unfortunately OSes kupertinovtsy loses in this component should be honest to admit it.

Of course, we do not need absolutely all the same features as in Android. But the ability to set the browser or the default mail client, a convenient system of "card sharing", which It would include not only AirDrop, iMessage, Twitter and Facebook, but also installed by the users themselves applications; A new algorithm to work with files and documents - all this would not have prevented.

It is possible that some of this will add to iOS 8. But due to the fact that over the past few years Apple did not implement many of the features in their mobile OSes have Android in terms of functionality now has a small lead. He is not critical, and if subsequently kupertinovtsy will regularly add new really useful features, the gap between iOS and "green robot" will shrink.

With the result that

iOS 7 have paradoxical, ambiguous OSes. On the one hand, we have a new, clean and neat design, and therefore new custom patterns. There are many new useful functions that make use of iOS easier (especially I mean the Control Center).

On the other hand, iOS 7 is largely enough cheese. Set of interface elements require redrawing and refinement, the system works pretty stable relative previous versions of iOS 7 - for example, I am constantly confronted with the fact that the application can be closed at random for no apparent reason.

Still, Apple has done a tremendous job in less than a year. They still have a lot to do to finalize and bring to mind. But the thing that I think they managed to achieve - to us, the users do not want to come back skeuomorph back into the realm of absence normal multitasking and the ability to quickly turn Wi-Fi.

Despite all the disadvantages, it is definitely worth the upgrade to iOS 7 - many things that previously I did not like, were simply a matter of habit. Literally 2-3 days you start to take things for granted, and on iOS 6 look like on an archaism. It is true with the animation, I was not able to accept.

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And how you like the new iOS 7? Install it on your device? Did you like it? Leave your answers in the comments.