Features

iOS 7 - What we wanted, and what we got

As close to 7th heaven as can be

iOS 7 - What we wanted, and what we got
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iOS

Last Tuesday at its annual WWDC conference, Apple officially unveiled iOS 7. Yep, this is the latest (and perhaps greatest) version of its über-popular mobile operating system.

As expected, the Cupertino company is using this OS update as an excuse to completely redesign its somewhat outdated iPhone and iPad UI.

Apple hasn't just slapped a coat of fresh paint on iOS 7, though. iOS 7 is chock-full of new features, don't you worry.

Back in February, we penned a heartfelt letter to Sir Jony Ive, detailing the features we'd love to play with in iOS 7.

So, just how many of our feature requests have Jony and his team fulfilled? Let's take a look...

Redesigned Game Center app

As you can see from the cropped image above, Apple has completely redesigned Game Center in iOS 7.

That obnoxious green felt - thank goodness! - has gone. The horrible wood effect has been removed, too. In their place are five colourful bubbles, which you can tap to gain access to your games, friends list, challenges, requests, and turns.

That last element is, of course, new. Apple hasn't confirmed it as such, but we believe any asynchronous multiplayer matches you're a part of will appear in this 'Turns' section of the app.

The Game Center app still doesn't have customisable avatars, an in-app chat lobby, or a live stream of our friends' activity, but, hey, The Big A has definitely taken a step in the right direction.

Better iCloud support

Back in February, we asked for better iCloud support in iOS 7. We asked for our notifications to be synced across our many iPhones and iPads, and we asked not to have to download app updates on multiple devices.

Having obviously read our letter, Apple has answered our fevered prayers in the upcoming version of its mobile software.

If you delete a Facebook notification on your iOS 7-powered iPad, it will also disappear from your iPhone and any other iOS devices you have lying around.

Updates to apps, on the other hand, will now be downloaded automatically whenever they become available. Fear not: you can turn this feature off in your device's Settings app if you'd rather they weren't.

A redesigned UI

If you've visited Pocket Gamer (or any other tech-related website on the internet, for that matter) since Tuesday, you'll already be well aware that Apple has drastically redesigned its mobile UI for iOS 7.

Sir Jony Ive and his elite squad of designers have removed any unnecessary bars and buttons; stripped away any clutter; and banished icky skeuomorphism to the deepest and darkest reaches of hell.

Apple hasn't done everything we asked it so kindly to do, mind. After all, iOS 7 is still heavily dominated by rows and rows of less-than-dynamic apps.

Still, the company is making some progress.

The icon for the Clock app now displays the correct time right on your device's Home screen, for example. It's not exactly live tiles or widgets, but it'll do. For now.

Overhauled Photos app

Apple isn't going to pre-install iPhoto on every iOS 7-powered iPhone and iPad - like we wanted - but it has overhauled its current Photos app and introduced three new features: Collections, Moments, and Years.

A Collection is a large batch of photographs relating to a single event, such as that trip you took to Hawaii with your family.

Moments sit within Collections, and are smaller assemblies of pictures and videos taken during specific events, like your trip to Honolulu.

Basically, all of your photos and videos will now be categorised and catalogued automatically based on the time and place you snapped or recorded them.

(Psst. Over here. In iOS 7, you will be able to share videos via iCloud, too. Don't tell anybody.)

Better multitasking

According to Apple, every single app supports multitasking in iOS 7. How has Apple managed to implement such a feature without jeopardising precious battery life?

Well, apparently, iOS 7 learns exactly when you like to use your apps, and will only update their content just before you launch them.

If you check Facebook every day at 7pm, for example, iOS 7 will learn this and will ensure your News Feed is up to date when you open Zuckerberg's app in the early evening.

Apple has tweaked the multitasking UI, too. Double-tap your device's Home button, and you'll see large preview screens of every app that's currently open and running in the background.

Ability to choose default apps

Basically, we wanted to be able to choose Chrome as our default browser app, or make Google Maps our standard mapping solution.

Apple didn't show off this wished-for feature during its WWDC keynote on Tuesday, but that doesn't mean it won't be included in the final version of iOS 7 this summer.

The Cupertino company was quick to stress, after all, that it simply didn't have time to unveil every new feature present in the latest version of its mobile OS.

Better App Store

Nope. You still can't take apps for a trial run (unless there's a Lite version of the game you fancy) before you buy them.

You can, however, now add any iTunes or (free) App Store content that tickles your pickle to a handy "wish list", just like you can on Mac and PC. We wanted this.

Oh, and the App Store now has age categories, so you can easily search for an app for your 3-year-old son. You know, if you want to.

Anthony Usher
Anthony Usher
Anthony is a Liverpool, UK-based writer who fell in love with gaming while playing Super Mario World on his SNES back in the early '90s. When he isn't busy grooming his beard, you can find him replaying Resident Evil or Final Fantasy VII for the umpteenth time. Aside from gaming, Anthony likes hiking, MMA, and pretending he’s a Viking.