7 Things You Should Know About iOS7

If Android's lightning fast OS updates left youriOS 6 feeling forlorn, today is your lucky day!

When you wake up to find your Twitter timeline threatening to buckle under the drool of every last man, woman, child and bot, you can safely assume that Apple has drummed up fresh goodies. 

 

The swanky new Mac Pro, the dramatically faster OS X and MacBook Air was what Tim Cook pulled out of his hat at the World Wide Developers Conference. And lest we forget, Jonathan Ive sent the old iOS through a thorough revamp and out popped iOS7. If you got lost in the sea of gushing fanboys, we are here to bring you up to speed. Here are 7 things that you must know about Apple's latest offering: 

 

#1: Cleaner, Flatter Look 

The rounded, bubbly icon tiles have been pruned and trimmed to make way for flatter, angular tiles. The signature network bars have been swapped for five dots and the lock screen has been given a facelift, for what is probably a first in iOS history. Your home screen has now been imbibed with the Parallax Motion magic while the phone's accelerometer brings a depth to the interface that'll guarantee a gratifying round of 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' each time you flip out your phone. 

 

#2: Control Center 

If something old, something new was the mantra Jonathan Ive had in mind when he sketched out the new OS, then the Control Center definitely falls under the heading of 'something borrowed.' A translucent pull-up tray that is available even on the lock screen; you can now head to the Control Center for all your brightness, volume, Wifi, Airplane mode, rotation lock and Bluetooth needs. 

 

#3: Updated Safari 

An OS update has been the news for quite some time now, and the first to queue up for a facelift was Apple's mobile phone Browser. Safari has now been reincarnated as a distraction-free browser with all buttons and bars kept hidden unless you scroll.

 

#4: Air Drop 

Nope, a fairy godmother hasn't magically waved her wand and made the developers at Apple Inc. see the light. Your iDevices remain as NFC-allergic as ever, but Jonathan has thrown in a substitute:  “AirDrop is the easiest way to share [data] with people around you,” Federighi, software Chief announced. “There’s no need to wander around the room bumping your phone. 

 

#5: iTunes Radio 

Pandora and Spotify have been holding their own for quite some time now, and now Apple has joined the party. With 200 plus radio stations that grow more personalized the more you listen, iTunes Radio lets you stream music across all your devices. But what about the music that you do not like? Hit the 'Never Play This' button and Eenie Minnie Mo will never turn up on your playlist, even by accident.

 

#6: Siri 

Apple's trained assistant has been sprinkled with her share of fairy dust too, and Siri now boasts of better Twitter and Wikipediaintegration, plays your voicemail and adjusts brightness on command. And to address the gender balance, Siri can now be converted to a male voice as well.

 

#7: Improved Camera 

Apple has finally taken off the rose colored glasses and put on the sepia toned ones.  The old camera has been overhauled, nine filters have been added to up the gloss and photos are now grouped into Collections, Memories and Years so that hunting down old photos from last year's Swiss trip is no longer a two hour chore that'll leave your fingers bruised.