10 things you need to know about the new iPhone and iPad operating system iOS 7

10 things you need to know about the new iPhone and iPad operating system iOS 7

 

Apple's iOS 7 operating software for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are available to download  now - bringing a whole new look to the company's mobile devices.

In the biggest change to Apple's smartphones and tablets, the system has been rebuilt with a totally different design, created by Brit Sir Jonathan Ive and his team.

Anyone else can download iOS 7 to their device, but before you do, here are 10 things you need to know about iOS 7. 

 

            

1. iOS 7 is FREE. You don't need to pay a penny to get it but you may find you need to wait a while in a download queue if you try to access it as soon as it goes live, along with a few million others desperately doing the same.
You can update it directly from your device, there's no need to connect it to a computer.
But it won't work on some older Apple products such as an iPhone 3G, 3GS or the original iPad and it is only compatible with the fifth generation of iPod touch devices onwards.  2. The design and layout of iOS 7 is a dramatic departure from what Apple fans have been used to.
It uses a new colour palette, has a flatter look and different fonts, which are meant to give it a 'cleaner' look.
There are also lots of translucent effects and on the 5C, the colour of the device you buy will dictate the colour of the wallpaper and icons.
Jony Ive, says of his creation: "True simplicity is derived from so much more than just the absence of clutter and ornamentation - it's about bringing order to complexity."

New Apple iOS 7 features are displayed on screen during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference

3. The new iOS system has been created to take advantage of the 64-bit processor in the latest iPhone 5S.
This provides more power for applications and games. But some older apps may not be able to match up to this and also some older devices may not work so well with any updated apps.
To counter this, it's been reported that Apple is to introduce a pop-up pointing users to older versions of apps that would work better with their specific device.

             

4. Not updating to iOS 7 right now though, could be a good move.
As well as saving yourself time waiting in a download queue, you could prevent issues with security, compatibility with apps and features not working.
As with previous releases of iOS and any other new software, there can be problems on day one. These are then solved with an update a couple of weeks later.
Often it pays not to jump in with two feet to be among the first who has it, and to wait until the first updated release has ironed out all the issues.
Or until at least wait until you know whether there are problems and what they may be.

5. iOS 7 is offering 200+ changes to the operating system according to Apple but while many of these will just be minor tweaks, some are much more major and noticeable.
For a start Notification Center can now be accessed with a swipe down even when the phone is locked.
The Control Center can also be opened with a swipe up from the bottom of the screen and contains icons for some of the most-used features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, display brightness, calculator, camera and even a torch.
There is also a new Today feature showing a summary of items such as weather, traffic, meetings and events

 

6. In a bid to prevent iPhones and iPads being stolen, Apple has introduced an extra security feature alongside the new fingerprint reader in the iPhone 5S.
While not everyone will have the luxury of that, they will be able to prevent muggers from turning off the Find My iPhone feature.
In iOS 7 it comes with an Activation Lock, requiring your Apple ID and password before you can turn it off, erase data or re-activate a device after it has been remotely erased.

CEO Tim Cook speaks during an Apple event in San Francisco

7. If you've not yet been sold on Siri then iOS 7 at least gives you a few more reasons to try out the virtual personal assistant hiding inside your device.
For a start it comes with new softer voices - both male and female - and allows you to use your voice to look through Twitter, Wikipedia and the Bing search engine.

Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice president of internet software and services, displays the new iTunes interface

Reuters

8. Additions to the camera in iOS 7 do not include the Burst and Slo Mo modes, which are only found on the iPhone 5S for now.
But you do get new real-time photo effects and a square camera option to add to video, photo and panorama. It's also easier to switch between all four.
Your pictures are all displayed for more intuitively and better organised in the Photos app, showing them based on the time they were taken and the location they were taken at.
There's also a new way to share files and content between iOS 7 devices using AirDrop and a Wi-Fi network, a system already familiar to Mac owners.

    

 

9. Safari web browsing has been improved with a redesigned interfaced for full-screen surfing along with a new smart search field to better recommend options.
And in a big departure that could be one of the most popular, there are new ringtones, alarms, alerts and system sounds so you can try and separate yourself from the millions of others using the same tones.

  

 

10. iTunes Radio is one of the biggest additions.
It's a free Internet radio service with more than 200 stations but for now will only be available in America.
Popular Apps Near Me in the App Store also now gives you the opportunity to find apps based on your location.

New iPhone 5S & 5C: top ten features to hope for

Apple is expected to launch at least two iPhone models - the iPhone 5S, which is an update to its existing iPhone 5 device, and the iPhone 5C, which is a cheaper handset with a plastic case, aimed at the Chinese market.

1. New colours

Invitations sent to journalists last week carried the tagline: ‘This should brighten everyone’s day’. This appears to support suggestions that a new iPhone in a range of colours will be introduced.

Until now, Apple has only offered the iPhone in black and white, (or 'slate' and 'silver' for the iPhone 5). However, a report in TechCrunch claims that Apple plans to add a "champagne gold" colour option for its forthcoming iPhone 5S, citing multiple sources.

Meanwhile, the "C" in iPhone 5C reportedly stands for "Colours" according to the consensus at MacRumors, and a number of photos showing colourful plastic rear shells alleged to be for Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone have surfaced in recent weeks.


2. Fingerprint sensor

The latest leaked images of the iPhone 5S depict a silver "ring" around the iPhone's black home button, adding fuel to rumours that the device will include a fingerprint sensor.

Separate high-resolution images published last week by Australian teenager Sonny Dickson, (who has been behind a number of high-profile Apple leaks), show a circular component that is presumed to fit underneath the iPhone home button, with a fingerprint scanning mechanism at its centre.



It is rumoured that the iPhone 5S is ‘S’ for ‘Security’, and the finger-sensitive touch pad could be used for unlocking the homescreen or confirming identity for payment from the App Store or other outlets.

3. Faster processor

Sources claim that the iPhone 5S will include a 64-bit A7 processor, which would mean that the new iPhone will run approximately 31 percent faster then previous models. Although slightly slower than the top-of-the-range offerings from Nvidia and Qualcomm on paper, the company’s iOS operating system is much better optimised to deal with it than premium Android phones.

The model will also have 2GB of RAM, keeping up with most of the premium offerings in the Android markets, and faster 4G LTE connectivity, according to reports.

4. 12 megapixel camera and slow-motion video

According to SlashGear, we can expect the iPhone 5S to have an 8-megapixel camera with a wider f/2.0 aperture lens and support for 1080p HD video recording. However, earlier leaks suggested a possible 12- or even 13-megapixel camera.



The camera is also have a dual-LED flash, which would allow the iPhone 5S to have a brighter flash for low light photography. The wider aperture may also come in handy for low light images without requiring the use of a flash.

There is also likely to be a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera for FaceTime chat.

5. A 128GB Model

The iPhone 5 was available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models; however a new 128GB 5S model could be released, according to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

If the predictions from the analyst, who has been quite accurate in the past, turn out to be true, then iPhone 5S will be the second Apple product after iPad 4 to feature the massive storage capacity.

The 128 GB model of the iPhone 5S would cost $499 (on contract) under the Apple's current pricing scheme.

6. 'Flat' iOS 7 Design

The iPhone 5S will run Apple's iOS 7, which is expected to be a striking departure from previous versions of the operating system. According to Alexis Madrigal, senior editor at The Atlantic and a visiting scholar at Berkeley’s Center for Science, Technology, Medicine and Society, iOS 7 is a complete, post-Steve Jobs overhaul of Apple’s operating system.



To be clear: If you’re an iPhone user, everything — your email, your calendar, your texts, your phone dialer, your photos, your notes — will look and work differently,” said Madrigal.

Previous versions of the iPhone and other Apple touch products used visual cues that helped people connect the apps they were using to real-world objects. The tabs of web browsers looked like real folders, the Notes app showed a pad of yellow paper with lines on it, and even the camera had the look and sound of a mechanical shutter.

With iOS 7, all those things are gone, and instead of the subtle clues that helped people understand how and when to use the apps, the system has simple animations showing them how apps slide and move, according to Madriga.

7. 250-hour battery life

After complaints that the iPhone 5 battery life was disappointing, the iPhone 5S is rumoured to have a battery life of about 250 hours on standby when the device is not actively in use.

8. Larger display

Steve Jobs called the original iPhone's 3.5-inch screen "the perfect size for consumers" but the latest iPhone 5 had a slightly larger display screen and Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted at different sized iPhones earlier this year.

Apple has reportedly been looking at different screen sizes for its forthcoming iPhone devices. Sources told Reuters in June that suppliers had been approached with plans for 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch screens, and a report in The Wall Street Journal last week indicated that Apple could be considering an entire family of screen sizes for upcoming iPhone releases.



However, others have dismissed the rumours, claiming that Apple will wait until the iPhone 6 to introduce larger screen sizes that could compete with Android devices from the likes of Samsung and HTC.

9. Wireless charging

The iPhone 5S is expected to support Qi wireless charging technology. Although it was only last September that Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller questioned the convenience of wireless charging systems, it is thought that the new phone could be charged via a wireless battery case.

10. Near-Field Communications (NFC) technology

Apple famously decided to withhold NFC for the iPhone 5 and since both the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy S4 have arrived toting the new connectivity, Apple may want to incorporate it this time around

Recent reports from Taiwan and tech website NFC World indicate that manufacturer Chipbond has won a major contract to build components for the iPhone 5S - including NFC. This would allow iPhone users to carry out contactless transactions with their handset.