S 7 iPhone software to the public Sept.18. The update is available for the iPhone 4, 4S, 5 and the iPad 2. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook described the release as the most significant update to the iPhone since its introduction in 2007.
iOS 7 gives the apps already on the iPhone a major upgrade. Messages, calendar, maps and camera all receive aesthetic and functional updates. iOS 7 especially focuses on making the camera app faster and allows more picture-taking options. Camera now has optional filters and view screens, which makes pictures easier to upload to Instagram, Facebook or any other platform and look better at the same time.
Control center is now accessible by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, allowing control of basic features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and airplane mode. Shortcuts can be found accessing camera, compass, calculator and flashlight. The menu also includes access to brightness and audio controls. Control Center can run over already opened apps, which makes for a smoother operating interface.
Chase Hacker, fifth year senior chemical engineering major, said control center is one of the best changes iOS 7 introduces.
“I like being able to swipe up and have those basic features instead of searching through them in settings,” Hacker said.
iTunes Radio comes with iOS 7 and is Apple’s attempt to rival Pandora and Spotify. iTunes Radio is free, but like other Internet radio stations, there is a limit to how many songs a listener can skip. There is an option to subscribe for $24.99 a year to listen without ads and keep music in iCloud with iTunes Match.
Olivia Lunsford, senior wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture major, said she thinks iTunes Radio is a dangerous competitor for Pandora.
“I definitely think iTunes Radio has the potential to impact Pandora, as their concepts are almost identical,” she said. “Spotify, being more customizable and interactive, will probably remain unfazed.”
Apple did not reinvent smartphones with iOS 7; however, hundreds of small design and internal changes make iOS 7 a welcome update. With the new operating system, Apple introduces a more modern platform for the iPhone with plenty of room to grow in the future.
