Apple’s Big Reveals at WWDC 2013
Developers and Apple fans alike were geeking out last week thanks to non-stop reveals at WWDC 2013.
In line with expectations, Apple announced the hotly-anticipated iOS7, the latest version of the company’s mobile operating system.
The new OS features a ‘flat’ design; the brainchild of longstanding Apple senior vice president and head of design, Jony Ive.
According to Ive, the thinking behind the design overhaul is to make the system look “cleaner” and to help “elevate” users’ content.
Previously popular skeuomorphism – the use of wood, leather and other real-world derived textures – has been sidelined. A similar change has been made to the Mac’s OS X system.
Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, said of the change to the GameCenter app’s look: “We just completely ran out of green felt and wood – this has got to be good for the environment.”
Federighi also highlighted the new parallax effect, which sees icons shifts against the background as the user tilts their handset this way and that based on the devices accelerometer sensor feedback.
Ovum chief telecoms analyst Jan Dawson said: “The new version is almost unrecognizable, which will make it polarizing.”
“Some people will love that their phone feels new and different, while others will be disoriented by the newness,” Dawson continued.
“Finding your Settings app is hard when the icon has totally changed, and the many people who easily get disoriented by their gadgets may well have a negative experience.”
“On the other hand, this is a clear statement from Apple that it acknowledges the need to refresh the user interface and is willing to do something pretty dramatic.”
“It’s very attractive, but it’s also different – it doesn’t look very Apple-y.”
GoMobile Solutions CEO Damien Zamora said of the Apple updates: “Every aspect of our mobile marketing universe is changing and expanding, this is just the latest example that mobile is here to stay.”
Other Features of iOS 7
- Automatic app updates
- Refined fonts to make text appear sharper
- A swipe-up ControlCenter that bundles frequently-used functions like wi-fi, the volume adjuster, and the iPhone as a torch
- Microsoft Bing search within the voice-controlled Siri app
- A new anti-theft measure that means users must enter a relevant ID and password to deactivate the Find My iPhone feature
