iOS 7

The introduction of iOS 7 brought forth a new era of iOS design: one that discards old thinking and draws little inspiration from past designs. While Apple’s included applications in iOS 7 have all been updated for the new design aesthetic, their App Store apps haven’t. Installing any of Apple’s other applications alongside iOS 7 reveals a huge discrepancy between the old, skeuomorphic design, and the new, flatter look. Obviously, Apple will have to redesign all of their App Store applications. So, what will they look like?

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We’ve reported on a number of big improvements coming to iOS 7 for both app developers and accessory manufacturers already. Yesterday we reported first on the new blinking and smiling detection features available to camera and photo app developers, and earlier this month told you about some of the new Bluetooth related APIs coming this fall.

We previously walked you through some of the new APIs and features for gamers, but there is still a lot more coming to third-party app developers in iOS 7. A few big improvements: a text to speech API, background downloads for in-app content, motion effects, 3D maps, and much more.

Head below for details on some of the more notable new APIs available for developers to take advantage of in iOS 7:
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Apple last night added a new webpage focusing on the enterprise features offered in iOS 7, covering everything from configuration to data security.

iOS 7 provides enhanced security, powerful new ways to configure and deploy devices at scale, and features to help businesses purchase, distribute, and manage apps with ease. Features including per app VPN, enterprise single sign on, App Store license management, and new mobile device management (MDM) configuration options are just some of the new capabilities in iOS 7 that provide more for organizations of all sizes… 
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Earlier today, Apple launched new beta releases of both iOS 7 for iPhone/iPod touch and the iPad. We have provided full screenshot tours and change logs for the need software seeds. Additionally, we have created the video below that demonstrates how iOS 7 works on the iPad. We previously posted a video of how iOS 7 runs on the iPhone.

iPad video below:

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Following its introduction earlier this month, Apple’s newest operating system has fallen under criticism and scrutiny from both designers and casual users alike. Due to both the tight development timetable and the new design direction under Jony Ive, following the removal of former iOS SVP Scott Forstall last fall, iOS 7 is, understandably, the most controversial and intriguing iOS version yet.

In response to much of the negative criticism directed towards iOS 7, some have suggested that iOS 7 will change substantially before it is released to the general public. Looking back at previous versions of iOS reveals a long trend of subtle refinements to the operating system during beta periods, not dramatic changes. Let’s take a look at how each version of iOS has transformed:

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We were the first to report that iOS7 notifies users that they were using non-certified 3rd party Lightning cables in iPhones and likely iPads and iPods as well. Apple currently still allows these cables to charge and sync data with iOS devices but if Apple can detect these cables, that means they could also disable iOS 7 from using these cables in a future version of iOS.

One third party company called iPhone5mod (coincidentally, the company that made the cable used to demonstrate iOS7 warnings in the images here) says it has a way around Apple’s warnings and theoretically around detection at all…
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Some third-party apps appear to have different icons between iOS 6 and iOs 7.

Apple’s radically new set of default icons is probably the biggest point of contention surrounding iOS 7. Each new icon has been redrawn and features a new color palette that fits to a new design grid. While these new standards are not mandatory, most developers will likely want to rethink the way their icons are presented in a way that makes them coherent to the new user-interface of the operating system.

While looking around in iOS 7 and observing the redesigned user-interface, I expected third-party applications would feature the same familiar icons from iOS 6. This was the case in nearly every instance, aside from a few exceptions with icons that used the default gloss. Previous versions of iOS would automatically add a splash of glare to icons like most of Apple’s own apps, which adds a sense of depth to what otherwise is a two-dimensional plane.

Many apps already opted to manually remove the gloss effect as design trends moved toward the less ornamental look that led to iOS 7. It appears that the software automatically removes the gloss found in certain apps (e.g. Klout, Urban Dictionary), and I wouldn’t be surprised if the remainder of the gloss is removed by the time iOS 7 leaves beta later this fall. But what is most curious is a select few apps with entirely different icons between iOS 6 and iOS 7.
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Screenshots via <a href="https://twitter.com/hamzasood">Hamza Sood</a>

In addition to the several new user-facing features introduced by Apple for iOS 7, hidden settings inside the new system have revealed that Apple has been testing other new enhancements. Hamza Sood discovered the hidden settings options, and these toggles reveal additional gesture, multitasking, and folders options. The settings are not readily available to users of the iOS 7 beta, but acces requires some unspecified tweaking.

Notably, Apple is testing system-wide edge-swipe and corner-swipe gestures for iOS 7. These gestures would bolster the already present edge-swipe feature in iOS 7 for Messages, Safari, and a couple of the other pre-installed iOS apps. According to these settings, Apple’s testing of these gestures would expand to being used for quick-app-switching.

Video and more details below:

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To go along with his complete redesign of iOS, Jony Ive’s official executive title at Apple has been flattened to drop the word “Industrial.” The change is notable as this new title plants Ive’s position as being where the buck stops for the design of all of Apple’s products…

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Just as Apple introduced iOS 7 equipped with Instagram-like filters built-in to the redesigned camera app (although not for video), word has it Instagram is looking to move into Vine’s territory by adding video features in an upcoming update.  According to a report from TechCrunch, Facebook’s event later this week won’t focus so much on that rumored news reader, but more so on integration of a Vine-like short video feature for Instagram:
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We already know that Apple has added support for game controllers in iOS7, but it appears that these plans are further along than first thought.  According to Kotaku, the above image shows an early  iOS gaming controller prototype made specifically for the iPhone 5 by gaming giant Logitech. While they weren’t forthcoming with details of where the device was seen or who showed it to them, Kotaku is standing firm that they believe this photo to be absolutely authentic.  The decision to support integrated gaming accessories is in stark contrast to Steve Jobs’ stance that such products would ruin the “elegance” of Apple devices (even though he got his start at Atari).

A reader reached out with this image from one of Apple’s WWDC sessions, which appears to show the same Logitech controller.

Bluetooth gaming devices have existed for iOS devices for quite some time but most have had limited compatibility and fragmented compatibility.  An integrated, Apple authorized (MFi) gaming controller is going to be a welcomed addition for the iOS gaming community.

3rd party gaming accessories like the iCade Mobile (Above) have existed for years

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Apple is making some big improvements for gamers in the coming releases of iOS and OS X, and not just the new standardized gaming controllers we told you about previously. Not only is Apple introducing enhanced leaderboards, improved challenge modes, and new turn-based gaming features, it is also providing developers with tools to combat and prevent cheating.

Head below for details on everything Apple is doing in iOS 7 to improve the gaming experience…
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UPDATE: Apple’s site has reverted to the current icons present in iOS 7 beta. 

Apple has quietly changed some of the icons on its official iOS 7 website, making notable changes to the Weather, Passbook, and Reminders apps. iOS 7’s icons, which have been subject to much scrutiny and disapproval from various designers, have been one of the largest complaints about iOS 7 so far.

The icons, which can currently only be viewed on Apple’s site using a mobile device, most notably show a completely redesigned weather app icon, ditching the clouds and sun found in the current iOS 7 beta, in favor of the live temperature, something users have been waiting for for years.

Phil Schiller previously noted on Twitter that showing live weather on the iOS home screen would “waste battery,” but this is an improvement Apple has been working on for some time.

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We already told you about a few big new features in terms of improvements to Bluetooth coming in iOS 7: Developers will now have a standardized controller framework for hardware game controllers and new features for BLE devices that will bring Notification Center support and always-connected apps. That’s not all Apple has planned for accessory makers in the near future, below developers have reached out to explain some of the other big new features that will be available to accessory manufacturers with iOS 7 and Mavericks…
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Something new in iOS 7 that hasn’t been getting much coverage is the improvements Apple is making to Core Bluetooth for better integration with Bluetooth LE accessories. Apple is making a lot of changes to its Bluetooth APIs in iOS 7 that will not only allow your iOS devices to work with more Bluetooth LE devices, it will also introduce new features for everything from time to notifications, keyboards, and stereo sound.

Enhance your apps with support for new types of accessories. Location beacons are a new class of low-powered, low-cost transmitters that can notify nearby iOS 7 devices of their presence. Location beacons will provide apps a whole new level of location awareness, such as trail markers in a park, exhibits in a museum or product displays in stores. Other new features include the ability to setup and configure Wi-Fi accessories, such as AirPlay speakers, directly from iOS.

On top of the new location beacons, we already know about a few new Bluetooth improvements in iOS 7 including the new framework for hardware game controllers, and the AirDrop file sharing feature. However, there are also some big improvements to APIs coming that will make your Bluetooth devices work seamlessly with iOS 7…
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Following WWDC this week Apple’s redesign of iOS 7 and Mavericks have been getting the majority of attention, and rightfully so, but there are a few new big features coming in iOS 7 that haven’t been discussed. This morning we told you about the new MFi Game Controller framework that will make using hardware game controllers a lot smoother in iOS 7, but another important new feature in the update is inter-app audio.

The basic idea is simple: Inter-app audio will allow developers to make their app act as an output and or input for sending and receiving audio to and from other apps. In fact, we already somewhat have that functionality through third-party iOS app Audiobus. However, with Apple’s new inter-app audio feature available to devs, apps will no longer have to use a third-party app like Audiobus to send audio to one another. At first glance it seems to make Audiobus obsolete, an interesting move after Apple just recently implemented support for the third-party service in its own GarageBand app. Either way, it means a ton of new possibilities for creating music and sharing audio on your iPhone and iPad are on the way with the update to iOS 7 this fall.

We dug into Apple’s documentation on Inter-App Audio to find out how it works and also spoke with Audiobus about what this means for them:

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Aside from the short demos that were given on stage yesterday at WWDC, and the few screenshots on Apple’s website, Apple hasn’t shown off iOS 7 in much detail. Although developers now have access to an early beta version of the software, iOS 7 won’t be released to the general public until later this year, and an iPad version of iOS 7 hasn’t been shown off at all.

In order to give you a better idea of exactly what Apple is cooking up down in Cupertino, we’ve put together this walk-through of every redesigned application in iOS 7, showing off how they look and function.

For all of our other iOS 7 hands-on coverage, check out the links below:

-iOS 7 first Hands-On

-Changes to the camera app in iOS 7

-A look at iTunes Radio in iOS 7 

-iOS 7 first install gallery

-Subtle features and details in iOS 7 and Mavericks