iOS 7 Features Reviews Roundup: Early Criticisms, Largely Positive, on Apple's Next Mobile OS [Poll]

By Michael Oleaga / m.oleaga@latinospost.com (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Jun 11, 2013 05:01 PM EDT

Tags Apple, iOS, iOS 7, Worldwide Developers Conference

The iOS 7 Apple mobile platform was previewed at the 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, and it has the tech community talking.

The iOS 7 was largely reported to be a "flat" or "simplistic" version compared to its predecessors following new leadership taking charge of the mobile operating system.

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The preview did not go unnoticed with the tech media.

"Apple adds visual and usability elements all its own, but also continues to borrow (as all the mobile platform-makers do) from some rivals in drips and drabs," reviewed CNET. "We see this sprinkled throughout the OS in the quick-access settings, treatment of browser tabs, and adoption of some circular design elements."

"The main design change is a move away from the current bubble-like interface in favor of a flatter design," wrote Ars Technica's Cyrus Farivar. He later added, "One of the most surprisingly awesome features includes a block function for unwanted phone calls, texts, FaceTime calls, and iMessages."

"For many iOS users, one of the most sought after features has been a quick access panel for common settings, much like what they've seen in other platforms. They'll have it -- iOS 7 is introducing Control Center for just that purpose," wrote John Fingas of Engadget. "There's also quick shortcuts to the camera, calculator, timer and (at last!) a flashlight. To say Control Center is overdue might be an understatement, but we're glad that it's finally here."

"Without a doubt, iOS 7 is the biggest overhaul the platform has received since its introduction as iPhone OS way back in the heady days of 2007," reported The Verge's Dan Seifert. Many (fair) comparisons will be made to current and existing mobile OSes, and whether or not it is enough to keep the naysayers that claim that iOS has gotten stale and boring at bay remains to be seen. But needless to say, it's going to be the platform of choice for many millions of smartphone and tablet owners."

"These improvements are nice to see in iOS 7, and I expect that Apple will do a better job than Samsung has at making sure these unique functions work reliably. I do wonder, though, if there should be so much effort put into these kind of features rather than improving the core user experience," wrote Matthew Miller of ZDNet.

Droid Life reviewed, "In general, iOS 7 is a newly skinned version of iOS that finally matches up to current mobile design trends. Gone are the leather notebooks and green felt gaming tables - in is a minimal flat aesthetic. And to be perfectly honest, it does look beautiful. Jony Ive and his team did a fantastic job at skinning iOS and turning it into a modern looking mobile UI."

"The best way to describe iOS 7's new redesigned interface is that it looks like a crystal-clear pane of layered glass with elegant "flat" icons and features," wrote Lauren Effron and Joanna Stern, via Yahoo! News.