One of the newest things this week has been the release of iOS7. I kinda like it, because it's different. But that's also why I don't like it. It's different.
Now, it looks nice and everything, bright new and simplistic - like Android. But I have an Apple phone. I WANT an Apple phone. If I wanted an Android phone, I would have bought one.
There are quite a few things I find wrong with this new iOS. First off, my "old" 16GB iPhone 4 has become much slower than it was before I installed the update. (And just my luck, I installed the update the day Apple stopped signing iOS6.) Lord knows I've dropped the thing countless times, with only minor dings on the corners (it was in a case - most of the time) and tiny usage scratches on the screen. But after 3 years, it still runs as good as new. (In my experience, though Apple products have cost more than others of the same, they've lasted a hell of a lot longer. You get what you pay for. My MacBook2 1 - released mid-2006 - is still in perfect condition and running like a champ!)
Having said all that, my iPhone 4 now runs like it's twice as old. I had to delete half my apps/games just to get it to work moderately well, yet things still don't work as well or as quickly as they should. Apple has said that the iPhone 4 is the oldest model that will support iOS 7. Barely, at that. The fact remains that my iPhone 4 can't process everything anymore. I'm still missing half my apps and games I used. Does this mean that I now HAVE to upgrade to an iPhone 5S? It's practically forced me to. Yes, I'd love a new iPhone, but my 4 was working just fine for me...only three years old and still running! Er, WAS. I don't always need the latest and greatest.
Some of the functionality that existed before has been decreased for me. At one point, I'd downloaded the Podcast app (pre-iOS7) to give it a shot. Frankly, I didn't like it at all. It organized my podcasts in ways that didn't make sense. I ended up reverting back to the music and podcasts all in the Music app. In iOS 7, Music no longer supports your podcasts. You are forced to download the Podcast app. Yuck. Now it takes longer to switch between my music and my podcasts. (I do this during my gym workouts.)
The calendar in notifications is super wonky now, too. Notifications will show you your whole day hour-by-hour. This would be great if you had a heavy schedule and needed to see it ALL. I usually only put up my work schedule at the bookstore, dotted with reminders for the trash, dentist, and any other appointments I want my phone to remind me about. I set all these up in Calendar though, so I'd like to see the description read "You have 'Work' scheduled for 10 AM" rather than "There is one event scheduled for 10 AM." However, it will only tell me what I have scheduled on the day of the event. If I work today Tuesday, Notifications will tell me that I have "Work" scheduled. But in the Tomorrow view, it's just an event.
If you're like me, and you don't want to see all the blank hours left in your day, simply go to Settings > Notification Center > Calendar Day View and turn that OFF.
I like how Notifications will tell you if and what alarm you have set. It saves all of two taps -_- . Honestly though, I do kinda like that. I have a tendency to check a lot to make sure.
Another thing I noticed was the HUGE decrease in battery life. Research revealed that having Background App Refresh on was causing much of the problem. Turning that off helped, but it still doesn't last as long as it did. But having that off made my instant GPS refresh every 30 seconds or so!!! This was horrible when I was trying to meet my mother-in-law for tea at a new shoppe downtown. I had to turn it back on, but with some modifications.
Background App Refresh will slow your phone down, so be sure you only tell it to refresh the apps you'll really use. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Leave this on, but scroll down through your apps and turn off anything that doesn't need your constant GPS location. I've left on ONLY my Apple Maps app. Though perhaps this still contributes to poor battery life...
You can no longer choose a photo for your Lock or Home screen directly from the Photos app. Balls. I used this all the time! You now have to go to Wallpaper in Settings to change it. Yes this was an option before, but now it's your ONLY option. And you can't size your photo properly - it will only let you zoom out so far.
These articles on Telegraph.co.uk were helpful in helping me discover what was pissing me off, and offered some great things I didn't know existed...and possibly made me like it a bit better. ;)
iOS 7: How To Disable The Most Annoying New Features
iOS 7: Readers' Tips on Hidden iPhone/iPad Features
Suffice it to say that I've never encountered an Apple change that made me utterly and purely hate it. I now stifle urges to throw my poor phone into a wall and purchase a Galaxy S4.
This is the first product from Apple since the passing of Steve Jobs. I miss that perfectionist. There are many things on the new iOS that would have never made it out the door if Jobs had still been around. Those little details are what made Apple what I know and love. I hope this isn't indicative of what's to come. I'm still giving my iPhone a shot, however. Here's hoping it grows on me!
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