Over the last month, Alex Kane of our Casaplex Creative Media department has been testing iOS 7. Alex said that this would be the most exciting iOS release since the iPhone came out. He also thought that after the iOS 7 launch, most apps would update to follow the simplicity and the user interface of iOS 7 and they have. iOS 7 is a major hit in our office.

iOS 7 is the most simple, most functional, and one of the most powerful mobile operating systems. It may not be open source (like Android); however, for an end-user that likes one device to always work no matter what, the iPhone/iPad with iOS 7 is that device. After a long day of development, the last thing I want is to have a buggy device that may or may not work!

Yes, iOS 7 is very colorful. After a few gestures and swipes on the screen, iOS 7 becomes natural—it feels like you’ve been using it for years. You will notice that upon downloading the interface feels less cluttered. Most iOS apps updated their logos to blend with the aesthetic of iOS 7 which makes the user interface look clean.

Swiping up from the bottom of the screen now reveals the new iOS Control Center, which includes some of the most common mobile phone features:  Airplane mode, Flashlight, AirDrop, Orientation Lock, calculator, Bluetooth (on/off), and Do Not Disturb (on/off).

Update your apps!

After getting acquainted with iOS 7, next go to the App Store and update all of your iOS apps. If you do not have your apps up to date, they may not work on iOS 7. Casaplex learned this right away as our company uses Basecamp, which came out with an update mid-iOS7 launch.

Other key takeaways:

• Apple’s App Store now allows you to update your apps in the background, taking a cue from Android.
• iOS 7 will once again sync Gmail contacts natively using Gmail not ActiveSync/Exchange
• If you a Microsoft Exchange messaging user, you are now finally able to sync your Microsoft Outlook Notes with your iOS 7 device over-the-air with Microsoft ActiveSync. You no longer have to sync your phone using iTunes to do this.

Over the new few weeks, Casaplex will be posting new help videos for iOS 7. iOS 7 is a major update for all Apple devices that support it and a great one! Download it on your iOS device now. Go to Settings, General, Software and click Install!