One of the angles of iOS 7 that seems to be forgotten amongst all the noise about icons and translucency is the renewed focus on Game Center and official support for third party game controller under ‘Made for iPhone’ branding. After what felt like a half-hearted attempt in the recent past, Apple now appears to be on the verge of embracing the huge number of games in the App Store.
It seems that we can't go any longer than five minutes without iOS 7 for iPhone or iPad being in the news these days, which is quite a feat considering it's not going to be available for another three or four months. Today is no different, and the latest piece of iOS 7 news comes courtesy of the iPad.
iOS 7 beta has spent the past five days firmly in the public eye, and although opinion is divided as to whether the changes are for better or in fact for worse, the consensus seems to be that the icons are a tad on the bright side. However, it now looks as though the Cupertino company has been tweaking things behind the scenes, with the official iOS 7 beta page on Apple.com showing altered, altogether more subtly toned icons. Details after the break.
Apple's iOS 7 beta has certainly gained the headlines this week, but while we fully expect the final release to operate across the entire iOS device range, the build released a few days back is only compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch. Why is that? Well, it's because the Cupertino company is behind on compiling the version for the larger display, but on the bottom of Apple's official iOS 7 page, you can get an idea of how the home screens of both the full-size iPad and iPad mini will look once the forthcoming iOS release is able to grace it.
The iOS 7 beta has only been out for two days, and already, the first major bug has been revealed. Jose Rodriguez, a 36 year old iPhone owner from Tenerife, has found a rather easy way to bypass the lock screen on iOS 7 beta 1 and meddle with the photos. Although bugs are expected in such an early and apparently unstable release, this revelation will no doubt send a chill down the spine of those in Cupertino, to whom this kind of issue is all too familiar.
Apple has stuck resolutely by its long standing philosophy with its iPhone range hitherto, and the iPhone 5's slightly increased display size is about as radical as it has been thus far. But according to multiple sources of Reuters, the Cupertino company is exploring the possibility pushing display diameters up to 4.7 inches, with suggestions that an iPhone with a 5.7 inch screen is also part of the thought process. Should Apple decide to press on with the project, said devices would manifest themselves at some point next year, and with the same report also hinting at multiple color configurations and $99 starting price points for future iPhones, is Apple about to break away from old habits?
If you cast your minds back, you may remember Apple adding a little feature to iTunes 11 allowing you to scan your iTunes cards using the camera on the front of your Mac’s camera. Now, the exact same feature is coming to iOS 7, and although it's not new in a sense that barcode and QR reading apps have been around for a good while now, the fact that it's baked into the operating system means that developers can also make use of it, should they wish to.
Although the small matter of E3 has dominated much of this week’s column inches, the world is also simultaneously distracted by Apple's iOS 7 announcement, which has brought perhaps even more by way of change than most of us had anticipated. Visually, it's as radical an overhaul as we've seen in mobile space, and naturally, many have been busily comparing new and old, with some still unsure as to whether iOS 7 appears better than iOS 6. We've already seen a faceoff between the app icons of the current and future versions, and now, a Twitter user under the handle ManzoPower has created a similar piece that looks at some of the navigation bars, tabs and toggles. Check it out after the leap!
Apple officially announced iTunes Radio for iOS 7 at WWDC this week, but as is the case with most fledgling features and applications, it's limited only to those residing within the confinements of the United States. The good news is, however, that those living elsewhere can also get in on iOS 7 beta’s iTunes Radio right now, provided they have, or can create, a U.S. iTunes account. Details after the break!
For quite a while now, rumor and speculation have suggested that Apple could be planning to release its very own gaming controller for iOS. Third parties, if you'll excuse the pun, seem way ahead of the game in this respect, with many vendors and developers already supporting the traditional physical peripheral, but if Apple were to go ahead and bring its own official offering, it could be a real game-changer. According to mutterings at WWDC, the Cupertino is plotting exactly that, but not on its own, and with some documentation for iOS 7 pertaining to a Game Controller having just popped up on the dev site, official physical gaming controller support is about to become a reality starting from iOS 7.
