Some of the more flashy features of iOS 7 like iTunes Radio, Multitasking, and Control Center have received a lot of the attention with iOS 7, but Apple has packed a couple of really neat features into AirDrop, Safari, and the redesigned App Store, that promise to completely change the way you use your iPhone.
Oh, hey! You got the new iOS 7 for your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad–congrats! Wondering what to do with it? Looking for the best tips and tricks to get the most out of Apple’s pastel-and-parallax-flavored operating system for that amazing mobile device?
Well look no further than Cult of Mac for your iOS 7 needs. We’ve been working through the iOS 7 features and options since the first beta came out, and we’re here to give you the best of them.
iOS 7 is much more than a pretty face. Early “news” reporting focussed on the new look provided at the last minute by Jony Ive and team, but the inner workings of the new OS have clearly been under development for a lot longer. So, try to look past the bright colors, blurred popovers and beautiful parallax for a moment, and join us as we take a tour of the best new features of iOS 7.
With every new version of iOS, Apple generally leaves some legacy devices behind, but with iOS 7, Apple’s only leaving the iPhone 3GS totally abandoned. That’s not to say that every iOS device is equal in the eyes of iOS 7, though: if you’ve got an older device, you’re going to find some of iOS’s features missing.
Our good friend Camillo Miller over at The Apple Lounge put us together this fantastic chart to show how compatible iOS’s varying devices are with iOS 7. And it looks pretty good! B
Basically, the only things you miss out on if you don’t have a device made in the last year is AirDrop, and if you have any iPad, you don’t get Panorama, which is the same as it was. Apple’s doing a pretty good job keeping iOS 7’s features compatible with every past device, don’t you think?
Source: The Apple Lounge
Before making iOS 7 available to the public, Apple is updating some of its apps with the new iOS 7 look and feel. The Apple Store app and AirPort Utility just got new icons this morning, along with iOS 7 optimization and a refined user interface. As far as new features go, there aren’t any that we’ve spotted yet, and nothing in the release notes indicate these are anything more than a fresh coat of paint.
Source: iTunes
Hate the fact that your wireless carrier keeps your smartphone locked? President Obama does too. The White House has filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission asking that wireless carriers be required to unlock all mobile devices.
A new rear shell for the second-generation iPad mini has appared online, and yup, it comes in one of Apple’s new favored iDevice colors: space gray.
Juicy external battery packs are definitely the way to go for the globetrotting nerd – I have had my bacon saved a few times by the 12,000mAh battery pack I carry with me on trips – they’re not only good for the iPhone, but the iPad min, a Kindle, and even USB bike lights (this is the best unknown use for these chargers).
But you know what would be even better? A ruggedized, waterproof battery pack. And – surprise – that’s exactly what I’m just about to tell you about.
Do you use Google’s excellent Chrome browser for the iPhone or iPad? If so, you might want to update it and check it out: Google has just introduced a new feature to Chrome that can reduce mobile data usage by over 50%. But it’s invite-only, for now.
Ready for another weather app for your iPhone? Me too! I love WeatherPro on the iPad, but the iPhone version (despite today’s new iOS7 update) is almost impossible to read on the smaller screen. So I’m excited for Perfect Weather, which promises to make all the info I need available in a neat card view. Or rather, I would be excited if it was available outside the U.S.
BlackBerry Messenger is close to becoming a cross-platform messaging service for the first time, but when will you be able to download the app on your Android and iOS devices? BlackBerry has been pretty quiet about launch dates up until now, but a new rumor claims BBM will hit Google Play this Friday, September 20, before landing on the App Store a day later.
Although since the iPhone 4S, Apple has launched new iPhones in the fourth fiscal quarter of every year, that’s not where the quarter they sell the most iPhones. It’s simple logistics: not only does Apple usually only have a couple weeks left in the fourth quarter to fit as many sales as possible into, but supplies of new iPhones tend to be constrained.
That’s not to say, though, that this won’t be a banner quarter for Apple. Thanks to the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, Apple will see year-over-year sales of iPhones increase by 28%, says one analyst.
No matter how fast you can unlock your iPhone and launch Drafts app, you’ll still be slower than someone jotting down a note with a pen and paper. But that means you have to carry a separate notepad along with your iPhone, and then you have to dig around in your bag or pocket to find it.
Not so with the Paperback, a, uh, a paper back for the iPhone 5/s/c.
With the exception of latency, AirPlay beats out Bluetooth audio streaming any day. Fewer dropouts, way better (lossless) quality and less power drain on your iDevice, as it works over the Wi-Fi connection you already have on anyway.
Usually, though, AirPlay speakers are expensive. The Auris Skye is designed to fix that, turning any dock connector into an AirPlay receiver.
If you want to get serious about typing on all your devices (and I mean all) (and I also mean serious), then the new Kanex Multi-Sync Keyboard is what you want. It’s a full-sized keyboard with a number pad, and it can connect to one device via USB, plus three more via Bluetooth, switching between them at the touch of a button.
YouTube has today announced that you will soon be able to download videos and watch them offline on your mobile devices. You won’t be able to hold onto them forever, but YouTube says users will be able to “add videos to their device to watch for a short period when an Internet connection is unavailable.”
We’re just a couple hours away from the launch of iOS 7 where everyone in the world’s iPhone will instantly look different for better or worse. In the past Apple has usually released major iOS updates at 10AM Cupertino, which is 10:00 AM PDT. Apple hasn’t officially confirmed the launch time to the public, so don’t bet the farm just yet, however, Redmond Pie created the chart below listing the launch time for most major cities across the globe:
September 17th sure has turned into a gamers delight. Not only did highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto V launch today on consoles as well as two companion iOS apps, but the biggest iOS game of the year is available an hour before midnight too.
Chair’s final piece of the Infinity Blade III trilogy is available a few hours ahead of the iOS 7 launch. You can grab Infinity Blade III from the App Store now for $6.99. The game is compatible with the new iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPad 4, iPAd 3, iPad 2, iPad Mini, iPod touch 5 and iPod touch 4.
We’ll have our full review on the game coming shortly, so stay tuned for more coverage. In the meantime, get to downloading. You only have about 10 more hours to play before iOS 7 drops too.
Source: iTunes
The iPhone 5s and 5c go on sale this weekend, and as usual, earlier reviewers have weighed in. AllThingsD’s Walt Mossberg thinks that the 5s’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor is “game-changing,” and everyone seems impressed with the 5c’s build quality.
We’ve complied a roundup of the best iPhone 5s and 5c reviews out there for you to check out. Cult of Mac’s official reviews will be posted after the devices go on sale Friday.
If you head over to iCloud.com, you’ll notice that it has been completely redesigned to match the look and feel of iOS 7. The new iCloud website has been in beta all summer, and Apple has made it publicly available on the eve of tomorrow’s iOS 7 launch.
The web versions of Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Reminders, Find My iPhone, have all been revamped to match their iOS 7 counterparts, and the iWork suite is also available. Apple demoed the web versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote at WWDC in June.
Tap tap tap, the developer of Camera+, announced Tuesday that it too is updating its popular iOS prosumer camera application to match the new iOS 7 look and feel, along with several other sharing and shooting improvements.
Co-founder Lisa Bettany emailed to tell us about the overhaul to the redesign, which gives Camera+ a better match to Apple’s new mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
The Great Flattening has begun.
iOS 7 is being released to the public tomorrow, and you know what that means: app updates galore. iOS 7 compatibility updates have been sneaking into the App Store for the last several days, but now bigger names are getting updated with new designs and features.
If you want to get your hands on an iPhone 5s anytime soon, prepare to work for it. Apple is suffering “severely constrained” supply for the 5s launch, and it’s likely that most models will sell out quickly in stores this weekend.
Maybe this iOS comparison GIF isn’t quite as mind-blowing as the one of Sir Jony Ive’s death stare devouring Forstall’s face, but pretty good nonetheless.
Some Apple detractors have bemoaned the release of iOS 7, claiming its not a big enough leap forward for Apple, but when you look at this GIF created by the Czech Apple blog LetemSvetemApplem, it’s pretty clear iOS 7 has the biggest UI changes of any previous version of iOS. Not to mention a slew of new features too.
Source: LetemSvetemApplem
While we’ve noted that you can use panoramic photos as wallpaper on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch in in iOS 7, we haven’t spent a lot of time talking about the other major visual wallpaper and lock screen facelift: parallax.
In iOS 7, the background behind your Home screen apps is just a little bit 3D-ish, moving slightly as you twist and turn your iOS device around. Personally, I figured it was some fancy special effect that only Apple could create, but I was wrong.
Here’s how to make your own parallax wallpapers.