iOS 7 is Due to be Released in June, Here is What we Would Like to See

It’s coming. Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference is taking place in June, the company has confirmed. But in an unusual twist, the tech giant’s marketing boss has already confirmed that it will play host to new versions of both iOS and OS X, its software for iPhones and Macs. That means the eagerly awaited iOS 7 will be making an appearance – and we’ve got a few ideas for what we’d like to see in it.

WWDC 2013 takes place from 10-14 June at San Francisco’s Moscone West centre, where Apple’s Phil Schiller says the company “can’t wait to get new versions of iOS and OS X into [developers’] hands”.

While WWDC has played host to new iPhone launches in the past, we’re expecting Apple to stick to its annual Autumn release cycle it’s adopted since 2011 for the new must-have mobile hardware, so like last year, the focus in the summer will be on the next generation of iPhone software instead. Here’s our wishlist of things we’d like to see – is there anything we’re missing?

A new look

Sir Jony Ive, the British design legend responsible for Apple’s delicious hardware, got a promotion last year: he’s now in charge of the look and feel of its software too. Rumours are flying around that iOS 7 will get a much needed lick of paint, including a “flatter” design that ditches some of the bizarre and gradient-heavy anachronisms in iOS, like the pointless green baize in the Game Center, the bookshelf in iBooks and the notebook style pages in the Notes app. Think more like Windows Phone’s 2D homescreen, and you could be on the right lines.

Improved Apple Maps

The new look Apple Maps made without Google’s help was meant to be the tentpole feature of iOS 6: instead, it turned into a disaster. It was hopelessly inaccurate and out of date, and though the company’s worked hard to resolve this in the last year, we’re still finding shocking errors in British maps that make it effectively unusable. Apple really needs to up its game here, and come up with a solution that stops people running to the free and excellent Google Maps iPhone app.

A better Notification Center

If Google’s Android has been heavily influenced by iOS, the drop down notification tray on iPhone is the return favour. Unfortunately, it’s a poor man’s imitation of the powerful tool in Android “Jelly Bean”, which lets you read whole messages and reply to them or swipe them to the side individually. Apple’s take on it is slow, ungainly and full of wasted space – why it needs to re-arrange all your alerts in front of you is beyond us, and not everyone wants a Twitter shortcut, Apple – and desperately needs some more customisation options, not to mention a speed boost.

Siri for all

Siri has become something of a shorthand for a rare Apple failure, but we think that’s unfair. Voice control is very difficult to do well, and we think Apple’s personal assistant is one of the best examples of it yet. Apple really needs to unleash its true potential though by giving the keys to developers, and let them make all their apps work with the voice control killer.

iCloud that makes sense

Apple’s iCloud should make backup of all your vital data absolutely seamless, and something you can forget about completely. It’s a laudable goal, but here’s the thing: many iOS developers find that it simply doesn’t work still. Apple needs to fix things on the back end in a big way if it’s to become the default back-up service for your digital life that you can truly rely on.

Have we missed anything? Tell us what you’d most like to see in iOS 7 in the comments below! [Source]

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