The IT Nerd

I guess I now qualify as an Apple Fanboi.

I did something I usually avoid doing which is updating to the latest version of an OS the second it was available. My logic? I did a backup of my iPhone this AM (You do backup your iPhone to your computer? Right?). So I figured that worst case I could always restore that backup. So when 1PM EST time rolled around (as that’s when Apple tends to release software like this), I did an over the air update. Now, doing an upgrade over the air has some risks. but as long as you are on a stable Internet connection (preferably WiFi as that won’t cost you anything) and you have your phone plugged into AC power (I did), the risk level was low. Besides, I have a back up.

So, I downloaded iOS 7, which took about 45 minutes to download, verify the update, and begin the upgrade process. Now it might have been faster, but it likely wasn’t because Apple’s servers were getting hammered. After doing all that, my iPhone rebooted to a black screen with a white apple and a progress bar. It took about 10 or so minutes for the bar to go across the screen. Then it rebooted again to the same black screen with a white apple and a progress bar. This time the bar took about a minute to go across the screen and then iOS 7 appeared. After walking through a setup wizard, I was done.

That was painless.

I’m still getting used to the look and feel, but here are my early observations:

• It feels fast on my iPhone 5
• Apple seems to have “borrowed” a gesture from BlackBerry. You double click the home button to see all of your running apps. If you want to quit one, put your thumb on the app window and swipe up. Just like BlackBerry 10. Hmmm….
• Notes now communicates with Microsoft Exchange. In iOS 6 it did not. That’s a change quite a few of my customers will jump for joy over.
• Bluetooth got turned off when I upgraded. Thus I had to go to Control Center (swipe from the bottom of the screen to bring it up) to turn it back on.
• Apps now automatically update in the background.
• If you plug your iPhone into a computer, it will prompt you to trust this computer in order to share data. That’s a good security feature.
• The interface looks very clean. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but I do.

I’ll continue to use it for the rest of the day to get further impressions. If you’ve updated to iOS 7, post a comment to share your thoughts on this latest update from Apple.

UPDATE: Three other things I noted. There’s a option in SETTINGS -> CELLULAR that disables by default the ability to use cellular data when roaming. That will save you money if you travel. Not only that, but there is an option to enable and disable LTE as well. In some places, that might save you money. I also noted that syncing with Microsoft Exchange is MUCH faster under iOS 7 than on iOS 6.

UPDATE #2: If you look at the clock icon on iOS 7, the sweep hand actually moves and the time is accurate.

This entry was posted on September 18, 2013 at 2:36 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Apple, iOS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.