What to Expect with iOS 7 and the iPhone 5S and IPhone 5C

A year ago I did not anticipate I would be here criticizing Apple but here I am criticizing Apple. As I have been following the iOS ecosystem since its inception, I have noticed a lack of innovation dating back to the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 5 failed to excite me and failed to win a lot of consumers as there were only two real advantages to upgrade: LTE and Retina Display.

So here we are with the September 10 event looming and we gotta wonder, what are we going to see with the next generation of iPhone and what will iOS 7 bring?

I want to go back to June 13 for just a moment and look at Apple’s Senior Vice-President of Product Marketing Phil Schiller..

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21zy13JsCYA

While he may be correct that Apple can innovate and has innovated in the past, there is definitely cause for concern that Apple has been unable to keep up to the competition. Take a quick look at the next few videos,  (of all the companies to poke fun at Apple, that these are courtesy of Microsoft)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrFxRj4gJOQ

And now my favourite:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG0yZLEPN_Y

 I have yet to be impressed with Microsoft Windows 8, I have to agree that several key flaws are pointed out and these are just a few. The list goes on and on. So in a nutshell, here are some things to consider this September.

Apple will be launching iOS 7 in September and if you own a supported Apple device, there is no choice but to update to iOS7 to receive any of the enhancements. While several enhancements will be noticed, an even larger number of changes may piss you off. 

I will give Apple some credit here as I am running the latest Beta 6 and perhaps there will be some major changes in Beta 7 and Gold Master..but who’re we kidding. If there has been 6 beta builds and we are still noticing major lag, its not going to be addressed.

The lag is noticed on any iOS device, including the latest and greatest iPhone 5 and also the iPad 4 and iPad Mini. The lag we are talking about is everywhere, from pressing the home button, to waiting for Safari to launch, to typing long emails. It just plain sucks! Our opinion of iOS 7 may be different than most, but here goes.. iOS7 is nothing more than a theme. A theme Apple is forcing down your throat and you have no say in the matter. It is one theme and it cannot be changed. While some may like the minimalist look, others don’t. Apple has done a great job getting senior citizens and toddlers used to the iOS operating system and well,  these changes may not be for them. Apple would have been smart to offer the ability to go back to the old GUI as well as embrace the new “theme”.

As well, simple tasks such as changing wallpaper or navigating through settings may take even more steps and is a longer process thanit was before. Change is supposed to be a good thing, but we are just not satisfied with what we see thus far.

The only positive thing we have noticed with iOS7 is the ability to track bandwidth usage by application, which was not present in iOS 6 but has been present for Android users since Ice Cream Sandwich. Especially with companies like Rogers Canada charging overage fees, now you will really be able to pinpoint which app was eating up your bandwidth.

The iPhone 5S has a lot to compete with and just recently we have been playing with the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One X and have to say are super impressed with the IR blaster included in both devices. This is now a standard feature on most new Android devices and quite frankly one of the most “innovative” technologies to incorporate. Don’t get me wrong, having a fingerprint scanner included in the iPhone 5S will be great, but its not innovative. Motorola did it with the first Atrix and they did it well. It was located on the back of the device mind you and not in the glass itself, but regardless this is something smartphone users have already seen. IF the iPhone 5S does not have an IR blaster, I think it will be a quick decision to switch to an Android device. Unfortunately we are not pleased with the availability of applications that BlackBerry and Microsoft Windows Phone have to offer.

Now, the iPhone 5S is rumoured to be announced on September 10 and there may be a lot of very surprised Canadians when they do the math. Since the CRTC made changes and now enforces a maximum 2 year contract, you will not see $169 costs for the iPhone 5S. Instead you will most likely see the cheapest iPhone 5S at $349 on a 2 year contract and that being the 16GB model. On top of that, if you signed a 3 year contract last year for the iPhone 5, don’t forget you are still locked in to that contract for the remaining 2 years and responsible for a $20/month cancellation fee putting the cost to pickup the iPhone 5S at well over $800!

 iOS 7 is in our opinion one of the worst mistakes Apple has made with Tim Cook at the helm. Brace yourself for change folks, and remember loyalty is not required.

UPDATE: A new video has surfaced showing a champagne colored iPhone 5S and a blue iPhone 5C. From the looks at the 0:14 second mark it looks like the hole of the sim tray is filled in with paint so there is a good chance this is fake, but to fuel the fire have a looksy.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Ib6NME-DE

About Jamie Forestell

Jamie Forestell is the Editor-in-chief and also the founder of Tek Tok Canada. His knowledge and aptitude for Technology led him to create a central website for all Canadians. His strong passion for the Technology world helps him stay abreast of leading-edge technologies and his desire to spread this information was the driving factor behind the creation of Tek Tok Canada.

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2 comments

  1. I’m using the ios 7 beta 6 on my iphone 5 and do not see any lag that you speak of. Did you do a clean install of the beta? My iphone 5 with ios 7 keeps up with my brothers HTC one very well. Also IR blasters on mobile phones is not “innovative” as you claim. Nokia flip phones had them for years (and yes you could control your TV with it.)

  2. The lag is present on all iOS devices. Simply pressing the home button and waiting for the fluid motion to commence. IR Blasters are not innovative, but are becoming standard on “smart” phones. I could do this 15 years ago with a watch but I am currently reviewing the Galaxy Note 8.0, the Galaxy S4, and the HTC One X all with capabilities of controlling my home theatre(s) with ease. And no silly dongle sticking out or having the use the device upside down. I think for the first time, the iPhone 5S will be a flop if the leaks and rumors are true. Not sure how champagne (gold) color or adding a finger print scanner will be enough to keep iPhone fans happy. Thanks for the comment Shane.

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