The biggest change perhaps began when Apple senior industrial designer, Jonathan Ive, also took over iOS design, after former iOS chief designer Scott Forstall. This is big deal: it's the first time ever this happens in the Cupertino giant's realm. Never a designer had so much power in the company. Not coincidentally, iOS7 will be a departure from much we know about iOS. Expect a less skeuomorphic, more flat design. Ironically, something in the lines Microsoft has been doing for a while with its Windows Phone user interface. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57603350-37/behold-jonathan-ives-apple/)
Developers will have to adapt, and this adaptation period could lead to some trouble and this is a thing Apple should be a lot concerned with: since Android consolidated itself as serious competition - and market-share leader after that - one of the most heralded advantages of iOS devices to their usually cheaper Android alternatives was the solid rock stability of iOS, at the expense of user and developer's control of the environment. iOS has been up to now a safe and joyful garden with huge walls. Will costumers be willing to be inside this walls if it becomes not so safe and joyful? I don't think so, and neither do Apple, so they released tight rules for the App Store concerning the new iOS: in a few words, the apps which cannot adapt will be left out. I'm sure most developers had plenty of time to make the necessary changes with the various iOS7 betas, but it won't be surprising if a significant number of apps seem to be a little rushed out. (http://gigaom.com/2013/09/14/why-ios-7-forced-developers-to-redesign-their-apps-for-experienced-smartphone-users/)
So, we're all waiting. It will be exciting? It will be frustrating? Today we'll know.
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