Why Apple is playing catch up with iOS 7

Bob Freking June 12, 2013 · 3 min read

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Apple 最近发布了他们最新的移动操作系统，iOS 7。预计将在九月左右结束测试版，并且它确实包含了许多诱人的新功能——但不知为何，我仍然感到犹豫。

iOS 7 lockscreen

iOS 7 锁屏看起来像是 ⟦PH1⟧ 手机和 ⟦PH0⟧ 的结合。

当我看到iOS 7的设计时，我立刻印象深刻。我的想法是尽快购买Windows 8笔记本，但现在我开始考虑是否应该改为购买iPad——因为这样我可以使用出色的应用商店，而不会拥有人们多年来已经熟悉的陈旧设计。

但我越是思考，就越想远离它。当我看到Apple实现的大多数新设计元素时，我意识到这些东西实际上已经在现有操作系统中出现了。

iOS 7 browser

iOS 左侧的 Safari，右侧的 Chrome

iOS 7 CONTACTS

iOS 左侧 7 位联系人，Google 右侧 Plus 用户

Now, I'm sure there are a lot more. For example, some iOS 7 buttons host a similar circular design to those of Windows Phone. Swiping messages and e-mails to show options to delete and more is also a combination of Android & Windows Phone. Not to mention, all the gaussian blur reminds me of Sailfish OS.

iOS 7 control bar notif

iOS 7 控制栏就像一个更漂亮的 TouchWiz 通知栏，从底部弹出。

在公司完成的所有这些事情中，我并不认为 iOS 7 是糟糕的。事实上，我觉得它很惊人——因为它吸取了其他平台的优点和缺点并加以改进。

“好艺术家模仿，伟大艺术家偷窃。”

我想说的是，Apple 做得不错——但还不够好。它仍然是我们所熟悉的受控且闭源的操作系统生态系统，只是换了一件不同的外衣。

iOS 7 multitasking

iOS 7 多任务改进了 HTC Sense 4.0 的多任务

这就是 iOS 7 对于大家来说；在设计和功能方面，与大型平台玩家的竞争已经平等了，但我们忘记了什么，对吧？

下一代 Android 与 Windows 手机尚未发布，Windows 8.1 正在路上，FireFox、BlackBerry 与 Sailfish 等新兴玩家尚未出现。Apple 目前管线中只剩下硬件（iPad 5、iPad Mini 2、下一代 iPhone）。

虽然我很想登上iOS号船，但我还不会这么做。

When is iOS 7 expected to leave beta?

iOS 7 is slated to leave beta near September.

What does the iOS 7 lockscreen resemble?

The iOS 7 lockscreen looks like a marriage between Windows Phone's and Android's.

What does the iOS 7 control bar resemble?

The iOS 7 control bar is like a prettier TouchWiz notification bar coming from the bottom.

React to this article:

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Bob Freking

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Bob Freking occasionally contributes articles to the website. He is a UST Graduate of Commerce & Business Administration, Major in Marketing Management, and a full-time Sith Lord with three dragons.

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108 Comments

Spade · 13 years ago

iphone5 user ako and i’m happy using it. Though gusto ko din bumili ng Samsung S4. Meron na akong android device,SGTABP1000. Notice ko lang talagang may occasional lag ang android pero siguro dahil low spec’d lang yung p1000 ko. Kaya gusto ko matry ang highend na device like S4.

Point is, it’s all about your wants or maybe your needs. Choose the phone that cater to you. Iba iba naman tayo ng trip sa buhay. Bashers are expected, ganyan tayo e, palagi gusto magaling.

I choose iPhone5 for its design, mind the OS stability. I’m eyeing the S4 because I am curious of the openness of the OS. Things like, music downloads and easy file transfers. Surely I can’t easily do those on my iPhone5 but as always I can stop for a couple of minutes and have it done. It’s not like I have to download music and transfer files all day. I guess you can’t argue that majority of smartphone users are those who “have a normal life.” Not all are like geeks and tech savvies. Majority didn’t even know what rooting,flashing,modding is. All that’s important for them is to have a smartphone capable of texting, making calls, surfing the net, taking pictures and then sharing it to social networks.

Again, it’s the design that made me fall in love. Tanggapin na natin ang katotohanan. The black iPhone5 is undeniably a “Pogi” phone.

exaflare · 13 years ago

I cant live with full of restrictions, kahit sa buhay natin ayaw din natin ng ganun.

same as my brother nasubukan na nya ang Ip3gs/Ip4/4s ng matagal pero kahit nagagandahan sya eh nag switch parin sya sa android lately lang nakipag swap sya from Xperia ZL add 2k to IP5 (increase value) then the same day to Xperia Z last, of course tinatanog ko sya kung bakit and he just replied “its because its IOS” what he means is “restrictions”

Anonimi · 13 years ago

Sarap talaga magbasa ng mga comments kapag yan ang topic.. Mga ayaw magpatalo. Lahat ng OS may pros and cons, may advantage at disadvantage, may superior and inferior in terms of features. Useless ang pinagyayabang niyo sa mas magaling yung isa o mas magaling yung isa kung hindi niyo namamaximize yung features ng devices niyo. Yung iba jan baka catt, text, facebook, instragram lang ang gamit sa phone nila tpos ang yabang sabihin na mas ok yung OS nila. Namimiss ko tuloy yung nokia 3210 ko. :D

aragorn · 13 years ago

nag minimalistic na rin pala ang iOS. when i first touch the iphone way back 2007, naging popular for its skeuomorphism ng designs ng os nya. ngayon sa iOS7, parang nakikitrend na sya sa WP using minimalist designs. from 2007 to late 2010, i used ios. from 2011 to early 2013, i had android. now recently, i got a month old WP8 na as my primary. i dont know if babalik ako sa ios, but honestly mukha sya talagang WP. sayang naman pagka retina display ng iphone kung hindi rich sa color/hues/gradient ang design interface ng OS.

Dan · 13 years ago

I don’t know why but the more I look at iOS 7 the more I’m liking it! I hated it at first but now I can’t for it to arrive! xD

landik · 13 years ago

I know Apple did a good job on establishing its name, and wishes they’ll have aces on new technology features for upcoming years. I love seeing Filipino people really into scrutinizing details on specs techs, but somehow what really remains on masses of Phil is affordability and usual functions. Kulang pa tayo sa internet network connections on other places and somehow we can’t exceed the limit features of the phone

Mash · 13 years ago

Being the first to have a feature doesn’t guarantee a good user experience — and it’s the experience that Apple has always prioritized. That philosophy was front and center in the video that Tim Cook used to kick off his keynote: The first thing Apple asks in designing products is not what they can do, but how they make the user feel. – Pete Pachal/Mashable

Gary Salvador · 13 years ago

Immitation is the highest form of flattery.. You know what makes people in here would probably hate? It’s the idea that apple would one day claim it as their “own” or original idea. They don’t say it yet but I think this is what other people are anxious about. For me, I’m happy with the ios as it is. Sana wag kalimutan ng apple na quality is still the differentiator. They don’t have to play catch-up if the small and basic things that brought them to where they are would be left-out.

Kent · 13 years ago

As long as Apple will send an update to my device, i will take it. I don’t want changing devices just to get the latest feature of a certain smartphone.

Even if not all features will be available in an older device, so be it. It’s still an OS update.

James · 13 years ago

“You don’t differentiate through your product’s feature set, its battery life or any other spec. The difference is emotional: Don’t just do something for me, but make me happy while doing it.”

http://mashable.com/2013/06/11/ios-7-apple/

PauloHahaha · 13 years ago

Mejo hater ang gumawa neto. first of all. yung second pic di yun Contacts. AirDrop tawag dun tol. ni di mo pa yata nakita yung contacts app ng Apple eh. & baket mo iccompare sa Google+? porket bilog yung Contacts Google+ na? Second. Di porket ginaya eh di na innovative. nagumpisa lang din ang android sa panggagaya sa Apple. tingin mo ba kung di dahil sa Apple maiisipan nila gumawa ng ganyang OS? tsaka oo ginaya. yung point kase dun eh mas maiimprove mo yung tnrash ng iba. like yung Multitasking ng Sense 4. and last but certainly not least. Kahit kelan di mananalo Apple sayo kase hater ka. Di open source like android? PERO KAPAG GINAWANG OPEN SOURCE SASABHIN MO PLAYING CATCH UP ULIT. SASABHIN MO GINAYA LANG ULIT ANDROID. Wag sanang biased tol. I know di ganun kaganda ang iOS 7 para sayo kase hater ka eh. may igaganda pa yan. umpisa palang yan eh. new beginning nga eh. alam naman naten strategy yan. na pag may bago kang ipapakita wag mong ilabas lahat ng alas mo. para may maupdate ka pa sa future.

gagah kah paulo · 13 years ago

Galit na galit si Ateng. Parang stockholder ng Apple hahaha!

Anonimi · 13 years ago

freedom of speech ang tawag jan iho. masyado ka judgemental, hater agad kasi panalo yung android sa blog niya? ikaw naman nagreact agad kasi fanboy ka?dalawang klase lang kasi yan kung bkit mas gusto ng isang tao ang android than iOS. Either nagamit na niya pareho and mas nagiging productive o mas gusto niya features ng android or hindi niya maafford ang iPhone. Muka bang hindi niya maafford ang iphone?.. Gnun din naman sa mga gusto ng iOS, either mas gusto nila yung feature or ayaw lang nila maging common na android user. Isusulat ng author lahat ng gusto niya kasi yun ang opinion niya, kaya ikaw naman allowed ka magcomment ng side mo. Kaya wag ka maxado highblood kasi naaalipusta yung OS ng device mo..hehehe..

rhk111 · 13 years ago

Steve Jobs is dead, and Apple is slowly but surely dying. Its like watching a train wreck in slow motion …

fr0stbyte · 13 years ago

I think what most of us are trying to say is that there are a percentage among us that chose adapted Android smartphones and are heavily invested on its ecosystem. The “new” features that iOS 7 will be having in a couple of months is not at all compelling to us because we already had some of those half a decade ago. Why should we switch to using Apple products now? And the fact remains, they were late to the table and while we on Android land have been enjoying such features for the past few years, those who are on iOS had an old, stale OS to use because Apple didn’t know any better. They are just playing catch up this year. It’s as plain and simple as that. Not to mention those “innovative new features” look a lot like Android and Windows Phone.

Anonimi · 13 years ago

I agree with this. The problem is that apple user cannot accept these facts specially those who does not yet experience the android OS in an high end device.

rocketlog · 13 years ago

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, Apple did good – but not good enough. It’s still the well-controlled & closed-sourced OS-ecosystem that we know, only wearing a different shirt.”

While agree with the first statement, the second one seems a bit off. What would you have Apple do? Change iOS into an unregulated open-source system? That would definitely break the whole sytem.

I also think Apple did not really innovate in this year’s iOS update. It improved by “cherry picking” ideas from its competition. Something that would probably start a legal battle if it went the other way, but that’s beside the point. Copying or no copying, I do believe iOS7 is better than iOS6 (this is why I say there’s improvement) but it does not bring anything new to the table (and here’s why I say it did not innovate this time around).

I still believe that Apple has a solid OS design principle in place. It gives people who are not too keen on tweaking their device settings a good default setup.

I’m an Android fan, and I don’t see myself switching to iOS anytime soon because I’ve grown used to the customization options that Android gives, but I do see how frustrating it can be to have to go through hoops to setup Android for those who only want an optimized device from the start.

iOS makes a lot of the decisions on how your device runs, and that’s not a bad thing. While it restricts your options, it does keep the device working smoothly.

Android on the other hand, let’s you choose how your device runs and the choices are only limited by how deep you want to go into tweaking your device. But this is a double-edged sword. While you get to enjoy the freedom of personalizing your device, you also run a higher risk of making a setup that does not run quite as smoothly as it should.

—

TLDR version: I like both Android and iOS and fanboys should just learn to respect the preference of other people. Oh, and I wish for world peace (starting with ending mobile patent wars).

weneklek · 13 years ago

dear author,
you said
” I guess what I’m trying to say is, Apple did good – but not good enough. It’s still the well-controlled & closed-sourced OS-ecosystem that we know, only wearing a different shirt.”

well sir, the well-controlled & closed-sourced OS-ecosystem is what gives IOS the “harmony” it has. Minsan talaga kailangan natin ng control, kasi kung masyadong madaming freedom e, na giging chaotic na, tipong labo labo na ba lahat? parang ang gulo gulo na. pede ito pede iyan, ang dami dami na pero di naman lahat napapakinabangan, gina gawa lang para mapatunayan na kaya palang gawin.

pero siyempre, sa mundo ng mga software’s e mayroon naman talagang freedom kaya karapatan ng mga consumers pumili ng gusto nilang ios. :) ika nga ni Manong Johnny e. “Gusto ko happy ka” *wink

weneklek · 13 years ago

*os

Goiz · 13 years ago

sige pa. mag-away pa kayo. SHABU PA!! bakit kasi hindi nalang maging masaya na gumaganda na ang OS. Kahit matagal na implemented sa iba. So? Hindi naman kayo pinagnakawan. Actually, mag bebenefit nga ang mga users eh. Hindi din ako fanboy as I have my 2 year old Galaxy s II

kapalfez · 13 years ago

One thing lang, ang kapal ng fez ng author na to, such a ios hater! Sino ka sa akala mo? Sambang samba ang android ah lol. Anyway, yung naka quite pala ang motto mo kaya kopya ka ng kopya sa ibang blog site, well wala ka mararating kung puro kopya ka lang at one sided author kang dork ka! Hahahahaha

juan · 13 years ago

You guys asked for it. Apple gave it.

Jaize · 13 years ago

Wait just a minute, you guys were basically the people in the first place who wanted these changes to happen to iOS because you feel that iOS isn’t “modern enough” or that kind of stuff. But now that it’s arrived, you hate on it? Oh, how the world suffers.

ROA · 13 years ago

I’m not an Apple fan, but I can’t deny the superiority of the material of their products as compared to others (well, maybe except the fragility of the screens). However, in terms of software, Apple really had the head start with it, but I think they slacked too much and allowed Android to develop more features and innovations. This time, Apple will look like the one who copied from Android after years of it being the other way around.

Hidden · 13 years ago

My 2cents, I like it, and won’t settle for GENERIC Software available to all kinds of low profile phones.

DroidiOS · 13 years ago

Don’t bother boarding the ship bob, you’ll never be satisfied. By the time you are ready to board, android and windows will come up with something new, then you’ll end up writing an article why ios is not as good as the other mobile OSes and then bashers will pour in

Digest · 13 years ago

Catch-up?

Baka tong blog-site na to ang nag ccatch-up ng news sa ibang sites. hahaha

Catch-up yuga. ^^V

LoL · 13 years ago

@Digest…and yet you read their articles… :p

jjj · 13 years ago

limited na mga idea pag dating sa mobile OS kaya most likely makakapareho na lng mga yan.pag iisipin kasi parang wala ng better idea na iimplement ang ibang mga features.improvements na lang..everyone copies each other.

abuzalzal · 13 years ago

It looks basically like a skinned Android lol

Taena, pag may nanggaya ng konti sa kanila , LAWSUIT agad…malinaw na malinaw na Android/WP-inspired yung iOS7

K · 13 years ago

Again, its android who based their platform from the first IOS and can’t even stabilize its releases because of bugs. Please do not use harsh words here for we are just merely spectators. iOS devices does not need to bump on their devices just to transfer files.

Yuga · 13 years ago

Youre right K. But i devices NEED a computer or an internet connection to transfer them right?
iDevices cant make use the most basic functionality of bluetooth.

lolwut · 13 years ago

@K – “iOS doesnt need to bump devices to get files transferred”

clearly you haven’t experienced the convenience of it, come back to a better argument when iOS allows sharing music files through bluetooth…

abuzalzal · 13 years ago

My point is….Apple should stop acting like a whining kid whenever a portion of their iOS features gets borrowed (or stolen)

These drop/drag down menus and instant access to specific settings are undoubtedly Android….ngayon, naisip na ba ng Apple ito nung lumabas ang iOS nung 2007? Nope

Bigayan lang dapat yan,,ang problema sa Apple ayaw nilang bumigay eh, dinadaan agad sa demandahan

magic5 · 13 years ago

Koya YUGA n lolwut, bka copyright infringement po twag dun kya bwal mgpasa ng music or video file via bluetooth?? Anu po sa tingin nyo? Basa basa dn pag my time, mag aral muna bgo mag yabng.. try mo po ibang files, try mo pasa muka mu, tgnan ntn kung my maihhrap ka d2 sa site mo.?? Hehe.. peace yoh!

jacob · 13 years ago

@Magic5: sagot ng bobo. kailangan ba palagi pirated music ang ipapasa? puede naman demo ng sariling banda, o recording ng anak niya na kumakanta ng “Mary had a little lamb.” O picture ng kanyang bagong Ford Ranger humaharabas sa bulubundukin. O yung .doc/.pdf file na kailangan basahin para sa presentation sa susunod na araw. sino ngayon mukhang tanga?

magic5 · 13 years ago

@jacob.. IKAW!!! Bli ka muna iphone bgo ka mgkomento d2 tanga! Bka kht cm flare wla kng pmbili.. haha

jacob · 13 years ago

@magic5: kawawa ka naman. kailangan mo pa magkunwaring mayaman. hinde mo naman sinagot tanong ko. kailangan ba pirated lang ipapasa ng bluetooth? matuto ka muna magbasa lumalabas kabobohan mo. tapos pag marunong ka na magbasa, matutuo ka mag-spelling ha. mas maayos pa spelling ng mga driver ko sayo. at saka nagkaroon na ako ng iphone 5, libre sa plan ko. binenta ko pagkatapos ng isang buwan nung napansin ko mga bobo at bakla lang gumagamit.

Lexty · 13 years ago

“Again, its android who based their platform from the first IOS and can’t even stabilize its releases because of bugs. Please do not use harsh words here for we are just merely spectators. iOS devices does not need to bump on their devices just to transfer files.”

Welcome to file sharing.. now the worlds most advance OS learns shortcuts and file sharing! bravo!

totoy bato · 13 years ago

Apple is playing catch up with iOS 7 because they can’t innovate anymore since the day Steve Jobs died. Steve Jobs is the innovative heart and soul of Apple. Without him, I expect these kinds of things to happen: lack of innovation and playing catch-up. No person could ever replace Steve Jobs.

They needed to play catch up because they knew that most of the things that people want nowadays are found on Windows Phone 8 and Android. Seriously, Apple can’t innovate anymore.

K · 13 years ago

appleseed · 13 years ago

cant innovate? well, ios lang pinaguusapan totoy. how about osX? bakit walang nag babash dun? have you tried it? and ill tell you its freakin amazing. macbook air? macbook pro? its industry standard. and now this…
http://www.apple.com/mac-pro/

im sure mag gagayahan na naman sa design and concept ang mga ibang yan. Dont ever say na apple cant innovate. Watch the opening keynote and from there makikita mo yung principle ng apple. Peace! :)

totoy bato · 13 years ago

Nobody bashes OSX because not everyone is familiar with it. In general, if you were to take a look at Apple’s current products, you will surely feel that they don’t have the “innovative vibe” they used to have.

It’s impossible to bash OSX because it has improvements when they’ve updated it. But this, the iOS 7, isn’t something I could call an improvement because most of the “new features” here are already present on other OS. They copied.

I’m an Apple fan but I really hate to admit that the innovation we used to love has died together with Steve Jobs. The times are changing and Apple should act more aggressive if they want to take the Smartphone market again.

totoy bato · 13 years ago

@appleseed
Oh, I just like to add up this:
Improvement != Innovation

Hope you understand what this means.

JOHNNY IVE · 13 years ago

Well just for you to understand, innovation is not just creating new ideas, its also about getting old ones and reimagining and improving it. I agree that Apple take some inspirations from other OS, but the good thing there is they make all those inspirations truly apple-ish. Afterall, iOS 7 is just a beginning of the new phases that will come to iOS.

PS: Cant you just be happy because the competition is getting better and more exciting!

JOHNNY IVE · 13 years ago

“Oh, I just like to add up this:
Improvement != Innovation”

As you can see, iOS 7 really shows a lot of improvements….so what you are trying to say is it also shows a lot of innovation?

your comments are quite perplexing…

K · 13 years ago

But at the end of the day. an Apple product is not something that you need, but because its slick and nice, you would want it.

Simpleng “hindi ko kailangan yan pero gusto ko ng ganyan”

This is what Apple is made of and after all, the ihpone is the most user friendly phone I’ve used because pag nagkanda wala wala kana sa loob ng iOS, all it takes is a home button to take you back where you were.

Kabayan · 13 years ago

Can’t innovate anymore my ass! – Phil Schiller

Yan lang sasabihin sa’yo nang Apple!

sylv3rblade · 13 years ago

so how do change volume levels per program in OSX?

On multimonitor setups, can you enter full screen mode without having the other monitors become useless (ie displaying nothing)?

totoy bato · 13 years ago

@JOHNNY IVE
It seems like you need to learn some programming 101. The statement “!=” stands for “not equal”.
Do your homework first.

And I never said that improvement is equals to innovation. I actually said the opposite. So pity that not everyone here knows even a single thing about comparison symbols in programming.

totoy bato · 13 years ago

@JOHNNY IVE
Google the term “not equal in programming” and you’ll know what I meant in my statement.

lolwut · 13 years ago

@appleseed – Innovation is defined as something “new”, what Apple is making is “to improve something that is already existing. Please set your facts straight before arguing that Apple is on top of the lead for innovation. When it comes to marketing and image branding, I guess Apple leads that sector.

I use OSx at work and I don’t find it amazing, I can do the same job on a Windows computer with same specs and cheaper price tag. I don’t need facebook integration on OSX, I can get better service with email on a Chrome browser than Safari. No one bashes on OSX because it is not a standard unlike Windows, same philosophy why OSX doesn’t get a lot of virus, but it is not virus proof as what they want it to call. It’s just that hackers won’t waste their time on things that won’t get much attention. Mac OSX userbase doesn’t compare to Windows as what I’m saying.

appleseed · 13 years ago

@sylv3rblade, watch mo yung latest keynote and your questions will be answered (eg. multi monitor set ups) :)

@lolwut , the latest mac pro is something new regarding the design. if you don call that innovation ewan ko na lang kung ano tawag mo dun. kung improvement yun, it will be the same old, big and heavy mac pro design with bumped up specs :p

mind you @lolwut , the new mac pro is almost less than half the size of the old mac pro. im just saying this kasi im getting my facts straight.

appleseed · 13 years ago

@lolwut and i also I use OSx at work and I find it amazing. kanya kanya lang yan :)galing ako sa windows, i still use it but OSX is easy to use. opinon mo yun, at opinion ko to kaya wala tayong problema dun :)