New Apple iOS 7 software that will dramatically change the way iPhones look is launched today - but will loyal customers like the radical new design?
- - The new software has had a design 'overhaul' with flatter, sharper icons
- - It will be rolled out to handsets in stages from around 6pm UK time
- - Beta versions have been available since iOS 7 was announced in June
- - As well as a new look it has added new Control and Notification Centres
- - Other extra features include an updated photo stream and AirDrop sharing
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Apple customers worldwide will be given the option to download the company’s latest operating system today, called iOS 7, which is being hailed as a new beginning for the firm.
Everything from email to the calendar, texts, phone keypad, photos and notes will look and work differently when the software is rolled out in stages to various handsets starting at around 6pm UK time.
Importantly, traditional icons have been scrapped under the redesign masterminded by Apple's British design chief Sir Jonathan Ive.
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Apple's iOS 7 software, right, has been designed to make the iPhone appear bigger, with features deliberately designed to take advantage of the entire screen. Text on iOS 7 appears sharper than on iOS 6, pictured left
Apple's iOS 7 software, pictured, is available for customers from 18 September. It has been in beta release since June. The Airdrop feature lets users share photos, video and contacts simply by clicking share and selecting a fellow iOS 7 user from a contacts list. A similar feature is already available for Mac computers
The new iOS 7 Control Centre, pictured, allows users to adjust settings and playback with just one swipe from the bottom of the screen
Ive introduced iOS 7 as an 'important new direction' when he showcased the software at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco earlier this year.
The operating system has a cleaner look than its predecessors and has been described by Apple’s CEO Tim Cook as 'the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone.'
Its launch this week coincides with the release of two new iPhones - set to go on sale from Friday.
The iPhone 5C comes in five colours and is a plastic version of the current iPhone 5 model. It was dubbed a low-cost alternative but has been criticised for still being too expensive in certain regions.
Apple's iPhone 5S is a high-end model that has a fingerprint scanner built into the phone's home button.
It also comes with a 64-bit chip designed to make switching between apps and using the handset and software smoother and faster.
Apple's iOS 7 has been designed to make the iPhone appear bigger, with features deliberately designed to take advantage of the entire screen on iPhones and iPads.
This has been criticised as Apple's attempt to rival phones with larger, five-inch and upward screens including Samsung's Galaxy S4 and the Note 3.
Text on iOS 7 appears sharper, while a Control Centre on the phone allows users to adjust settings with just one swipe from of the screen.
DOES APPLE'S IOS 7 MAKES THE IPHONE MORE SECURE THAN EVER?
The iPhone 5s has a built-in fingerprint scanner that reads a users' prints using the home button.
Touch ID replaces an App Store password when buying music, apps or books.
It uses a 'laser cut sapphire crystal' to take a high-res image scan and the Touch ID software in iOS 7 determines whether the print belongs to the owner or not.
Apple reassured users that the feature is secure by explaining 'all fingerprint information is encrypted and stored securely inside the device's chip' adding the prints are not stored on an Apple server, or backed up to iCloud.
Concerns were raised that it could lead to thieves taking drastic action, such as cutting off people's fingers, in order to access a phone.
Yet, Apple's sensor is 'capacitive' which means that it will only work with live fingers that have a recognisable pulse.
Additional new iOS 7 security features include a Find My iPhone Activation Lock, that asks for an Apple ID and a password before the feature can be disabled.
This means if a phone is stolen, the thief can't stop the original owner from being able to locate it. It will also prevent people from deleting data from the handset.
The firm has also made password manager apps redundant by introducing an encrypted iCloud Keychain folder that automatically and securely stores multiple account logins and passwords.
It can save credit card details, too.
John Smith, security architect at Veracode told MailOnline: 'At launch the iPhone 5S fingerprint reader will only support unlocking the device and Apple ID logins.
'This does raise the bar for users who don’t currently have a device unlock password but enterprise users will already be required to use either a PIN or password to unlock their device so the improvement will be less significant for them.
'What remains to be seen is whether fingerprint authentication will be extended over time to protect access to the most sensitive information on the device such as corporate email.'
This gives instant access to settings including Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Do Not Disturb, and resembles the jump bar on the Android operating system. Apple users can also control music playback from this menu.
Additionally, iOS 7 has a feature called Today that gives an at-a-glance look at the day ahead. The menu can also now be opened while the screen is locked.
It shows live weather and traffic information, for example, updated in real-time as well as birthdays or upcoming events.
Individual apps can also be controlled and closed by double-clicking the 'home' button and swiping up in iOS 7.
Apple's updated photo feature has added Years, Collections, and Moments that groups images and videos together based on when and where they were taken.
The software is being launched to coincide with the release of two new iPhones - set to go on sale from Friday. The iPhone 5C comes in five colours and is a plastic version of the current iPhone 5 model. Apple's iPhone 5S, pictured, is a high-end model that has a fingerprint scanner built into the phone's home button
HOW TO UPGRADE TO IOS 7?
The full list of devices that support iOS 7 include iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display, iPad Mini, and the iPod Touch 5th generation.
Be aware that some features won’t work on all devices.
Before installing new software, make sure music, photos, contacts, files and more are backed up using iTunes and iCloud.
Backup options can be accessed by going to Settings, General and iCloud.
It's also worth making sure that the handset and any associated computers are running the most up-to-date version of iTunes 11.0.5, as well.
To download iOS 7, go to Settings, General, Software Update.
Click Download when the option appears and then Install - it may not appear straight away because Apple rolls out the software in stages.
Apple is expected to release iOS 7 at around 10am PST/1pm EST - which is around 6pm in the UK.
When taking shots, budding photographers can also now focus using the volume down key on the side of the handset, while the volume up button takes the picture.
Elsewhere, a Notification Centre can be accessed even when the phone is locked, so users can see new email, Facebook or Twitter notifications, among others, by swiping the menu down.
Apple has also introduced an AirDrop tool to share content - which is said to be fully encrypted - with shows nearby contacts. A similar feature already exists on Macs.
The move will inevitably be controversial among people who have become used to the current icons and the associated touchscreen controls.
The initial reaction to the software update was negative, with some analysts claiming it could prove costly for Apple fans.
However, following beta releases, people who have installed and used it have branded it 'incredible' and so good it 'feels like getting a new handset.'
The move will inevitably be controversial among people who have become used to the current icons and the associated touchscreen controls.
During the release, Apple will also change the way the devices emit and use light to illuminate the screen.
At the moment the impression is given to suggest a light is shining down on the screen and virtual keyboard, however, the new software creates the idea of the light glowing from beneath the screen.
Traditional icons and services on iOS 6, such as the weather app pictured left, are being scrapped under the redesign masterminded by Apple's' Brit designer Sir Jonathan Ive. The right image shows the new weather app
These images compare the current calendar app, left, with the updated iOS 7 design, pictured right
People who have seen the new operating system in use suggest it makes the devices glow like an orb.
Explaining the change, Sir Jonathan said the key to the new look is simplicity: 'I think there is a profound and enduring beauty in simplicity, in clarity, in efficiency. True simplicity is about bringing order to complexity.
'iOS7 is a clear representation of these goals. It has a whole new structure that is coherent and is applied across the entire system.
'We have considered the tiniest details, like refining the typography to much larger ones like redesigning all the icons. We have also incorporated a whole new palate of colours.'
In regards the new hardware, the fingerprint reader on Apple's top-end iPhone 5S received an early thumbs up for ease of use from two influential reviewers, helping dispel concerns about the scanning technology which has been notoriously unreliable in other cellphones.
Apple's iCloud software has also been redesigned, pictured. Before installing the new software, customers are being advised to make sure music, photos, contacts, files and more are backed up using iTunes and iCloud. Backup options can be accessed by going to Settings, General and iCloud
The new iTunes Radio streaming service, pictured will only be available to U.S phones when it launches. It lets users stream radio stations on and create playlists
Apple's scanner is seen as a first step toward realising the 'full potential for biometrics in personal electronics, heightening security for applications like banking and shopping while doing away with multiple passwords.'
'The best part is that it actually works - every single time, in my tests,' wrote reviewer David Pogue of the New York Times.
'It's nothing like the balky, infuriating fingerprint-reader efforts of earlier cellphones. It's genuinely awesome; the haters can go jump off a pier.'
The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg was also enthusiastic, calling it simple and reliable.
But he noted that the gadget would inexplicably prompt him for a password when swiping a finger to make purchases, which he blamed on a bug.
'I have come to like it and consider it a step forward, despite a few issues,' he said of the overall device.
However, he argued that owners of the previous-generation iPhone 5 may not have a compelling reason to buy the latest device unless they specifically wanted the fingerprint reader.
Many industry analysts view the iPhone 5S and the cheaper 5C as being modest improvements on the previous generation, reviving fears that Apple's most innovative days may be behind it.
They said the mere fact of a fingerprint scanner was unlikely by itself to make the gadget a sure win in a crowded market.
Apple has embedded the scanner into the iPhone's home button, while other mobile devices usually have it on the back or the top of the device, such as on Motorola's Atrix handset, making it more awkward for the user and increasing the number of failed attempts.
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