The Coolest Features In iOS 7

There’s so much buzz about smart phones and tablet devices we expect to see in the coming months that one of the most significant mobile developments of the year: Apple’s iOS 7 operating system. Sure, it’s exciting that the iPhone 5 will apparently be coming out in a gold/champagne color, and everyone’s excited for the next Samsung Galaxy device. But for the most part, rumors of new phones and tablets are actually limited in terms of specific features and upgrades. On the other hand, iOS 7 looks to be something of a game changer for Apple mobile products, and will make these devices more appealing and simpler (and more enjoyable) to use than ever. In addition to some basic design upgrades, here’s a look at some of the coolest features we’re about to have on our iPhones and iPads.

Control Center

If you’re like most iPhone users, there are a few little tasks that are always annoying. Having to go into “settings” to adjust brightness and turn WiFi on and off, for example, or having to scroll through your apps when you need a flashlight. These little annoyances will no longer be issues, thanks to Control Center. Basically, this is a new menu of utilities that appears when you swipe up from any screen on your phone or device. The Control Center handles brightness, WiFi, music, airplane mode, your flashlight, and a few other basic features you often need on the spot.

Photo Organization

This is a major pet peeve on Apple mobile devices. Simply put, the photo organization is dreadful (or really, non-existent). In fact, many iPhone and iPad users opt to simply hook their photos up to Sharefile, or whatever cloud service is preferable, to transfer them to a computer where they can be organized more easily. But now, organization on your devices will be easier. Photos are now automatically organized into “Years,” “Collections,” and “Moments.” A Year may include any number of Collections (such as, “trip to New York,” or “May Wedding”), and in turn, a Collection will have specific Moments.

AirDrop

You know that “Bump” feature that other smartphones are frequently boasting? It’s the one that allows the transfer of contacts, information, and other data merely by touching phones, and truth be told it’s pretty cool. Well, Apple is set to one-up this feature with “AirDrop,” which performs the same function, but through the air rather than physical contact. Your phone will recognize a compatible device and quickly share data through this fun new feature.

Notification Center

Much like the Control Center, this feature is available through a downward swipe on any screen. The Notification Center basically manages your day for you – putting all of your messages, alerts, appointments, notes and calendar in one easy pull down menu, all together. This may eclipse the need for popular calendar apps like Cal, and should make your devices all the more helpful and “smart.”