iOS 7 release could be less of a leap than anticipated

Although Apple’s iOS 7 is still some months away we have been discussing it for some time. One thing we have consistently talked about is the need for Apple to come up with something completely groundbreaking that will restore its reputation for innovation. Unfortunately it seems that some are not expecting iOS 7 to be as much of a leap forward as many of us are hoping for.

For some time we have been saying that Apple’s iOS 7 is becoming a little stale and how much we long for something to arrive that will wow us. As many of you will know, a new major upgrade to iOS usually arrives just in time for a new iPhone, thus last year’s iPhone 5 launched with iOS 6 that had just been introduced. It’s thought that the next iPhone will be the iPhone 5S and will run iOS 7 but that the phone will be more of a refresh than a big upgrade. However that hasn’t stopped many of us hoping for something that will knock our socks off, although that doesn’t look likely.
The iPhone 5S is rumored for a release in summer or fall and as we’ve pointed out is likely to launch already running iOS 7, which could be introduced as early as Apple’s WWDC in June. For some time now we have thought that although the next iPhone may not be a complete overhaul, there was a real need for Apple to come up with the goods for iOS 7 and following the official introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S4 there now seems even more need for that than previously, as the S4 will be its major competition.
It seemed to us that even if the iPhone 5S was nothing more than a slight refresh then iOS 7 could offer more excitement than the new phone itself, with some outstanding new software features that would be more interesting than the hardware of the iPhone 5. From comments to our previous stories we know that many people agree that Apple needs to show something that will captivate us with iOS 7 but it seems that plenty of us might be left feeling disappointed when it is finally revealed.
At a time when many investors are also hoping that iOS 7 will bring back Apple’s edge, some people with knowledge of the matter are already saying that it won’t be as revolutionary as many of us are hoping for. For example Thorsten Heins, BlackBerry CEO said earlier this week in an interview that the rate of innovation in the mobile industry is now so high that companies can lose their foothold in the market extremely quickly if they don’t keep up. Heins also spoke about how Apple’s iPhone user interface is now five-years-old and although Heins might not be exactly unbiased in what he says, he does have a point as the basic UI hasn’t changed that much.
Although nobody could accuse Heins of being neutral it seems that even people with Apple connections are feeling the same way. iOS developer Guy English when speaking to renowned Apple blogger John Gruber, also seemed to feel that there might not be any radical changes with iOS 7. English said, “Maybe iOS 8 will be interesting, but iOS 7 will be less of a leap than many people are hoping for.”
Maybe we should have expected this after all, especially considering Apple’s former hardware design guru Jonathan Ive was brought in along with Craig Federighi to work on iOS when Scott Forstall (Apple’s chief of iOS) was sacked last year following the Apple Maps debacle. When you consider that Ive and Federighi have only had a few months in their new roles then maybe it was too much to expect a completely revamped and breathtaking update for iOS this time around, although of course that may follow further down the line.
We’re really interested to hear what you have to say about this. Do you think that iOS 7 needs to be something that will grip consumer imagination and give Apple back its luster? If the iPhone 5S is nothing more than a minor refresh could a completely new-look iOS 7 keep customers interested? Let us know with your comments.
Source: The Motley Fool