Apple unveils iOS 7

Apple today unveiled iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone, featuring a stunning new user interface.

iOS 7 is completely redesigned with subtle motion, an elegant color palette and distinct, functional layers that make it feel more alive. The typography has been refined for a cleaner, simpler look, and the use of translucency and motion makes even simple tasks more engaging. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including control center, notification center, improved multitasking, airdrop, enhanced Photos, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio, a free internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes.

"iOS 7 is the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering.

To create it, we brought together a team with a broad range of expertise from design to engineering. With what we have been able to achieve together, we see iOS 7 as an exciting new beginning added Federighi.

"There is a profound and enduring beauty in simplicity, in clarity, in efficiency. True simplicity is derived from so much more than just the absence of clutter and ornamentation it's about bringing order to complexity," said Jony Ive, Apple's senior vice president of Design.

iOS 7 is completely redesigned with an entirely new user interface, but it will be instantly familiar to the hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users around the world. The new interface actually makes your phone appear bigger because everything is designed to take advantage of the entire screen. The redesigned fonts look amazing on the Retina display, creating even sharper text.

iOS 7 introduces control center. now the controls you want to access quickly are all in one convenient place. With just one swipe from the bottom of your screen, you have access to controls for airplane mode, wi-fi, bluetooth or do not disturb, and the ability to adjust screen brightness, pause or play a song, jump to the next track and stream your music with AirPlay. Control center also gives you instant access to apps such as clock, camera, calculator and the Flashlight.

With iOS 7, Notification Center is now available from the lock screen so you can see all your notifications with a simple swipe, and the new today feature in notification center gives you an at-a-glance view of your day with a summary of the important details such as weather, traffic, meetings and events.

With improved Multitasking in iOS 7, developers have the ability to enable any app to multitask in the background with a new API. Users have the ability to switch between their apps in a more visual and intuitive way, and iOS 7 pays attention to which apps you use most and automatically keeps your content up to date in the background.

AirDrop is an entirely new way to quickly and easily share content with people nearby. When you have got something you want to share, AirDrop shows you your contacts close by. Just select who you want to share with and AirDrop does the rest. AirDrop transfers are peer-to-peer so you can use it anywhere, without any network or set up required, and transfers are fully encrypted so your content is protected and private.

iPhones are used to take more photos around the world every day than any other camera, and with iOS 7 the new Camera app features filters so you can add real-time photo effects. The Camera app now includes a square camera option, and you can quickly and easily switch between your four cameras video, photo, square and panorama with just a swipe.

iOS 7 includes a redesigned Photos app that introduces moments, a new way to automatically organize your photos and videos based on time and location. You can zoom out to see all your photos organized by moments, collections of moments and Years.

iOS 7 includes iCloud photo sharing, the easiest way to share just the photos you want with just the people you want. With iCloud photo sharing, family and friends can contribute their own photos and videos to your shared photo streams, and the new Activity view displays updates from your shared streams all in one place.