iOS 7

Messages app gets timestamps, contact photos, and other UI enhancements in iOS 7 beta 2

Cody Lee ∙ June 24, 2013

Earlier today, Apple released the second beta of its next-generation mobile operating system, iOS 7, to developers. The update comes exactly two weeks after the original beta of iOS 7 was released, and brings with it a number of new features and improvements.

Thus far we've covered the revamped Voice Memos app and new Siri voices, and now we're going to talk about the different changes in the stock Messages app. Apple has added contact photos to group conversation threads and a few other UI enhancements...

Siri gets new male and female voices in iOS 7 beta 2

Cody Lee ∙ June 24, 2013

One of the more prominent changes we've seen has to do with Siri, Apple's snarky digital assistant. Not only has it gotten smarter, but in beta 2 the virtual secretary received new voice templates. You can now choose from a male or female voice in several languages...

Voice Memos app returns in iOS 7 beta 2

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

A few moments ago, Apple released the second beta of its next-generation mobile operating system, iOS 7, to developers. The first beta, which was released two weeks ago today, featured a number of UI changes and new features. And today's update adds to that.

One of the bigger changes we've noticed in beta 2 is that Apple has re-added the stock Voice Memos app. The utility was missing from the original iOS 7 release, leaving some folks to speculate that Apple was getting rid of it all together. But that's not the case...

iOS 7 beta 2 is out: brings iPad support and other features

Cody Lee ∙ June 24, 2013

Apple has seeded the second beta of iOS 7 to developers this morning. The update comes exactly two weeks after the initial version of the new firmware was released, following the company's annual WWDC keynote.

The change log hasn't been released yet, but the consensus seems to be that this update is likely more about speed and performance improvements than about adding major new features or making significant changes...

If history is any indication, iOS 7 Beta 2 could drop today

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 24, 2013

It's been two weeks since Apple released the first beta of iOS 7 to its registered developers. A lot has been written about it and way more ink will be spent as subsequent betas get released and thoroughly tested before iOS 7 is eventually ready for prime time this Fall. If history is anything to go by and if you trust reliable sources in the know, today is the day iOS 7 Beta 2 arrives.

If iDB is part of your daily routine, you should be among the first to know when a new beta hits Apple's servers. Also, count on our resident team to take a closer look at the new beta and report back about everything there is to know about feature changes.

Stay tuned...

Accessory vendor bypasses iOS 7 Lightning check

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

One of the little-known features of iOS 7 that not many people will like is its background check of whether or not a third-party accessory is hooked up to the your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad using a non-certified Lightning cable.

We've know Apple has tightened its MFi program rules (MFi stands for 'Made for iDevice') and iOS 7 seems to be stepping up a cat and mouse game between Apple and non-MFi vendors....

Siri in iOS 7 getting better at pronouncing names

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 24, 2013

Not only is Siri getting a facelift and new features in iOS 7 as Apple continues to focus on improving her usability and the accuracy and reliability of the responses, she's also getting smarter thanks to backend changes which don't require a software update. For example, one of such server-side improvements is the ability to place phone calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to help save lives.

But there's one aspect of Siri that has seen little changes since her inception: inaccurate pronunciation of certain names. But no more. Although not specifically addressed during the WWDC 2013 keynote, it's been discovered that Siri can now initiate a learning process of sorts whenever it has trouble understanding your pronunciation of a person's name...

How iOS 7 makes auto-correct better

Sébastien Page ∙ June 20, 2013

I'd be lying if I said I've never been embarrassed by a text message I sent containing an accidentally auto-corrected word. I'm sure you've been there too. It can be embarrassing, or it can be hilarious, depending who's receiving the message and what's being said, but at the end of the day, it's something that could have been prevented should your iPhone auto-correct be a little smarter.

And smarter it appears to be in iOS 7! Christian touched on this earlier today with a post on how the keyboard features in iOS 7 have gotten smarter, but I'd like to focus a little more on auto-correct with a few real life examples and comparison points with iOS 6...

A closer look at smarter keyboard in iOS 7

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 24, 2018

The iOS virtual keyboard has seen little changes since the iPhone's inception six years ago. Apart from a few baby steps here and there, each new major iOS release has brought little in terms of improving the typing experience on iPhones, iPads and iPods.

In turn, developers have readily stepped up their game with a number of keyboard-focused tweaks for jailbroken devices in order to, you know, just keep pace with Android. Virtual keyboard in iOS 7 is of course translucent and like other frosty panels seen throughout the system shows heavily blurred content underneath to an arguably stunning effect.

Apart from the visual updates, we have noticed a few under-the-hood improvements in iOS 7 seemingly aimed at making the iPhone's predictive keyboard smarter. Go past the fold for the full breakdown...

Apple testing system-wide integration of LinkedIn in iOS 7

Cody Lee ∙ June 18, 2013

Move over Twitter and Facebook, it looks like Apple is planning to add a third social network to the system-wide share sheet in iOS 7. According to code-based references found inside the first beta, the company is testing deep LinkedIn integration.

Similar to the setup with the two aforementioned networks, the code points to a single-sign-on system for LinkedIn accounts. This would allow users to easily post content, such as Web URLs, to LinkedIn from native and third party applications...

Video claims to show off iOS 7 running on iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 18, 2013

A video is making rounds on the web claiming to depict iOS 7 running on an iPad. iDB was recently tipped of its existence and although we couldn't verify its authenticity, we've decided to post it for the sake of discussion. The clip runs one minute and 32 seconds long and looks genuine, showcasing what running the iOS 7 user interface and stock apps on a bigger canvas looks like (at least in the early stage of development).

We're unsure whether YouTube user Rozetked who posted video evidence has managed to hack iOS 7 to run on the device or if he got hold of an actual iPad build of the software. We'll let you be the judge, the clip is right after the break...

Social media roundup shows what people were talking about during WWDC

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 15, 2018

I follow quite a few developers, tech sites, tech writers and other worthwhile pundits on Twitter. So as you can imagine, my Twitter stream has been filled with talk of iOS 7, Jony Ive, and pretty much all things Apple over the past week.

And as it turns out, I'm not alone. According to a report from social media analytics firm Viral Heat, Apple was the talk of most major social networks last week. For example, over 400,000 tweets mentioned iOS 7. Infographic time!