On August 10, Apple released the fifth beta version of its next-generation mobile operating system, iOS 7, to developers. This release features many changes and improvements; however, Kyle Russell, a reporter for Business Insider, recently criticized 12 flaws still present in iOS 7 in an article—these are not bugs but rather design shortcomings or missing functionalities.
1. Inability to customize which camera app opens quickly from the lock screen
This quick access camera function is indeed great, but many people may prefer apps other than the default iPhone camera app, such as Instagram or Snapchat, which might be more popular—why not allow users to customize this?
2. Poor placement of the voice input button on the keyboard
The voice input button is located right next to the most frequently used space bar—there have been countless times when I accidentally pressed it while trying to type a space, and then you have to wait a second to exit out of it.
3. Poor signal reception in large cities
I spend most of my time in San Francisco and New York City, where the signal is notoriously bad. Perhaps there isn't much that can be improved on the software side, but I hope the new iPhone coming out this fall doesn't lose signal as easily.
4. Ugly new icons
The Safari, Photos, and Game Center icons are particularly poor.
5. Siri lags far behind Google Now
Siri is decent, and the Notification Center in iOS 7 is indeed better than previous versions. However, after using Google Now on Android and the iOS version of Google Search, Siri seems lackluster by comparison.
6. Unable to change the default email application
The default Mail app in iOS 7 has certainly improved, but my favorite email app is Mailbox. It would be great if I could choose which email app to use when sharing photos from the Photos app.
7. Terrible autocorrect with no option for alternative keyboards
Apple's autocorrect is famously terrible, so why not allow users to switch to other keyboards like on Android? I hope there will be Swype-like keyboard options available on the iPhone.
8. Lack of widgets
Unlike Android, iOS still does not support customizable shortcuts or widgets.
9. Battery life needs improvement
This is perhaps one of the biggest complaints among smartphone users. Smartphones are powerful, but these features often drain the battery before you get home. If Apple could ensure that the battery of the next generation iPhone lasts all day, I would buy it immediately.
10. Cannot change the default browser
I use Google Chrome on both my desktop and iPhone, but Apple does not allow Chrome to be set as the default browser. Therefore, when clicking links in emails, Twitter, or apps, they automatically open in Safari instead of Chrome. This means, if I want to open and bookmark a link from an email in Chrome, I have to click at least three times—this wastes a lot of time for those who spend a lot of time online.
11. Cannot leave group text conversations
Once someone adds me to a group text conversation, I cannot choose to leave and must keep receiving group texts until no one sends any more. Although the ability to block numbers is a big improvement in iOS 7, I hope to be able to directly avoid being bombarded with group texts.
12. Backup process needs improvement
Wireless backup is a great new feature, but backing up to the cloud takes too long. Why can't users specify which parts of the content they want to back up? For example, restoring only text messages, etc.