Apple
has unveiled new-look software for its phones and tablets, in a move
that chief executive Tim Cook said was “the biggest change to iOS since
the iPhone.”
With Apple also announcing a music
streaming service and new computers, the event was seen as a blunt
rebuke to Apple’s critics. Senior Vice-President Phil Schiller said
simply: “Can’t innovate any more, my ass.”
iOS 7 will feature a new “flat” design
that drops references to real world objects — such as a snooker table
for its games centre — and replaces them with an interface that is
crisper and far more modern in appearance.
Emphasising a mixture of new features
and familiarity, the company claimed users who downloaded the free
upgrade when it was released in the autumn would feel “like they had a
whole new phone, but one they already know how to use.”
The new iTunes Radio service will allow
users to build radio stations around their existing iTunes libraries,
with Apple suggesting what further music they might like on the basis of
their previous purchases. The service will be supported by adverts for
most users, or be ad-free for subscribers.
Apple also unveiled new computers aimed
both at existing laptop users, with a new Macbook Air that offers
battery life of up to 12 hours but still does not feature the
touchscreens increasingly offered by Microsoft, and a new Pro computer
aimed at video editors that is just one-eighth of the size of its
existing model.
The iOS upgrade went further than many
analysts had expected, with improvements to Apple’s Safari web browser
as well as a look that rewrites popular apps including weather and the
notifications centre. A new swipe gesture also changes how the email
application works.
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