A commentator noted, “Just because Steve is gone does not mean it is party time.” The recent release of Apples iOS 7 for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad left me a bit bewildered; the colors were wild and untamed.

This change up was certainly a different path from prior iOS interfaces and unfortunately it’s not for the better. It seems Jonathan Ive, Apple’s head designer found color for the first time and (and a color for you, and for you, and crazy colors for everyone) enthusiastically shared it.

The new iOS7 Interface

After going over iOS’ new interface, I can see the start of an exodus away from the iPhone. For too long we’ve been mesmerized by the supposed beauty and precision aesthetic its design. We marveled at its sharp and curved beveled edges and called it the holy grail of all that is good in the world.

The iPhone is indeed captivating; it mesmerized, captured, and carried us off into the Apple wonderland ecosystem. Well now my eyes are clear, the spell is broken, and I see by the light of iOS’7 new interface, the mad spell I’d been in.  With all that said, I do own an iPhone with this new fangled operating system, and here are some things that are not so great about it.

1. The cartoony colors of bright pinks, greens, blues, seem more suited for children with ADD. The new interface demands too much attention with its vivid colors and white sprawling real estate.
2. There hasn’t been a change with the release of the iOS7, rather it seems that Apple’s designers went bonkers on adding colors. Appearances were changed, though performance is relatively the same or slower due to the requirements of the new OS.
3. Simplicity is good and in most cases admired, though the simplistic aesthetic of the new iOS7 is flat and stale, just like the new icons.
4. The battery life is significantly decreased. Imagine having to recharge your phone 4 times within a 12-hour period, its reality now.
5. iOS7’s new interface animation generally slows down the whole experience and leaves you with time to think on why you upgraded.

The Apple spell

Apple’s greatness is in its value, primarily, in its perception of value. And this moreso is evident with iOS7, it is flashy, but it lacks substance. It implies value, and only has value by its expert manipulation of perceived value. It is positively magical, a spell cast en masse and we are spellbound.