Apple iOS 7: What's new, what's catch-up
SAN FRANCISCO — Tech enthusiasts love nothing more than a good old fashioned smackdown. And now that Apple has released iOS7 to developers, the slugfest over whose mobile operating is superior promises to get even nastier.
The main event pits Apple against Google's Android, of course, the operating system adopted by Samsung, HTC, and a slew of other handset makers. But direct comparisons aren't always easy. For starters there is no one single version of Android. And phone makers often layer their own software — and features — on top.
At the core of iOS 7 is a beautiful and translucent new design. But Apple piled on new features too, some of which are new and innovative, others which have the company playing catch-up. A few areas to compare:
•Sharing: Apple's AirDrop, a Mac feature new to iOS, is a peer-to-peer networking feature that lets iPhone users share pictures, Web sites and certain other files with contacts who are close by — Apple hasn't spelled out just how close. You tap the Share button and select the person you want to share with. AirDrop makes the transfer using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Recipients can choose whether or not to accept whatever it is you want to share.
The rough equivalent on Android takes advantage of NFC (Near Field Communication) to have two people share files by bumping one phone against the other. Windows Phones also use NFC for sharing. Apple continues to eschew NFC, especially in areas such as mobile payments.
WANT IT NOW on iOS? Try the Bump app, an iPhone stalwart that lets Bump users share things by knocking their phones together.
•Radio: Apple adds iTunes Radio, a new feature with 200-plus radio stations in multiple musical genres. You can build stations around artists whose names you type in. Google has its own radio service called Google Play Music All Access, a subscription service. Apple's is free (and ad-supported). Google's is $7.99 a month right now, but lets you listen to any available track on demand. Microsoft, meanwhile, touts the Xbox music service on its phones. And there are many big third-party competitors, from Pandora to Spotify, Slacker and beyond.
WANT IT NOW on iOS? Download Pandora's free version.
•Multitasking: This is an area of catch-up for iOS since Android has traditionally handled the ability to keep a bunch of apps going at once more handily than Apple. Apple devices currently have some multi-tasking ability, but iOS7 amps it up. It's not just a matter of switching apps. Apple gets to know you over time so that it refreshes an app at an optimal time, such as the social app it knows you check out daily at 8AM.
WANT IT NOW on iOS? This one's going to be tough. Lifehacker recommends Background Manager and Dash for jailbroken devices (which would leave out us mere mortals).
•Photography: Apple adds Instagram-like filters, an in-camera option that lets you choose shooting modes more easily — still, video, panorama, and now, square — and instant organizational tools that sift your pics automatically into "Collections," "Moments" and "Years."
On the Android side, a lot depends on the phones. For example, Samsung and HTC have added a bunch of different photo tricks. The iPhone's camera is easy to use and takes great snaps, but nearly everyone else offers more gee-whiz features.
WANT IT NOW on iOS? The organizational features look promising to help control the chaos that is Photo Gallery for most of us. Is there an app for that? The App Store lists some, but most photo tools are aimed at editing. Readers, if you have a tip let us know in the comments or email us at techcomments@usatoday.com.
(Update at 1:55 p.m. ET: Thanks to reader Colin Whiteneck for writing in to remind us about Disney's Story app, which groups your photos by location and date and makes photo albums out of them. You can edit the albums with text and "other look and feel edits," Whiteneck says. Contributor Jennifer Jolly took a look at it for us just last month.)
•The bottom line: Apple devotees will find a lot to like in the upcoming iOS7 release. But for folks looking to buy a phone between now and fall, the question becomes — try one of the hot new Androids, a Windows Phone or even a new BlackBerry, or wait for iO7 and, presumably, a new iPhone...
Discuss!
Follow Nancy Blair on Twitter: @NanSanFran. Follow Ed Baig: @edbaig.