Thoughts On iOS 7 Beta 4: Two Key Improvements

As you’ve no doubt heard by now, Apple today released the fourth beta of iOS 7, which was possibly delayed a week by the hacking and rebuild of the company’s Developer Center website. MacRumors is compiling a handy list of the changes and improvements that the latest build brings, but we’ve received some reports that we’d also like to pass on. Here are the two most significant changes in iOS 7 Beta 4.

Speed

On every front, speed, or at least the impression of speed, has been finely tuned. Folders open faster, swipes produce more fluid results, animations are snappier. This applies to all the devices we have data for, including the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, and third-generation iPad.

The previous beta was no slouch, but there was indeed a noticeable lag in some areas of the user experience. With iOS 7 Beta 4, those areas, plus other animations that we didn’t even realize were slow, have been improved.

In some areas the performance improvement is real and measurable. Comparing two iPhone 5s side-by-side, one with Beta 3 and one with Beta 4, tasks like swiping to delete emails, double-tapping the home button to launch the application manager, and swiping to access Control Center are all clearly faster with Beta 4.

Other areas merely seem faster thanks to improved UI animations. This includes swiping between home screen pages, opening a folder, and the “fly in” app animation when the phone is first unlocked. Even if these actions all occur at roughly the same pace as they did in previous betas, the new smoother animations make the experience notably better.

Slide to Unlock

You may call us crazy but, without a doubt, we think this was the most important change in iOS 7 Beta 4, and we’re glad Apple made it before the public release. We’re talking about the conflict between the “Slide to Unlock” text on the phone’s lock screen and the Control Center icon.

In all previous iOS 7 Betas, the “slide to unlock” instructions sat just a hair above an upward-facing arrow. Anyone new to the iPhone or iOS 7 would almost certainly interpret that combination as an instruction to slide upwards to unlock the device. Depending on where the user placed their thumb or finger when swiping, either the Control Center would pop up or nothing would happen. In either case, the desired outcome (unlocking the device) would not occur, leaving the user confused and frustrated.

Sure, everyone would eventually figure it out, but Apple’s entire philosophy is based on a simplified and intuitive user experience. Any unnecessary frustration or confusion on day one is silly, no matter what the aesthetic implications are. We’re glad Apple has finally agreed.

With iOS 7 Beta 4, Apple added a right-facing arrow next to the “slide to unlock” text and changed the Control Center icon (and companion Notification Center icon at the top of the screen) to a straight line. While a straight line doesn’t necessarily scream “swipe me upwards,” it’s a fair tradeoff to ensure that the most important action, unlocking the phone, can occur without confusion.

Have any thoughts on the progress of the iOS 7 Beta program? Let us know in the comments!

rattyuk

“Have any thoughts on the progress of the iOS 7 Beta program?”
Would love to but just before we downloaded it, and as a stipulation to downloading it, we agreed to not talk about it. Like you did.
- http://www.tekrevue.com/ TekRevue
  
  Sorry, rattyuk, but TekRevue signed no such agreement. Everything we report is either shown to us in person or emailed by readers who choose to share their experiences.
  
  We’ve had our hands on devices running betas, but none of them belong to TekRevue.
  - rattyuk
    
    Someone in the chain by handing the device to you broke the agreement they accepted. Just because you didn’t agree to it doesn’t make it any more honest.
    
    Yes I can understand that it’s exciting and you want to talk about it and it has Apple in the title so it will garner hits but it’s a bit like having a look what’s under the packaging of your Christmas presents and then discussing them.
    
    It will be here in a few months, surely you can wait?
    - http://www.tekrevue.com/ TekRevue
      
      Thanks for your reply, rattyuk. I think, however, that you are attempting to address a much larger philosophical discussion about the role of journalism. Should independent journalists/organizations/websites acquiesce to the desires of the entities and individuals they cover? There’s no definitive answer for that, as it depends on the situation. When it’s the government and lives may be at risk, the answer is more often “yes;” but when it’s a private company and we’re dealing with consumer electronics, the answer is far more nebulous.
      
      It’s clear from the contractual agreements that Apple imposes upon developers that it wants to keep pre-release information private, but that desire is diametrically opposed to the mission of journalism, which is (in simple terms) to provide the public with the truth. That applies both to breaking the story of a government coverup as well as to keeping the public informed of the plans and developments of companies in the computing industry (albeit with far less important implications for the latter, of course).
      
      In short, this website is not an Apple fan page; it’s mission is to provide as much unbiased information to the public as is legally and morally appropriate. The violation of a private contractual agreement by a third party is not a crime, and while some may view it as a moral grey area, the benefit of keeping the public informed, in our view, outweighs the minor moral concern.
      
      Note that this approach has its limits. The iPhone 4 Gizmodo scandal from a few years ago is an obvious example of crossing the line. Profiting (although we use that term loosely because, if you’ll notice, we have no advertising on this site and it generates no revenue beyond a few dollars a month from Amazon affiliate links) from stolen merchandise or any other legal violation is a line that we won’t cross. But passing information (much of which has been publicly disseminated by Apple itself) to consumers so that they can make an informed decision about Apple’s platform is something we’re obligated to do.
      
      Thanks again for your thoughts. Your suggestion that we wait for a public release and honor the agreements that others have made is indeed one that has great merit, but it’s not one that we can follow without abandoning our commitment to keeping the public informed.