News & Reviews:   iOS 7

As far as mobile operating systems go, Android and iOS are two of the top ranking ones but the common misconception is that iOS is more stable than Android. However, a survey done by Crittercism shows that this is not only untrue, but that Android 4.x and above is 2x more stable than iOS 7.1. Crittercism processed more than 30000 request over 1 billion mobile users and the survey is quite extensive, covering complexity, app responsiveness, crash rates and a lot more such as error rates for cloud services. The most notable statistics from the Crittercism survey are listed below:

• iOS 6 crashes 2.5% of the time
• iOS 7 crashes 2.1% of the time
• iOS 7.1 crashes 1.7% of the time
• Android 2.3 crashes 1.7% of the time
• Any Android 4.x (4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) crashes 0.7% of the time or lower

For those not in the know (or aren't an Apple iOS developer) then know this, Apple's iOS 7 beta 4 has been released. Apart from the new features and bug fixes, going through the change log confirms a new fingerprint scanner for the upcoming Apple iPhone 5S. This was found by developer Hamza Sood who discovered a folder labeled "BiometricKitUI". This folder contained script which described processes that show a fingerprint scanner in action. This included statements like "a person holding an iPhone with their left hand while touching the Home button with their thumb" or "A fingerprint that changes colour during the setup process". This would be a definite change from the norm as most 'S' upgrades to the Apple iPhone have largely been software and not hardware related.

As promised when it was announced recently, the Apple iOS 7 beta 2 is now available to download for developers. Aside from the features announced previously, the new beta enables support for the Apple iPad and iPad mini along with Siri's decidedly better voices and other enhancements. Apart from this not much more has changed except for perhaps a combined iTunes and App Store settings menu, working Voicemail and better UI enhancements. The full version is expected to be released along with the next generation of iOS devices (Apple iPhone 5S, iPad 5, etc.) which may be due in Q3 of 2013.

Rumours about what Apple is going to do extend even to their upcoming iOS 7 operating system, with many wondering what Apple have up their sleeves this time. With the impending Worldwide Developer Conference this 10 June 2013, we may not have to wait that long, but rumours about iOS 7, the next big version of Apple's mobile operating system are practically buzzing. While quite a few rumours indicate that iOS7 is going for a flatter look, a new bit of information is that the user interface or UI may be going for more black and white elements.

Rumours regarding future smartphones never seem to stop, but renders regarding smartphone concepts are few and far in between. Quite often, what is shown in the renders are very close to what appears in the finished smartphone product which is why many were surprised with this latest concept video regarding the Apple iPhone 6. Changes regarding this future smartphone as envisioned by this concept include:

• A Smaller iPhone design
• A bigger 4.5-inch screen
• Narrower bezels
• No Home Button