“It is the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone”
– Apple CEO Tim Cook

Apple continues to improve upon its technology and will soon be releasing it’s new operating system, iOS 7, which includes a completely new design and many new features.  This operating system will be available soon and coincides with the release of the new iPhone 5S.  There has been great speculation of the new features involved in the operating system update, but thanks to the leaked “Developer Beta” version, many people have been able to see for themselves what the update is all about.  In this article, we will examine the new design features that iOS 7 will bring, along with  the security features that can be extremely important to those in the legal industry.

The New iOS 7 Design and Productivity Enhancements

With the launch of iOS 7, you will immediately notice a new “look” to your iPhone as Apple is looking to achieve a greater synergy between hardware and software design. iOS 7 promotes a “layered” feel by combining a more translucent sheen with clean icons and colors. App icons have also been given a rounded feel.

The “Control Center” is a key addition. This will allow the user to have easy access to many commonly used settings like WiFi, Airplane Mode, Brightness controls, a new integrated Flashlight, and etc. You will not have to exit out of whatever app you are currently using in order to access the “Control Center”, as a simple swipe up from the bottom of the screen will open it. The launch of the “Control Center” shows that Apple is looking to the future in its battle against Android.

Multitasking is made easier with iOS 7, a necessary upgrade for those who use their phone for business. You can still switch to another app in the same way you always have, by double-tapping the home button. But now you now get a new interface which is able to show you exactly what is going on in your open apps. You will see a preview of the main screen of the apps you have open and you can tap to switch to it or, similar to Android, swipe it up to close it.

Siri is also getting an upgrade. You will soon be able to choose between a male or female voice along with the ability to choose languages. There are a range of new commands for Siri, such as “play my last voicemail” or “turn on Bluetooth” and “increase my brightness”. Siri compatibility will also be making its way to new cars, look for this to begin in 2014.

Security Features

The popularity of Apple products and their high resell value have led them to become some of the most stolen electronic devices. Apple’s new security upgrades are meant to make petty crime involving stolen iOS devices not worth the time of the common criminal.

It has been speculated that the new iPhone 5S will contain “Fingerprint Scanning” technology, thanks to added biometric ability. Although that will not be available for previous iPhone models, the launch of iOS 7 will supply your current device with added security measures.

Apple reports that hundreds of millions of people use the “Find My iPhone” app, although there are ways for thieves to get around this technology. One could simply turn off device and restore the phone to factory settings, which disables the “Find My iPhone” app. iOS 7 has a solution for this.

A revolutionary new “Activation Lock” setting has been added, which you can think of as a kill-switch for your Apple device. This means that a thief would not be able to erase and reactivate an iPhone without first hacking your iCloud user account. In order to do this they would have to know your user name and password, which makes it much more difficult. This is an important upgrade, as those who have emails and other documents that contain private client information will find this extremely beneficial.

With iOS 7, easier private browsing will also be available. This blocks websites from tracking your surfing behavior and previously this had to be enabled via Settings. Now, the user will have the ability to enable or disable this feature from within the Safari app via the new tab view or Bookmarks page. Also, iOS 7 now extends default data protection for third-part apps in addition to protecting your email messages and attachments. Until iOS 7, there was no such built-in protection for application data and third-part apps were forced to add security features externally.

As Apple iOS continues to grow its market share in the legal industry, these upgrades and enhancements are necessary to make the device more secure while maintaining it’s user-friendly interface.