iOS7: experienced-based insight
Users divide almost all popular companies into those they LIKE them, those they DON`T. The situation with iOS7 by Apple is of no exception. Some users are really amazed by it, others surf trough the Web seeking for the way to roll the system back to iOS6.
Being a professional tester I dare join to none of those two groups, what I can do is to draw your attention to the pros and cons of the OS making an experienced-based insight.
When we got the project comprising iOS7 testing, first things we faced were, of course, the interface changes. Flat design by Jonathan Ive comprises minimalism and strives for perfection. Nevertheless, changes made in the interface entailed applications defects. Bugs arising in lists, menu, pop-ups caused first challenges like inconsistent menu transposition, shift of application forms, unavailable scrolling, lists` cutting.
Functionality changes weren`t left aside, and due to them new OS tracks and remembers user actions searching for necessary content, like fresh tweets and news. Updated task manager allows app-previewing before direct using, which is, certainly, an advantage. But nothing is perfect, when you open several apps and turn over the phone, some screen elements may not follow the screen position. Users also point out that, when you remove an app its icon sticks to the control panel and doesn`t quit. In the same time the app-icon may vanish from the panel, when you need to close an app.
New design made the phone better in use. For instance, you don`t need to reach the left upper corner to get to the superior menu item any more. Now all you need is to run your finger over the screen from left to right, as if you flap away something, though this useful function doesn`t work everywhere.
AirDrop – one more Apple innovation – is a quite efficient way for file exchanging between Apple devices via radio channel. Nevertheless, function using is possible, if you have iPhone 5 and newer Apple devices. There can also be malfunctions, when you try to connect devices operating on iOS and OS X. And to crown to it all, AirDrop function can cause problems for apps installed on iPhone 4s, 4, 3gs.
Going through the testing specifics, I would like to add that a tester should be specifically accurate while localization testing and app internationalization, as users really complain a lot about internationalization of new OS.
Today more than half of all devices operating on iOS got updated. Making the research, I`ve come to a conclusion that improvement of iOS7 calls for better cooperation of developers and testers. As users are not satisfied with the OS, they cannot roll it back to iOS6 and performance of iPhone 5 is quite low. Moreover the apps often fail and crash, which again causes users discontent.
So, you can adjust to iOS7 specifics or go on using iOS6, all is up to you.
