Following the release of Apple’s new software update, iOS7, on 18 September, the operating system received mixed reviews from Egyptian users. While some believe it’s a notable upgrade for Apple, others state that were expecting more from the tech-giant.
Khaled Sweilam, a trade desk executive at National Societe Generale Bank (NSGB), said that the mobile’s performance is better and internet browsing is much easier.
“The mobile is faster, [is] totally new and has good user interface,” said Ahmed Alaa, another user who liked the new software.
“I like this one [iOS7] more and [there are] finally new ringtones,” Yara Ali, a 23 year-old account manager in a social media advertising company, said.
Apple released a video promoting the new software around 3 months ago. The countdown for iOS7 went viral on social networking websites, with hash tags of the software and the tech company, hours before the much anticipated software was released.
Nevertheless, other users believe the software has major flaws compared to older versions of Apple’s software.
“It’s very slow and the sensitivity of the touch is disturbing,” said Naglaa El Zahed, an inventory analyst at EMC2.
Heidi Azzam, a software engineer at IBM, said that iOS7 “tortures the [phone’s] battery,” and added: “I have to charge the battery more than twice a day, though I love the new software very much.”
Nardeen Gad, a 21 year old user, said that she hasn’t downloaded the software yet, but has heard several reviews that it is an imitation of Android, the software used on many smart phones, such as Samsung, HTC and Sony.
Khadija Hassan, a quality assurance pharmacist, said to the Daily News Egypt: “I don’t like how [Apple] changed the icons. It lacks the unique edge that Apple always had. When you looked at Apple’s old icons, you’d instantly know they were Apple’s… now they look a bit like Android.”
Sarcastic images started surfacing online days after iOS7 was released, comparing it to Android in an unflattering manner . These images compared Android’s notification bar, multi-tasking, ICS lock screen and music to corresponding features of Apple’s iOS7.
On 19 September, Forbes magazine reported a glitch in the new mobile operating system, which allows anyone to access users’ photos, mails and twitter accounts and even bypass the lock screen mode. The magazine featured a video along with their report.
