iOS 7: Closer to the Perfect Mobile OS

There is, I believe, a perfect mobile operating system, one ideal way of handling mobile activities on a smartphone or tablet. Apple, Google and Microsoft, maybe even Blackberry, are all headed to this common destination

But on Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco, Apple proved that it’s the furthest down that road. And that should surprise no one.

iOS 7, the most radical reimagining of iOS since its inception in 2007, was met with cheers of approval and, in some spots in the cavernous Moscone hall, standing ovations. From where I sat, it was deserved.

We all knew this was coming: A flattening of the interface: Less overt polish and skeuomorphism, a new look and feel brought to you by the architect of Apple aesthetic, Jony Ive. Personally, I was worried. Apple’s iPhone interface remains my favorite among smartphone platforms. I didn’t see enough wrong with it to require a rethink, but then I probably wasn’t thinking deeply enough about the mobile OS.