Reader poll: iOS 7 upgrade
1 min read
The iOS 7 software update was released only a few weeks ago, and it’s estimated that the adoption rate is already over 60% for compatible iPads and iPhones. While some developers have discouraged users from updating to iOS 7 due to stability issues, we have not experienced any problems running the new software. It has been a smooth transition for us, and we really like the updated interface and new features like Control Center. And the developers of popular apps like ForeFlight Mobile and Garmin Pilot say their apps work just fine on the new iOS. So we’re curious, what’s your opinion of the new iPad software?
[polldaddy poll=7436932]
Software developers who say don’t update, are really behind the times. They are slow to get their app up-to-date. Apple does make it available in beta formate yes to developers, so they have no excuse to not have a compatible app available at or shortly after the time of the new iOS release. As for iOS 7, I love it. It has many new features that I am using for both pleasure and business. My aviation app Foreflight works great on it!
I like the upgrade to iOS7 ok, but battery life was considerably diminished after the upgrade. A fix was instituted by Apple since the initial release that is supposed to address this and other issues. We’ll see. Otherwise, all my apps seem to work fine.
I like all of the new features and I find it much quicker to move around within most all of the basic phone functions. I have not noticed any problems with my phone apps. The only negative is that my phone battery life seems to be significantly diminished. I do have the latest upgrade after the basic iOS7 install and that did not help my battery consumption issues. I hope that gets fixed in the near future.
Reportedly this upgrade will cause anything less than the very latest hardware to run slow. This has proven to be the case in every IOS upgrade thus far, which is why my Ipad 3 still has IOS 5 on it, and will forever. The cockpit is no place for a slow machine, and I have no intention of throwing more money at Apple for a new ipad for no better reason than this.
Battery life is also reported problematic, and again that’s a killer for a setup which, on my small plane, is the sole navigator in some of the most difficult airspace in the world (SFRA).
I’ll hang onto what works.
By staying on iOS5 you’re missing out on some very nice feature updates available from all the major app developers that require on operation system greater than 5. If your a serious pilot, who relies on technology in the cockpit, it stands to reason that the investment in a new iPad every two years is worth $250 a year. What is that per flight hour? And how much do you spend on other equipment like headsets, charts, insurance, etc. Secondly, my iPad 3 does not run any slower than it did on iOS6.
Battery drain was terrible . Had 1 100% charge at bedtime & the next AM it was down to 40% ! Now as a normal rule I put the IPad in Airplane mode & then manually swittch it off if I need the Wifi . Also I shut down auto updates & othe features that check Wi-Fi for location all the time.
“developers of popular apps like ForeFlight Mobile and Garmin Pilot say their apps work just fine on the new iOS” – we have repeatedly said the same about WingX Pro7 (not sure why we weren’t included in the list). Our concern, documented with screen shots, is that ***iOS 7*** (excluding and EFB app) has problems. Most recently, my 8 year-old child somehow got all the iOS 7 icons to disappear and she’s no power user running a Beta, she is running iOS 7.0.2. So Jeffrey, your comment: “Software developers who say don’t update, are really behind the times.” is simply not correct. We are urging caution with the iOS 7 update, but WingX Pro7 runs fine on iOS 7.
Here is a screen shot of the latest iOS 7.0.2 problem (***again, unrelated to WingX Pro7***) – we have sent this screen shot and a movie of the problem to Apple.
http://hiltonsoftware.com/iOS7/iOS70.html?x=702
Hilton
For the record, we did ask Hilton Software for a comment before we published our iOS 7 upgrade article. We did not hear back, so we did not publish any recommendation on it.
It is great to have Hilton commenting here though – thanks for contributing!
John, you are correct. I put your email aside to write a full response and didn’t get to it in time.
We’re just trying to do the cautious thing here and if the underlying OS has problems (which is clearly does – see our images), then that affects the stability of the entire device. Readers then project our warning about those iOS bugs onto our product and I think I was just taking my frustration out on you. 🙂 Thanks again for these write-ups – see you next week at Summit.
Thanks,
Hilton
I run WIngX on an iPad and an iPad Mini. I run Xavion on an iPhone. The apps work flawlessly. However, I have had iOS 7 shut the iPads down suddenly for no apparent reason, regardless of whether I have an aviation app running or not. I always shut everything else down and reboot before loading my aviation app before flight. So far I have not have had a crash in flight, but I have in the kitchen doing flight planning. I note too that even some Apple Apps (e.g. FindMyFriends) had problems when iOS 7 launched, but not WingX or Xavion.
Hmmm…Thankfully, most 8 year-old’s aren’t the primary navigators in modern aircraft. Very odd choice at a test group, and to advise thousands of pilots not to upgrade as a result of the comprehensive survey?
I did the upgrade. Not a fan of the colors, but all my apps appear to be running fine. I was experiencing some difficulties with my bluetooth GPS receiver communicating with the iPad on IOS6. I’ve only flown four times since the update, but that problem seems to be fixed (or at least diminished) with the new IOS.
Love the automatic updating of my apps. Cloud Ahoy works well, and iTunes radio is the new Pandora.
I upgraded to v7. I HATE IT!! I wish there was a way to back it out with a single keystroke. The colors look like there were designed by a 13 Year Old! Neon Pink and Neon Yellow are not something I should have to look at.
I also shouldn’t have to go in and turn off all of the new features they added in order to save battery life…which I have done…and which seemed to solve the battery drain.
and the worst new feature you ask? POP UP ADVERTISING. I never had it before the upgrade, now it wants me to “PIMP MY SCREEN” and to “SELL ME or upgrade me to a new CALCULATOR.
Maybe I am primitive..but when I take the time to organize my colors, my icons, and my apps – LEAVE THEM ALONE! An operating system upgrade should not change my GUI interface. …and for the record, I work in I.T. for a major computer manufacturer.
VOTE NO to IOS 7.
Yesterday I tried my iPad2 cellular connection for the first time since upgrading to iOS 7.0.2 and got the “No SIM card present” box. I took out the SIM card and reseated it, then moved the Airplane Mode switch on and off several times, all to no avail. I took the iPad to an AT&T store where the guy was sure I had a bad SIM card. He replaced the card with no luck. Finally he decided the SIM socket might be defective, which would require an expensive hardware repair by Apple if it can be fixed at all. Strange coincidence how this happened right after upgrading the OS. A Google search revealed numerous users experiencing the same after upgrading. I will now use a mobile hotspot for cellular service through a company offering data plans much more cheaply than AT&T and Verizon.
Aside from the above issue, in my opinion the general appearance and feel of iOS7 is hideous. Not surprisingly, kids love it. The desktop looks like a child spilled a box of crayons on the screen and melted them in the sun. What they did to the e-mail program is horrible with their plainly worded flat links instead of clearly defined buttons.
I like the new feature where you can swipe up the home screen and terminate applications running in the background by swiping them up individually. That is a big improvement over the old way of holding the icons until they wiggle and touching the “X” on the ones you want to terminate.
I run ForeFlight with no issues so far. Quick battery drain was a problem after going to iOS7, caused by applications being allowed execute while in the background. Turn this off by going to Settings –> Background App Refresh, and move the switch to the Off position. Battery problem solved.
I upgraded one of two iPads and an iPhone to iOS 7 and greatly regretted it Both my iPads are WiFi only and iOS 7 refused to allow access to my home or any other WiFi. The next day I upgraded again to 7.0.2 which seemed to fix the problem Imagine a WiFi iPad not being able to get to a WiFi and it becomes a glorified boat anchor! It took me 2 days of constant fiddling to finally get the iPad back in working order with 7.0.2. The other iPad is still on iOS 6 and will stay that way until I’m satisfied that 7 has the bugs worked out of it. It is amazing how fast Apple got out 7.0.2 when 7.0 was so balky.
I never rush to upgrade to new software — I will eventually do it, but, to my knowledge, no new release has been “bug free”. I will give it a few weeks before my phone and iPad get the upgrade.
Petition to let us downgrade http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/allow-to-downgrade-ios?source=s.fwd&r_by=8876533
I upgraded to iOS 7 about 10 days ago on my iPad Retina purchased in August 2013. Almost immediately I locked up ForeFlight, then CAP Grid, then… Fortunatley a total shut down and reset resurrected the iPad each time. However, until I can get the apps to run consistently and without further problems with lock ups I won’t use the iPad for any critical tasks (like navigation) in the cockpit without backup paper in hand and ready for use.
As far as the appearance of iOS 7, I preferred my brief exposure to iOS 6. The screen seemed more crisp, movement with multi- gestures less prone to problems, and all in all a better experience.
This is how ios 6 started off with a lot of bugs but later apple will fix all the problems like on ios 6 , it took 5 updates for ios 6 to be bug free but plus another one 6.1.4 so 6 times .ios 7 only been updated twice
Hate everything about this upgrade ios7 later apple
If its not fixed soon
Upgraded 4th gen iPad, no problems, no issues.
Some text is lighter an may be more difficult to read under some conditions.
Foreflight has been solid, no noticeable change in batter life
If you havent yet “upgraded” and have an iLevil AW, I discovered WiFi connection problems (time-outs every 10 seconds or so) between a new iPad Mini and my iLevil, rendering my iLevil AHRS Utility, WingX Pro, and Xavion programs pretty much useless in flight (esp for ADSB weather). There appear to be many WiFi connection problems with iOS7 if you look online. I am keeping my main iPad with iOS6 as it works flawlessly with the same unit.
I updated to the ios7 and when I change my wallpaper picture the I pad blows the picture up and it won’t let me make the picture look like it is supposed to help please it is doing the same on my I phone