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[dropcap size=dropcap]C[/dropcap]ell phones aren’t typically allowed out during class time, but in the minutes nearing 10 a.m. Pacific  Time on Wednesday, many students were anxiously checking theirs behind binders and under desks. One thing these students had in common was their phone, an iPhone.

 They were eagerly awaiting the moment that iOS 7, Apple’s newest mobile software, would become available.  A software update might seem like a trivial thing to get so excited for, but iOS 7 is the first complete design overhaul of the software since its initial release in 2007.

 Foothill students, many of whom own iPhones and updated their software, had mixed opinions on the new iOS 7.

 “There’s a smoother feeling to it. It’s not so cluttered,” sophomore Dylan Callegari said.

 This may be due to the simpler design, which features fewer instances of skeuomorphism, a thinner type, and more transparency.

 Sophomore Cristian Lopez praised the software’s “sleeker look,”  and Spencer Malone, another sophomore, said “the animations make it look cooler.”

 The new design’s effects aren’t strictly aesthetic- they make the software more user-friendly and innovative.

 “It’s a lot easier to use now,” Callegari said.

 Accessing apps and settings is easier with the new Control Center, which puts the most used settings as well as new built-in features, like a flashlight, in a menu available with one swipe.

 Lopez said that he liked how “from the lock screen you can change the brightness…it’s easier to access it.”

 “My favorite part is where you slide up and your music’s right there.  That’s really nice,” said Malone.

 But, as with everything, iOS 7 has its flaws.  It’s hard to adjust to, especially for technologically challenged people who were just getting the hang of the last operating system.  The biggest problem is the size of the software, which, at 3.1 gigabytes, slows down older phones with older processors and less storage.

 Callegari, who ran beta tests on the software before it was released, said, “I found that it was lagging and every once in a while it would randomly turn on and turn off and apps would crash a lot.”

iOS 7 may soon be affecting everyone on campus, even those without their own Apple device, by way of our campus iPads.

(Photo: Students are impressed with the sleekness and convenient new features of iOS7. Credit: Josh Ren/The Foothill Dragon Press)