With iOS 7 came a new opportunity for app developers. They could now design apps that filled the entire screen without needing to leave room at the top for the status bar, and they could jump onboard with the modern trend to make everything flat, sharp and right-angled.
There are still far more apps in the App Store without iOS 7 optimization, but those that have been optimized are some of the best looking apps ever released.
Here are my favorite apps to be optimized so far:
1. Twitterrific 5 – $2.99/£1.99
I was once a Tweetbot die-hard. Its practicality and feature list was impressive. But as soon as Twitterrific 5 landed on the App Store, I was pulled away. As soon as push notifications came, it became indispensable.
The iOS 7 came, and it got updated once again to make full use of all the new design features in the latest operating system. Its latest update even came with 64-bit support to take full advantage of the “forward thinking” processor powering the iPhone 5s. App Store Link.
2. Lumosity – Free
I spend almost all my time sitting in front of a computer, so, I need something to help keep my brain sharp and working well. Lumosity, like many other brain-training games, focuses on the key areas.
It sets daily challenges to help improve your multi-tasking, memory, “out of the box” thinking and many other mental attributes. What I really love about it though is the design.
It’s beautiful, it’s minimal, and the animations are incredibly smooth and crisp. As you go on each day, taking on new challenges, the app gives you scores for all the attributes you’ve told it you want to work on.
The only downside is cost. The initial app download is free, but to get the full service from Lumosity and unlock all the games you need to pay a monthly subscription of $15/£10.49 per month. App Store Link.
3. Clear+ – £2.99/$4.99
Clear+ was a controversial app launch when it came last week. So many old Clear users were outraged that they’d have to spend another $5 on a universal and iOS 7-optimized version of the popular productivity app.
Personally, I think the work that went in to Clear+ completely warrants spending the money. I now have an app that syncs across iCloud and is optimized for my iPad.
If you’ve never used Clear at all, you should try it. The combination of gestures and design is fantastic, and makes it one of the most intuitive to-do list apps around.
What’s particularly pleasing is how responsive it is to your gestures. The developers got it very right, and the addition of unlock-able themes is an unnecessary, but delightful touch. App Store Link.
4. Amount – $0.99/£0.69
The App Store is littered with apps offering coversion tools. But none are as easy an intuitive as Amount. All you have to do is type in the number you want to convert, then select what kind of unit it is.
Switching between currency, distance, weight and many others is so fast. And, you can customize the currency list to only include the currencies you’re interested in. App Store Link.
5. Instagram – Free
The iOS 7 version of Instagram didn’t really add any major new features, but the small design changes made it so much nicer to look at. And I’m a sucker for refined design.
Images in your news feed fill the entire width of the screen, borders between images are thinner, and – more importantly – thumbnail images are circular. It’s a popular app, but the new look brings a new lease of life that makes me want to use it a lot more. App Store Link.
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