Apparently, when it comes to updates for Apple’s iOS devices, when it rains, it pours.
The company released three new software updates today, including iOS 7.0.4, the latest revision of the operating system powering iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches around the world. The release notes for the new version of iOS say that it solves a number of bugs, including one that could cause FaceTime calls to abruptly fail for some people. To get the update, open the Settings app, then go to General > Software Update, and tap Download and Install once it appears.
As always, the usual caveats apply: make sure you’ve backed up your data, and there’s a chance that everything will still go completely sideways, but it’s a small update and a relatively minor release, so I wouldn’t worry too much.
In addition to the new OS, Apple has also released updates for iTunes U and iBooks which bring a new, iOS 7-friendly aesthetic to those two apps. The pair have been some of the last hold-outs against the flat design re-work, and it was somewhat surprising we didn’t see the new look make an appearance at last month’s iPad event.
As far as what’s new, the wooden bookshelves are gone, and have been replaced by a flat white background and gentle shadowing to denote different shelves, much like the design of the Newsstand app. One key feature that’s still the same in iBooks is the page flip animation between pages in the books. Steve Jobs was a big fan of the animation, and it seems that Apple has decided to keep it in the app, even as other homey traces of skeuomorphism have disappeared.
The updates for those two apps can be found in the App Store. If you’ve enabled automatic app updates, there’s a good chance they’re already on your device, waiting for you.
