The 5s, 5c, iOS7 Master List: Discovered, Documented, and Defended


By now, everyone and their mother (and a shocking number of grandmothers) have posted their opinions on iOS7, the iPhone 5s, and its attractive younger sister the iPhone 5c. Hacks have been had. Secrets have been spotted and shared. Tricks have been told and tested. There are lists upon lists of them. If you’re insane try Googling them, and let your mind melt.

Your time is precious, Dear Reader. Combing through every list in search of the tips and tricks you’re most interested to find is a fool’s errand. Fortunately at LureOfMac, we’re a bunch of fools. So we’ve compiled another list. A different list. A List of All Lists.

Presented for your consideration is the “Mac Lover’s Master List: Discovered, Documented, and Defended.” Feel free to skim, skip around, and search for the tips you need!

1)   Features Galore! The Functional List. The great folks over at Pocket-Lint have really done their homework and provided an extremely helpful list of iOS7 tips and tricks to help you navigate the updates with ease. This is a pretty exhaustive piece of work: from techniques to improve the battery life of your new (or improved) iDevice to changing Siri’s voice to a friendly American man, there’s not much the list of functionality features doesn’t include.

  • Hotness: Did you know you can now search your entire inbox for a keyword, “shake” to undo, and you can Quick Reply, Forward, Flag, and more with a swipe of your finger? This list features all the best iOS7 mailbox features you didn’t know you needed. (Oh, but you do!)
  • …But Not ThisRemember how we said the list is exhaustive? Well, the wall of text is a bit difficult to navigate because the headings and subheadings aren’t marked very clearly, and there’s no quick navigation to help you jump to the part of the article that interests you.

2)   Show and Tell! The Video List. Some of us are visual learners, and a bit of text just won’t pass muster. Fear not, Dear Reader, for we have discovered just what you proud iPhone 5s owners need. Daily App Show has lovingly created a list of 25 or so video tutorials designed to help you out, whether you want to disable the parallax effect or access Siri, like, stat. You want to multitask? There’s a video for that, too!

  • Hotness: The videos are easy to follow, with a very effective show-and-tell approach the visual learner will love. Slo-Mo Video mode never seemed so easy. Play ’em over and over again.
  • …But Not This: This isn’t an exhaustive list – it’s more a guide to some of the quick things you’ll need to know in the switch to your new phone. As such, some of the videos aren’t specific to the 5s (although many are).

3)   Good God, it’s Gold! The Searcher’s List. Now, we ain’t saying you’re a gold-digger, but if you ain’t messin’ with no average iPhone 5s, this is the list for you.  The coveted gold iPhone 5s is in limited supply – but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your hands on one. Thank Gold that Gotta Be Mobile has some of the most practical, almost-goes-without-saying advice about the best practices for getting your gold iPhone 5s as painlessly as possible. These are 7 tips you can’t afford to pass up.

  • Hotness: Solid gold advice. These guys are clear about what’s a good idea, what’s a bad idea, what you can expect, what might work, and what probably won’t. Be prepared to be encouraged, true believer!
  • …But Not This: It’s not the fault of Gotta Be Mobile, it’s a simple fact of the matter: patience is a virtue. If you simply can’t wait, or aren’t willing to put in the time making calls, then maybe a different iPhone 5s will be as good as gold.

4)   Quick and Dirty! The Beginner’s List. Not everyone’s a techno-geek, and some of the lists out there will likely go over the heads of casual iPhone users. The uninitiated or less-initiated will love this to-the-point and easily understood piece from CBS News that details five simple tips for iOS7, iPhone 5s, and iPhone 5c users. What we have here is strictly practical, folks – a great introduction to some new features some people will be unfamiliar (and initially uncomfortable) with.

  • Hotness: Freebies? Check! Fingerprint tutorial? Check! There are even videos peppered throughout the piece to help people decide whether to upgrade, which phone to choose, and how to become a “Siri All-Star.”
  • …But Not This: Plan to be accosted by advertisements, links to photo galleries and stories you don’t want to see, and annoying pop-ups if you hover over the wrong thing.

5)   Pics and Gifs, Oh My! The Ultimate Visual List. If you’re serious about your new iPhone 5s or 5c, you can’t afford to skip MacStories, whose posts will be of immeasurable help to you. One of the best lists we’ve seen is their 100 tips, tricks, and features of iOS7, in glorious visual detail! From general stuff to settings, your maps, your clocks, your mailbox – everything here is explained and depicted, ensuring that you can get the best and most customizable iOS7 experience possible.

  • Hotness: Holy cow, a veritable feast for the eyes! Gifs and images show you exactly what you’re looking to accomplish. MacStories is meticulous about showing you, in large form, how freaking cool your iOS7 experience can be.
  • …But Not This: A small gripe is that this isn’t a numbered list so much as it is a giant post of helpful stuff. Be prepared to ⌘+F if you’re looking for something in specific, ’cause there’s no navigation throughout this post.

6)   Still Undecided? The Comparison List. The iPhone 5s and the 5c are both substantial improvements over the iPhone 5 (and predecessors), but for some, the price point will be a barrier to entry into the glorious land of 5s features. Take the time to decide whether the enhanced features of the more powerful model are worth the extra money you’ll pay with this handy comparison chart from IGN.

  • Hotness: All of the specs you’ll need to know at a glance, presented very simply. No frills needed. Links to Apple’s live blog are appreciated.
  • …But Not This: A pop-up as soon as you click the link is annoying. That’s all.

7)   Stop Annoying Me! The Fix-It List.  Any update has its gripes, and there may be things about iOS7 that you don’t like. Instead of pining for the good ol’ days, you can eat your cake and have it too with LifeHacker‘s “Biggest Annoyances (And How to Fix Them).” The Notification Center has been completely overhauled, and the new Control Center can mess with some apps. No problem – you can fix these issues, along with other common annoyances.

  • Hotness: Great conversations in the comments section offer even more helpful advice. Hooray for people who care as much as we do!
  • …But Not This: The list could certainly have been more extensive, though it does deal with the issues getting the most gripes.

Additional links worth checking out.  While these are some of the best lists we’ve found, we’re short on space and there are other lists of tips and tricks worth checking out that deserve mention.  For instance…

Make sure to share this with your friends! And if you come across any more great lists of tips and tricks – let us know what you’ve found!


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