Have you ever been frustrated with having to leave the app you’re in to turn the brightness on your iPhone down? Did you ever wish you could use your iPhone’s camera’s flash as a light without having to open up the camera, set it to video, and turn on the flash?

These issues, and many more, were resolved with Apple’s recent release of iOS 7, a software operating system update for the iPhone and iPad. The update changed the entire look of the home screen that the iPhone has had since its initial release in 2007.

Many St. Paul’s students and faculty members have begun upgrading to the new operating system and are weighing in on new look and features.

“I love it. It’s a lot faster and a lot sharper. It’s better because we have more availability,” said junior Ross Allbritton.

Junior Stephen Hammond disagreed, saying, “I don’t like it; it looks too girly.”

Besides the new look, the update also included the new control center, where users can conveniently turn Wi-Fi on and off, adjust brightness, and adjust volume, among other things.

Sophomore Christian Flick approved, noting, “It makes the the phone much easier to use… It makes important features easily accessible from anywhere on your phone.”

Many students complained about the time it took to download the update, especially when the device it was being downloaded on was not connected to Wi-Fi.

Allbritton said he began to download his iPad at school over 3G, and after two or three hours, it still had not downloaded. But once he got home, it only took about twenty minutes.

The update also includes the popular new feature, iTunes Radio. According to apple.com, “It’s easy to create and customize stations based on whatever you want to hear. ITunes radio can  build stations around artists, songs, or genres you choose.” The new featured app offers an alternative to established music-streaming apps, such as Pandora and Spotify.

Mary Pierson, who works in the Guidance Department at St. Paul’s, said she is excited for the iOS 7 update because the iPhone, “Has some great apps for learning, especially for students with ADD or ADHD.”