Apple’s newly released iOS 7 operating system for its lineup of iDevices (iPhones, iPods and iPads) fundamentally overhauls not only its aesthetic but its functionality as well.

But are the changes just superficial bells and whistles not worthy of your time? We certainly don’t think so. So, without further ado, here are the 10 best features we have come across that we think will convince you to make the leap now. Your old (or recent) iPhone will seem completely rejuvenated.

10: A Cleaner And Fresher Look

The old textures — from leather in the Calendar app to the ugly three-dimensional bubble look of app icons on your home screen — have finally been thrown out. The home screen has gotten a thorough spring clean and design elements have been stripped to the bare essentials. Animations have been completely revamped, adding nice, vibrant touches to the overall feel. Your iPhone will come alive with every swipe between apps or returns to the home screen.

The only caveat: iPhone 4 users may notice some delays and choppiness for more intensive animations, but these are hardly noticeable to the average user.

9: Decluttering

Packed folders and messy app icons with too many different textures and colors have made iOS 6 pretty hard to look at and, overall, very cluttered. iOS 7 finally embraces a more streamlined look that is easy on the eye and much nicer to navigate.

8: Better Siri

You might have never really taken advantage of iOS 6’s Siri, but for those of you who do, iOS 7 finally has introduced Siri to Wikipedia, Bing and Twitter.

7: A Better Lock Screen

Most of you are constantly absent-mindedly locking your iPhones, the iOS 7’s new lock screen allows you to swipe to unlock from pretty much anywhere on the screen.

6: Automatic App Updates

Gone are the days of having to open the App Center to update your apps. iOS 7 takes care of that behind the scenes without ever having to bother you with annoying notifications.

5: The New Camera App

Even without having to shell out for an iPhone 5s (and its, granted, magnificent new camera), iOS 7 hugely improved the functionalities of its camera app. You can now easily take pictures in a square format without having to crop them later in Instagram. New photo filters will make taking pictures on your iPhone even more fun (if that’s your thing).

While these features are admittedly nothing revolutionary or groundbreaking, we appreciate that the camera app has been taken care of, offering new features not only to new iPhone models, but to older ones as well.

4: iTunes Radio

The new addition of iTunes Radio makes it even easier to stream your favorite music either at work or on the go. There is a whole host of competing services that may already do this, but the added convenience of having the entire iTunes music offerings at your fingertips wherever you are, without having to download and open a third-party app, should not be underestimated.

3: Better Multitasking

The double tap on the home button and hitting the little red cross to close an app for good has become pretty tedious over the years. Quitting has been made a lot easier thanks to the new multitasking view in iOS 7, which only requires a swipe on the app you wish to quit. You will also notice improvements in multitasking when you return to a frequently used app, such as Facebook, without it having to completely refresh and reload your entire Newsfeed.

2: New Notifications

Have you ever taken advantage of the Notifications bar in iOS 6? We didn’t think so. With iOS 7, you might rethink that decision. Lock-screen notifications are much more in line with the new design and don’t only look cleaner, but are more responsive, more timely and generally more purpose oriented. iOS 7 throws out unnecessary elements and replaces them with easily visible views for date, time and upcoming calendar events.

1: The Control Centre

By far, the Control Centre is the biggest improvement over previous iOS 6 iterations. With a simple swipe from the bottom of the screen, you have instant access to on-and-off toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Flashlight and even Do Not Disturb mode. The player buttons will drastically reduce the time required to unlock and open your media player app, and the Control Centre adds a much-needed quick control panel to your iPhone.

By AskMen