The latest version of Apple’s mobile platform is rolling out today.  Millions of people around the world will be upgrading their iOS devices, so don’t expect it to be very easy to install iOS 7.  Apple will be “pulsing” the release of iOS 7 in stages, so as not to overload their servers.

If you can’t wait to find out what the new iOS has in store for you, these are just some (actually quite a lot) of the changes you’ll notice:

• The lock screen now lacks the familiar bars at the top and bottom where you see the time and the slide to unlock, but there will still be a shortcut for the camera. There’s also a shortcut for a control center so you can access your music, connections, and access other apps.
• The home screen now lacks the black bar on top where you see the carrier signal, the battery, WiFi bar, time and any other active connections.  The apps at the bottom now seamlessly blends with the other apps, no more black background.

• The icons for the apps are now more colorful as all of them have been redesigned.
• Opening the phone app shows a more circular design, numbers are enclosed in circles instead of squares and the call button now occupies the majority of the bottom of the screen.
• The boxes in the contacts app have been removed and replaced with lines.
• The same goes in the calendar app.
• The notifications page now sports a smoother cleaner look as the linen-like design has been removed, as well as the boxes, everything is separated by lines.
• The camera app has also been redesigned to accommodate the new features such as putting in filters and frames.

• The maps app show a more playful and lighter look, something you’d typically see in children’s storybooks.
• The weather app also does away with the border and the whole background now reflects the weather for the day and icons for the weather forecast for the rest of the week.
• The notes app is no longer yellow, it’s just plain white, no more lines, and the “+” icon for adding a new note was replaced with the word “New.”
• The reminder app no longer has a margin, the + icon is no longer enclosed in a square and is now thinner.
• The music app now also includes iTunes radio aside from your personal music library.
• The app store has also been redesigned and the apps are now separated by lines, and buttons now have a highlighted border.

• Multitasking has been redesigned, you no longer have to deal with icons for active apps when you press twice on the home button.  You are now presented with live icons as well as live tiles.
• The Siri app now looks more transparent, and the ‘mic’ icon also sports a new look.
• Safari now has a different look when you’re browsing with different tabs.
• The camera roll is now more organized.
• The stocks app now looks a bit more ‘serious’ with its minimalist design.

• The game center logo has been changed as well as the game center itself.
• The settings menu also does away with borders – instead, Apple’s opted for lines to separate the different options.
• More wallpapers to choose from.
• The message app now has a flat look as the messages no longer has a border, it just shows the color of the balloon and the text.

Android users will likely be unimpressed with the changes, as a great deal of them resemble things that are already found on Google’s mobile OS.  Some might say that it’s like updating your iPhone to Android :)

Arguments aside, updating to the newest version delivers some perks for your device, in addition to the new look and feel of iOS7.

According to Crittercism, a leader in mobile application performance management, iOS performance diminishes over time, thus updating to the latest version is important so as not to have your device constantly crash on you. Crittercism compared the crash rates of 24 versions of iOS in January and August and found that app crash rates increased for 17 of those versions over time.  Moreover, January’s most recent iOS version, 6.1, and the current most widely used version, 6.0.1, saw crash rates skyrocket 85.4 percent and 74.24 percent respectively.

Because of the new experience offered by iOS 7, it is expected that many will be intrigued and update their compatible devices as soon as possible.  It’s expected that 80 percent of iOS users will upgrade to iOS 7 within the next three months, which means app developers will need to be ready for this. Even so, developers will need to ensure their apps are compatible with both the new iOS as well as the old one, so that those who haven’t upgraded can still enjoy using their apps.