Tammy and I traded up to the iPhone 5 a couple months ago, knowing new phones were in the pipeline.  I had a pretty good idea where things were going, and the “5S” to be was still mostly a mystery.  I figured a solid “5” in the hand was a better choice.  Now, with iOS 7 on board, I can see I made the right decision.  Here’s a few observations, in no particular order of importance:

* Siri is better — Using Siri for the same tasks as before is much better.  From more accurate speech to faster transcription, Siri is now at a mature baseline of behavior for me.  Using Siri for texting is fantastic.  The first time I used it was in the car, while driving, windows down and it nailed every word.  Later on, while in the office, it guessed at a poorly pronounced phrase and when I tapped the word to change it, it suggested the correct 5 words to replace it.  Simply amazing.

* Control Center replaces three laborious tasks —  I used to do three things frequently and Control Center has reduced my workload.  The flashlight button allows me to delete a non-essential Camera+ app.  I can now set a timer with one tap to hit the Timer app and go (skipping Siri too).  Finally, the toggles for Wifi and Bluetooth allow me the control I need for power management.

* Visual cues with app loading/switching give me confidence — The interface cues when I load apps, switch apps and go back to the home screen are a big win.  These small visual tricks give me mental reassurance as I quickly navigate the system, allowing me to focus on speed and not steps.

Overall, in the short 24 hours I’ve had the upgrade, I’ve concluded I would have paid money for this upgrade.  Fantastic work, Apple!