You may have noticed Apple released iOS 7 today with an all-new design which has split opinion; but little in the way of brand-new user features which differentiate it from rival Android.

So where has this latest release left Google’s OS? Has Android’s cogs been jammed?

The one major user addition to iOS 7 is the Control Centre – something Android has notably had for the past couple of years.

Other user-facing changes include enhancements to Siri, Notification Centre… but the focus is very much on legendary designer Jonny Ive’s abolishment of the over-skeuomorphism left by Scott Forstall.

Beyond what’s facing the user, important additions have been made to help developers create fantastic applications which really help iOS shine. These include new APIs such as ‘iBeacons’ and the ability to update application contents in the background ready for when they are opened.

Many applications have been updated to take advantage of this new available functionality. Good examples here are Pocket and Evernote, who have both released versions to match the new flat design; they look fantastic.

One of the most interesting changes to iOS 7 was the complete support of 64-bit, which can be found in the recently announced iPhone 5S. Samsung, maybe predictably, announced their next handsets will also include 64-bit hardware – leading many to wonder whether Android is capable.

Because Android is based on Linux, it automatically is – and has for quite a while. Infact, only a couple of days after, a slide was shown at a presentation which just briefly flashed the support as a given, unlike Apple’s presentation which was excitedly focused about the new support.

Interestingly, whilst both in the top 10, Samsung contributes more to Linux than Google – as seen in the latest “Who Writes Linux” report from the Linux Foundation:

So whereas Google may not have the new UI design which some favour, functionally, it is still more capable – with its more open and less “walled” approach to applications and how they integrate with one another and the system.

But does it matter? While developers prefer the simplicity of iOS development, its design, and its simpler, less fragmented ecosystem, the best applications will appear there first – or at least the ones able to function within its confines.

Of course the most notable point here is that Google still has an upcoming update. With all the focus on fantastic, consistent design in their applications recently, I think it’s pretty much a given Android’s next focus will be making the OS consistent and well-designed.

Android is heading into a new phase, however. Popular custom ROM CyanogenMod has raised $7 million by Silicon Valley venture firms Benchmark Capital and Redpoint Ventures to become a self-standing company – hoping to at least overtake Windows Phone and BlackBerry to take the third most popular OS spot.

In the long-term, founder Steve Kondik says the goal is to produce “a mobile OS that was actually designed by and for the people who use it” – but calls itself an ‘ally’ rather than a ‘rival’ to Google…

… But it may face competition from Ubuntu, Mozilla, and Jolla’s individual OS’s.

What do you think about iOS 7? Should more of a focus been placed on features? Or does putting a fresh paint on a winning formula suffice?