I think Steve Jobs himself would have cried if he saw either IOS 7 or the iPhone 5C. One looks clunky and amateurish; the other is simply hideous and was designed specifically to increase margins while delivering an inferior product to the customer(sure its still well made, but most people would rather have an all metal case.)
John Gruber voiced an interesting perspective on the "Jobs would have _____" syndrome surrounding Apple products (scroll to "Defining Innovation Down"): daringfireball.net/2013/09/the_iphone_5s_and_5c
Having been an initial iPhone Luddite, I remember the posts I'd read discussing the detractors of various models. The criticism of this update, and a number of others since Jobs died, have an incredibly similar tenor.
What I find inspirational is that by force of personality alone, Steve Jobs convinced so many customers that the products' let-downs were much less meaningful than those customers and proponents would have normally felt.
I think the 5C would have driven him over the edge. It looks like it was made by Mattel or Hasbro (although it feels surprisingly sturdy. Salespeople should be doing everything they can to get it physically into customers hand). I actually really like iOS 7, although there are some rough edges that I bet would have bothered him (although I had to use an iPhone 1 for a week when my phone was stolen, and I think a lot of people forgot how clunky some of the software was). The only thing I don't like is that some buttons (mainly send and end calls) are extremely bright. It doesn't seem like it fits with iOS, plus it reminds me too much of Windows.
I never really bought in to the whole "Apple can't survive without Steve Jobs" thing. I think that they are perfectly capable of designing elegant, functional devices. Unfortunately, I don't think IOS 7 and the iPhone 5C are signs that the company is living up to its potential.
IOS now looks like it was slapped together in a hurry. I can't believe that this is the culmination of Jonny Ive's vision. He can do better. He has done better.
