System-Wide Settings Panels Being Tested For iOS 7

9to5Mac:

As we previously reported, the latest iOS 7 builds being tested include new panels for quick access to information. For example, in addition to local weather and stocks information (like as introduced in iOS 5), Apple is testing other widgets for Notification Center. Sources shared examples such as localized news feeds. Additionally, Apple is testing a dedicated, easily-accessible panel for WiFi, Airplane Mode, and Bluetooth toggles.

I would greatly prefer if Apple would add a Notification Center widget for these quick-access toggles, rather than another dedicated panel. I think Apple should only add more system-wide gestures, which have significant implications on the third-party app ecosystem, with extreme moderation.

Case in point: multitasking gestures on the iPad are off by default. If they caused no harm, users wouldn’t have a choice to enable it or not — it wouldn’t be optional as there would not be a downside to having them always active.