Apple’s iPhone event yesterday had more in store for its devout user-base than just a couple of flashy new smartphones. iOS 7 was also put on display and now that tech junkies and beat writers have a better idea of what Apple has equipped its flagship mobile operating system with, they’re sharing their first impressions and review of iOS 7 prior to its September 18 release date.

iOS 7 will be available as a free download on Sept. 18 but you’ve got to possess the right mobile Apple product first. iOS 7 will be compatible with the iPhone 4 or higher, 2nd-generation iPad, iPad mini, and 5th-generation iPod Touch. If you happen to have one of these or are looking to pre-order either an iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C on September 13, consider these early reviews.

Associated Press: “Any significant change in design typically upsets users familiar with the old way of doing things, but I suspect the complaints about iOS 7 will be muted unless there are some terrible bugs in the software that weren’t evident during the brief time that I was given to experiment. I am fairly certain most people who download iOS 7 are going to be pleased. The software makes it easier to navigate around an iPhone and adds some compelling new features.”

TechCrunch: ” By now though, it’s hard to think of iOS 7 as anything but a known quantity — it’s been dissected and criticized and lambasted and adored ever since the first beta was released to developers earlier this year. Now that Apple has pulled back the curtains on the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, it’s time for iOS 7 to start making the rounds in earnest. Sadly, Federighi’s iOS 7 segment didn’t offer up much in the way of new details — it was largely a recap of the stuff Apple talked up at WWDC a few months ago.”

Know Your Mobile: ” The downside is that after I got used to the shock of the design shift, I still wanted more from iOS 7. I don’t need widgets but I do think Apple missed a trick by not incorporating some kind of glance-based information delivery system inside iOS 7. With that said, the most interesting things about iOS 7 may not yet be known – the platform includes more than 1,500 new APIs for developers. And that means there’ll be plenty of interesting new features on the way ahead of its Q4 rollout.”