I subscribe to every word you say, Barty. I'm surprised that practically all professional review sites sing praises on the new iOS 7 design, whereas if you ask regular iDevice owners, many of them hate the new iOS 7 looks. (That poll response is currently in the lead in this thread, too.)
Look at the screenshots below. I'm not saying the 3 screenshots in the top row are well executed, but who can really consider the 3 screenshots below them an
improvement? A
guy's stubbly face over 5 child-like coloured bubbles? WTF? 5 shades of grey patches with some illegible micro-thumbnails thrown in is supposed to be the better newsstand?
If this is considered "aesthetic" in 2013, I sure hope for my life from now on to be as "unaesthetic" as possible.