Apple states that "distinct functional layers help establish hierarchy and order. And the use of translucency gives you, a sense of your context. These planes, combined with new approaches to animation and motion, create a sense of depth and vitality.

At the 44 second mark of the video below, Jony Ives describes the iOS 7 parallax effect first described in Apple's patent application published in February 2012. Jony Ive states in the video that "The iPhone, responding to your movements, drives the parallax to create a whole new experience." He later adds that "In many ways, we've tried to create an interface that is unobtrusive and deferential."

Apple has, in iOS 7, overcome traditional problems regarding misaligned parallax views. Apple's original patent dove further into eye tracking and 3D environments. Whether Apple intends to push iOS further into a 3D environment over time is still an open question, though Ive's move to simplicity may now render their 3D environment project dead in the water. Yet for today, Apple's new iOS 7, in part, has fulfilled another Apple patent.

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