However, I love the layering, cohesiveness, and consistency of iOS 7, but currently there is too much white and the fonts are too thin to be clearly legible. There is also no whimsical. we-did-it-just-because-we-could in the current OS.

I admit, being a designer, I tend to judge, almost everything, by two main pilars. This applies for gadgets, software, clothing, shoes, etc.
When I look for things, they have to: A) works for what it is intended, and B) look great.
I don’t waste my time in things that only works well, they should have nice aesthetics.

I like skeumorphism, I like flat design. Why should I take side on this? I am true believer that great design comes with skeumorphism and flat design. Thats free thinking. Those denying existance to other design styles have no room for other expressions. Neither are wrong.

And this is equally expressed from the opposite side: bad design can appear in both, skeumorphism and flat design.

I differ from all editorial opinions regarding the whole new icon set on iOS7. I am against to poor legibility. I am against to poor contrast. And iOS7 has all of this.
First, the icons. The famous design grid doesn’t help when you are bad doing icons, no matter if they have been done by Sir Ive or not. They are wrong. There is no design consistency. There are 4 design styles embeded in there:
1) extreme abstraction Flat design with transparency (photos icon).
2) 3D spheres with rampant skeumorphism elements like shades and reflections (game center).
3) no abstraction at all using too small elements in a tiny space (newstand and Safari, settings)
4) Cheap clipart icons (camera)

Then we have all this type discussion. Light and small helvetica is hard to read, no matter what. And they know. The even put and option for bold type styles. Isn’t better to put this from the start?

Colour pallete and transparency effects. Have you put a light backgroud and have a good icon legibility. I don’t think so. Some titles are way too small. Seems like this new OS requieres a 20/20 sight to be useful and what about for the rest if us using glasses?

Still, I like the UI and how it works, but regarding the looks… I don’t know. No flat design is good if people needs to memorize what that icon is for, or for instance, what represent that icon in the first place! Pass it to your mom and lest see how she uses her old iPad.

Good desing must resolve problems. Iconography must be intuitive.
As Gonzalo Tassier, a beloved design influence on me, once said: Design carries social responsability: you cannot loose your flight for bad flow desing, or loose your life for wrong detouring desing.