I actually do believe iOS7 a step back usability wise (at a component UX level, not in features). The reduction of visual affordances in controls makes it very hard to tell at a glance what is interactive, and often even where the touch areas of controls begin/end. This slows you down, and I find it takes me a few moments to orient myself on a new page.
Ok, maybe you can explain this to me then. Before iOS7 came out there were a bunch of people saying that Apple had to stop holding users hands as much.
Could you point to an example? 'Hand holding' could mean many different things. Hiding configuration settings? Verbose instructions? Big shiny pulsating continue buttons?
If you mean people were complaining that the controls were too visually complex and they attempted to differentiate themselves too much, I guess personally I'd have to disagree with those people.
Actually, it's a learnability problem: once you learn how to use its features, iOS 7 is a vast improvement over 6.
But that can be said about anything which involves "knowledge in the head" vs "knowledge in the world": Once you learn how to use it, it's superior to simpler systems restricted to only what can be operated by knowledge in the world alone.
And so far everyone has argued that iPhones are "better" by virtue of being "simpler" and "more intuitive" than Android because you don't need to figure out how things works, i.e. it only depends on knowledge in the world.
And now with iOS7 the tune is that you just need "knowledge in the head" and all is good. That's not a very consistent story.