If this is really an issue, the large, talented group of designers at Apple will fix it before GM.
They are employed by probably the most design-sensitive company around precisely because they're at the top of their game – they won't be oblivious to blundering inconsistencies.
If it's not, it will be forgotten about within days of the OS's release by nearly all users.
This five thousand times. This is precisely my sentiment on the matter.
I'm not such a fanboy as to believe Apple's infallible, but I do firmly believe they'll know when they've screwed up. You can bet there are plenty of people running around Apple gauging the public reaction to iOS7. If they think it's really a major pain point for the public, they'll do something about it. Otherwise, it won't really matter.
Remember when the iPad came out and thought it was a rushed joke with an awful name?
Counterpoint: one thing that history's greatest designers have most certainly not done is pay a lot of attention to the public's immediate reaction.
It will make them look worse, in a way, if we see them making a lot of concessions to popular outrage. The core look and feel of the UI was something they really should have taken the time to get right the first time, before going public. It's hard to save face in this business.
They are employed by probably the most design-sensitive company around precisely because they're at the top of their game – they won't be oblivious to blundering inconsistencies.
If it's not, it will be forgotten about within days of the OS's release by nearly all users.