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Do you like, or loath, the use of translucency, or "frosted glass" in iOS 7?

Do you like, or loath, translucent/frosted glass use in iOS 7?

  • Love

    Votes: 115 76.7%

  • Loath

    Votes: 35 23.3%
  • Total voters
    150
  • Poll closed .
ra4oasis

ra4oasis

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 10, 2010
356
84
A lot has been made of the use of translucency, or the sort of frosted glass, that is used for the notification center, control center, and folders. Some, like myself, like it a lot. I think it allows the entire OS to kind of theme itself around the background of your choice. Others hate the look, compare it to Windows Vista, and say it seems old. What do you think?
 
In general, I like it. I think the system looks better with it than without it.

However, and this is a big however, sometimes when I am in a window where there is a lot of white space (and there are many of those), depending on my wallpaper or the kind of content that is in the background, the darker areas come through as smudgy-looking. A few times I've wiped over the screen, unsure of whether I was seeing the background content or just smudgy fingerprints. I could see this being a real turn-off for some users. It would be nice if we could adjust the opacity, but knowing Apple that's simply not going to happen.
 
I like the frosted look in general, but I prefer the darker frost (i.e. notification center) over the brighter/whiter frost (i.e. control center).
 
snowman1 said:
I like the frosted look in general, but I prefer the darker frost (i.e. notification center) over the brighter/whiter frost (i.e. control center).
Click to expand...
Yeah, the CC really looks like ****. It feels completely different from the rest of the system.
 
snowman1 said:
I like the frosted look in general, but I prefer the darker frost (i.e. notification center) over the brighter/whiter frost (i.e. control center).
Click to expand...

I'm not sure which one I like better, light or dark. However, it would be nice if you could choose sort of a light or dark theme. Say you choose dark, all the frosted glass, control center, notification center, AND folders, would all have that dark glass look.
 
It reminded me of Windows Vista right away.

Except that Vista mostly only used translucency around the window borders, outside of content that you wanted to read.

Apple won't do it, but it'd be nice if they offered one or more other theme sets.

(Didn't vote, because I'm neutral about it.)

Edit: I see that the OP also brought up themes while I was typing this.
 
Don't really like it, looks cluttery in control center. Would prefer a clean unicolour background or slight gradient. Wouldn't mind adaptive colour. Folders look aweful but rather because rounded corners instead going edge to edge.
 
Last edited:
I like it. Having the system wide interfaces stay out of the way as much as possible is classy. Ive has one really good point, the content is what matters, and having it show though the overlays emphasizes that point beautifully. It's like the system is butting into an app's UI, and instead of screaming "yo! You ordered some controls?" It's more with the attitude of "excuse me sir, here are the quick toggles that you've requested".
 
Frosted glass and translucency are a little "Windows Vista".
Could Coco Chanel have created a much better looking OS? - Surely!
 
I voted that I love it, because I do, but with one caveat. I don't like it in the dock because it can take on an unflattering color depending on the wallpaper. I had to quit using my wood panel wallpaper because it made the dock a sickening salmon color.

I would rather the dock be completely transparent, or perhaps just barely translucent.
 

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I don't like it at all. The opaqueness feels very distracting. I prefer the linen or other solid background for notification and control centers, and for folders, I wish it was like Infinifolder, which is a jailbreak tweak that just makes the wallpaper the folder background.
 
I generally dislike the idea. Not because it looks good or bad, but because the design space is no longer controlled by Apple. The OS can look drastically different, and downright bad, if the wrong wallpaper is chosen.

I'd prefer the UI to be stable regardless of what wallpaper is chosen.
 
ra4oasis said:
A lot has been made of the use of translucency, or the sort of frosted glass, that is used for the notification center, control center, and folders. Some, like myself, like it a lot. I think it allows the entire OS to kind of theme itself around the background of your choice. Others hate the look, compare it to Windows Vista, and say it seems old. What do you think?
Click to expand...

I am on the fence with iOS 7. I tend to agree with the Windows Vista look (and performance). At this early stage, the performance is pretty bad on older devices, to the point where it is nearly unusable. Granted I am talking about the oldest devices it supports - iPhone 4 and iPad 2. As I used it and tested it, I actually missed the classic iPhone interface that we have all grown to love, and the responsiveness of it. I read so many complaints on here about the iPhone not having "widgets," etc., but I am very happy it does not and like it fine the way it is. It is the most stable platform that I have used and is reliable. I have no complaints the way it is.
 
It reminds me of the look & feel of the makeup containers at any one of a number of women's cosmetic counters in SF & NY. One glance while passing by the various company's displays reminds me of the pastel colors & frosted containers with gold lids. Feminine & pretty.

Apple has obviously chosen to appeal to at least half of their new customers with these muted, soft colors. It's not bad, just not something I find compelling nor exciting in a smartphone. Nonetheless Apple also knows they have the power & influence to sell anything as long as it has the fruity logo.

I expect the iPhone 5S will be declared something short of the holy grail :)
 
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