General Consumer Reactions to iOS 7

[throAU]

Consumer reactions are irrelevant, as it is BETA and not intended for consumers.

 

[C DM]

Consumer reactions are irrelevant, as it is BETA and not intended for consumers.

But of course.

 

[3282868]

Consumer reactions are irrelevant, as it is BETA and not intended for consumers.

Oh, thanks for the reminder. Completely forgot.

So, because it's "beta," developers and consumers should expect a COMPLETELY different release this fall? Good to know.

 

[Nautilus007]

iOS was becoming stale and is still stale. Don't get me wrong I love my iPhone and as fat as I am concerned there is no better mobile OS but it is the same old thing, with new paint and a few tweaks which have been available for years jailbreaking.

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

. . . let's be honest, this is not a scientific study), roughly 71 individuals over a five day period (emphasis on "roughly"). I allowed use of my iPhone 5 for a half hour to 45 mins while at work and with friends on non work hours (let me also mention some used my 4S overnight and my other 5 model for longer for those who called this into question), and had some fill out a short answer survey I spent 5 minutes writing and sending via email . . .

Thanks for taking the time to do this and post the results on here.

I'm sure it'll prove useful feedback for Apple as few people would undertake such a thing. I certainly found it interesting.

 

[aimee.elizabeth]

Consumer reactions are irrelevant, as it is BETA and not intended for consumers.

Just shut up and give up

 

[bbfc]

I quite like idea of pinch to show all tabs in Safari, like it does on OS X. That would be cool.

 

[MacDevil7334]

Consumer reactions are irrelevant, as it is BETA and not intended for consumers.

Do you really think the final version released to consumers in 1-2 months will be dramatically different than the current beta? People aren't objecting to it because it's buggy. They're objecting because some of the changes made from iOS 6 are questionable at best.

 

[tkermit]

Watching the video from WWDC when they got a standing ovation was pretty amazing

Pretty sure I missed that part (or couldn't believe it was happening) as I was still in shock at that point during the keynote... everything after the beginning of the Jony Ive video was pretty much a blur.

I'm looking forward to trying out iOS 7 but it certainly wasn't love at first sight...

 

[Rogifan]

Do you really think the final version released to consumers in 1-2 months will be dramatically different than the current beta? People aren't objecting to it because it's buggy. They're objecting because some of the changes made from iOS 6 are questionable at best.

Some people will like it others will not. We'll find out soon enough what the consumer reaction is when the new iPhones come out.

 

[FreeState]

Thanks for taking the time to do this and post the results on here.

I'm sure it'll prove useful feedback for Apple as few people would undertake such a thing. I certainly found it interesting.

Im certain apple has a much better scientifically devised feedback program for it's marketing and research.

 

[nickharris1992]

UPDATE: read the comments below before posting as some felt it necessary to aggressively refer to me as "nuts", "weird" and a "liar" for merely posting a subjective thread on casual remarks. This is NOT a scientific study as a few claim. I will try not to use "passive voice" which I did to shorten my posting, now it appears I need to be more concise. It is a shame I need to spend time re-writing my post for some in order to avoid confusion and general offense

I realize this may qualify as an NDA breach, but I wanted to compile general consumer reactions to the new iOS 7 GUI. Most of us are tech savvy and place little emphasis on GUI modifications; we adapt quicker, yet it is crucial to report general consumer feedback during testing as this is Apple's biggest market.

I decided on selecting (to be more clear, selecting the number of individuals who asked to have their feedback sent) a multi-demographical group of friends, family, colleagues (as diverse as can be, I mentioned this in order to dismiss any possible remarks requesting a more significant analysis, and let's be honest, this is not a scientific study), roughly 71 individuals over a five day period (emphasis on "roughly"). I allowed use of my iPhone 5 for a half hour to 45 mins while at work and with friends on non work hours (let me also mention some used my 4S overnight and my other 5 model for longer for those who called this into question), and had some fill out a short answer survey I spent 5 minutes writing and sending via email (at their suggestion).

Noted Remarks:

- Low Contrast. Many remarked that the lighter grey's, whites, and yellows in System Settings, core app's, etc. negatively impaired usage. Many struggled with managing through System Settings, Notes, Calendar.

- Safari. Only a few people thought the new Safari page layouts were acceptable. Others found it to be a poor attempt for a "3D" design and preferred the previous method, also used in Safari 7 for 10.9 (pinching out on OS X trackpad zooms out in Safari, allowing users to swipe to another page in the same browser window).

- Navigation. Replacing buttons with floating text and symbols was the biggest issue. Not one person preferred blue text and "<" symbols for navigating.

- Too much white. The "Music" app had the lowest rating. Many struggled with red text and icons for active sections and light grey/dimmed text/icons for other sections. The lines separating playlists, tracks, etc and ">" to select were too "light", making it difficult to navigate.

- Multitasking. Sliding between open apps and waiting for the app to center in a "bouncy" animation in order to select it or swipe up to close was "fun" and "cute," but some thought it hindered usability.

Roughly 57 individuals did not like the UI at all. Some went as far as to state it will be a deciding factor in future purchasing of iOS based devices, many claiming it will disenfranchise Apple's iOS product line. The new options and features were unanimously approved, however the overall UI was the main deciding factor. People resist change, that's common, however this wasn't simply a matter of needing time to adjust.

I've reported UI bugs, as well as many others. If simple modifications are not addressed, based on general observations, iOS 7 may not be the slam dunk Apple hopes.

________

Ok, in response to some calling my post into question, calling me "nuts" or "weird", and just generally dismissing it as "lies," let me clarify with my posted responses:







I'm really stunned that a few seem so offended and disturbed that they have analyzed my post and have concluded a conspiracy theory that I must be lying, am "nuts", or some other xxxxx excuse. It is merely a simple subjective post, nothing more. I did not go door to door and "survey" people. Some asked to have their opinions sent to Apple beyond the general feedback link, but through my developer account. Simple.

I think this is awesome that you took time out of your day to do a report like this. Id like to see the positive side tho. Im sure not everybody's comments were all bad.

----------

Consumer reactions are irrelevant, as it is BETA and not intended for consumers.

This beta will be very similar to the released version this fall

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

Im certain apple has a much better scientifically devised feedback program for it's marketing and research.

No need to be smart.

That "scientifically designed feedback program" didn't work so well when they designed the iPhone 4 did it?

With cell antennas on campus and an obsession with absolute secrecy that led to their field phones so heavily disguised they failed to spot the poor quality antenna design.

Apple isn't perfect . . . and information from non-technical people outside of the Apple employee friends & family community is definitely useful.

 

[Rogifan]

No need to be smart.

That "scientifically designed feedback program" didn't work so well when they designed the iPhone 4 did it?

With cell antennas on campus and an obsession with absolute secrecy that led to their field phones so heavily disguised they failed to spot the poor quality antenna design.

Apple isn't perfect . . . and information from non-technical people outside of the Apple employee friends & family community is definitely useful.

Yep then we really have design by committee as this forum alone proves design is very subjective and not everyone agrees.

 

[3282868]

Yep then we really have design by committee as this forum alone proves design is very subjective and not everyone agrees.

According to MacRumors and many others, it's subjective at Apple, Inc. as well. I recall something about a Scott Forestall being fired for not working well with others and a rift that divided Cupertino over his iOS design.

Everything is subjective, but sometimes subjectivity can be a good thing.

I think this is awesome that you took time out of your day to do a report like this. Id like to see the positive side tho. Im sure not everybody's comments were all bad.

Good point.

Almost everyone liked the new features such as contact blocking, many seemed to believe iOS 7 on the 4S was much faster, keychain syncing, revamp of notifications (especially on the lock screen), more use of location based features. Generally most liked that the skeuomorphic (most didn't know the term but explained it) design was gone even if they didn't like the drastic UI changes.

 

[ajvizzgamer101]

3 Complaints when I showed my friends and family iOS 7...

1. Navigation: Ugly and confusing
2. Search in Safari: Unsure how the Unified Address Bar works
3. Flat dock: They prefer the Mac style dock

3 Complements

1. Parallax
2. Control Center
3. Slide anywhere to unlock

 

[TwoBytes]

/QUOTE]

You should really email this very detailed survey to apple and file this on he bug report system under UI improvements. I fear too nothing will change much from now until the GM. By now, apple are just tinkering, now rewriting GUI.