iOS 7 Beta 4 Tidbits: Lockscreen Redesign, Notification Center Improvements and New Search Options

[jhagedon]

You don't see the difference?

You really didn't look very carefully. There's a huge difference.The image on the right has only one overlap of each color whereas the original overlaps a third time in the center to create a darker color and a smaller oculus.

Colours are a little lighter so there is that...

 

[DarkGiftRadio]

I think the clock icon changed, it starts moving. Did it exist before? Usually, it is just calendar.

I've never really noticed this before, probably because I've never really paid enough attention to look at it, but it is in fact a working clock, second hand moving and all. Great observation.

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i really like the new lock screen, iOS7 is the greatest change to iOS.

I would still love to see Apple incorporate the finger puzzle unlock screen option like they have on the Android Devices.

 

[Rogifan]

If a company is serious about its customers, it should also care for understanding the reasons that make people (especially long-term users) leave the platform.

Otherwise it might miss the chance to recognize potential problems while they develop. Established platforms deteriorate over time, not over night.

For the same reason every serious platform fan should care to at least understand the motivation of long-term users pondering to leave - chances are that oneself is overlooking certain aspects and/or has become less critical over time.

Pre iOS 7 there was constant complaining about iOS being outdated, people hating "skeuomorphism", missing features x, y & z blah, blah, blah. Well, with iOS 7 Apple has added some of those missing features and freshened up the UI (no more faux leather and green felt!). Of course some people will prefer the current iOS UI and a few might hate the new UI enough to leave. I honestly don't care. Because there's just as much chance Apple will attract new people to the platform as there is existing customers leaving.

 

[DarkGiftRadio]

Yes its been there in the previous beta.

I never noticed it, but glad that I stumbled upon it. Thanks..

 

[jhagedon]

I am in total agreement

Text, especially in other languages, is a very bad idea. The length varies greatly, and it is visually cluttered as you say. International signage has been using symbols for a reason. It's amazing that so many "smart" people don't see the problem in Cupertino.

I think the heavy use of text is the biggest problem with iOS 7. I've gotten over the icons, but the heavy use of text is really getting annoying and not any prettier to look at. It's also really cluttering up UIs that used to work great like the music app and making it uglier and harder to use.

 

[rcs91]

Cheeky maps update

There's a cool thing in maps that quickly shows how long it takes to get to a POI or dropped pin etc.

Also (or at least I didn't notice this before) the 'next' and 'previous' when filling in forms have been replaced by arrows.

 

[peejack]

I still wish they changed the Photos icon to the one on the right.

Image

First world problems

 

[harrisondavies]

There's a cool thing in maps that quickly shows how long it takes to get to a POI or dropped pin etc.

Also (or at least I didn't notice this before) the 'next' and 'previous' when filling in forms have been replaced by arrows.

Yay a Geordie, Mackam, northerner. Thought I was the only one lol.

 

[peejack]

Should be titled: Amateurish iOS Redesign, Failed Attempt #4.

why? because you don't like it?

 

[bard108]

Is anyone having issues downloading apps. I've got three which have gotten stuck and tried hard resets and deleting them... all of which has failed to help

 

[OSXBlair]

Pressing the home button 4 times on the lock screen while playing music will replace the music controls with the time and date and vice versa.
Not sure if this is just with Beta 4.

 

[ucbeb30]

Android -> iOS

there's just as much chance Apple will attract new people to the platform as there is existing customers leaving.

Does anyone like this redesign? Everything about it is ugly.

You've got to love rhetorical questions like this. I do, and I reckon there'd be others.

I completely love it. In fact, its one of the main reasons I'll be purchasing my first iPhone.

I'm currently an owner of a Samsung Galaxy Nexus and have been an Android since it came out. I've never made the switch. I'll be purchasing the 5S or whatever it ends up being called.

Frankly I'm a little bored with the look of Android and I'm ready for a change. Plus, none of the apps ever work as smooth as iOS (I know this b/c I have an iPad 2).

 

[Riiick]

I think this is new too, first time I see it on iOS 7. This just poped up when I plugged my iPhone in my windows computer.

 

[jhagedon]

Great discovery!

I have also wanted this information. I wonder if it has been there all along?

I don't know if this was mentioned, or even a part of the Beta or update, but I did notice that when in the Messages app, looking at a conversation, you can slide your finger to the left on the screen and you can view all the times that your messages were sent and received. It always bothered me that I was not able to see what time I sent or received particular messages in a conversation and stumbled upon this one by complete accident and very happy that I did so I thought I would post it here for those of you out there that were not aware of this feature. You can see an example from the photo I've attached to this post.

Image

 

[Tyler23]

The update to the messages app show the first name and the first initial of the last name.

In my contacts, I have:
Eric Wood
Eric Williams

If the messages app reduces the name of both to "Eric W" how am I supposed to tell who I am talking to easily. I think this update needs to be reverted, like "NOW" because that is going to cause a lot of issues.

You could just swipe back to your messages list, there it shows the full names for each message thread

But yes I can see how that would be inconvenient.

 

[firstapple]

I have also wanted this information. I wonder if it has been there all along?

Been there for a while, yes. This is not a Beta 4 change

 

[AnonMac50]

The music controls on the lock screen now are absolutely terrible!

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Pressing the home button 4 times on the lock screen while playing music will replace the music controls with the time and date and vice versa.
Not sure if this is just with Beta 4.

Doesn't seem to work for me.

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The middle button on the earphone remote doesn't pause and play music anymore.

 

[Aeshaettr]

Pressing the home button 4 times on the lock screen while playing music will replace the music controls with the time and date and vice versa.
Not sure if this is just with Beta 4.

only one click on the home button will do

 

[Pompiliu]

The music controls on the lock screen now are absolutely terrible!

They always looked terrible. (in iOS7)

The middle button on the earphone remote doesn't pause and play music anymore.

Can't innovate anymore my ass!

 

[dannys1]

I've never really noticed this before, probably because I've never really paid enough attention to look at it, but it is in fact a working clock, second hand moving and all. Great observation.

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I would still love to see Apple incorporate the finger puzzle unlock screen option like they have on the Android Devices.

They can't its a Google patent.

 

[Pompiliu]

Pressing the home button 4 times on the lock screen while playing music will replace the music controls with the time and date and vice versa.
Not sure if this is just with Beta 4.

4 times?
Just one time dude, stop raping your phone.

 

[revlisoft]

Chrome icon

The chrome icon is finally fixed in this beta.

 

[cdudek]

Spotlight 2.0

I like the new spotlight: accessing it is easy and the look is nice. Apple should take it one step further by enabling the user to also search the web. I realize that the idea of spotlight is to search your device (mac, phone, ipad, etc.); but having all your searching needs in one place would be great.

Get rid of the "Cancel" button (all you need to do is swipe down again to get rid of Spotlight..no need for "Cancel") and replace it with the word "iPhone". If you click on "iPhone" it would then switch to show the user's default search engine ("Google", "Bing", etc.) So then it shows "iPhone" you know you're searching your phone, but if you click it to "Google", then the results would be Google search results.

 

[Tyler23]

I have also wanted this information. I wonder if it has been there all along?

Been there since beta 2

 

[3282868]

The other day i was fiddling with Siri to make a call while music was playing in the background. Usually when calling the music fades out. Somehow i managed to have the music not fading out, but continue playing at low volume in the background while making the call, which was a really nice experience - would like to have that as a feature!

Oy, that's awful. That would drive me crazy on handsfree/car (get it? drive? HA! I kill me. I'll be here all week, twice on Sunday).

Re: leaving Apple. I've been tempted lately, probably for the same reasons as yourself. Bit sad, while it's doing well it's not the company I knew a decade or more ago.