iOS 7 Beta 5 Tidbits: Icon Settings Redesign, New Control Center Options

[akbarali.ch]

MOST things in life work like Apple. Apple figures out the one way which they think is easiest, and MOST people willingly follow along.

For example, go to Home Depot and buy a door. Where is the pre-cut hole for the door handle? Can you choose where you want it? No. You can buy a door without a door handle hole, but move it even 1/4 of an inch to the left or right and good luck getting a handle and lock to fit. All the locks will fit one particular location on the door.



Practically everything I buy, I'm told how to use it. Can I put the steering wheel wherever I want it on my car? No. Only certain types of tires will fit my car. Only certain sizes of drinks will fit in my cup holder.

It is NORMAL to expect to use a product the way a manufacturer designs it. MOST people understand this, and it's not being a 'follower' or a 'sheep' - it's the NORMAL way life works. And do I get my panties in a bunch over being 'controlled'? No. I don't think of it that way. I'm free to choose what I buy, what I use and what I don't buy and what I don't use. I buy an iPhone because I ENJOY the experience.

Excellent, something similar i would've said but not as lucid as you did.

 

[Virtual Steve]

I say how about port the color icons BACK to OSX instead of the grey wasteland the finder has become.

At the risk of double-posting in the same (way too long) thread, see my posts here and here for a way to fix that "wasteland" in OS X

 

[chakfun]

Why there is still no landscape mode for playing music videos under the MUSIC App?

It works good in iOS 6.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Well, that was NEVER any different. Just two examples:

Remember the horrible and unusable ice hockey puck mouse back in the iMac G3 days? Or Command-Click to emulate the second mouse button? Heck, you couldn't even left- AND right-click at the same time with the "Mighty Mouse". (And in case you wonder when this would ever be useful - try playing a first person shooter once in a while.)

And the sole purpose of iOS still is to lock in and control the user as much as possible. The fact that the file system is entirely locked down alone causes so many usability issues that it's almost impossible to count them. And no, using NSA iCloud doesn't help here much either.

Why do you even bother with Apple products, if you don't seem to like their business approach of "control" or software?

The masses who drive cars do not want to tinker under the hood. (Let alone would they know what to do) They just want to drive and the car to work as advertised.

You constantly bemoan what Apple doesn't do, let you do, should be there etc.
Whatever they do has worked out just fine in terms of sales, profit etc.

Apple products are made for the masses, not nitpickers!

You have choices, so stop complaining about what isn't there or open your own company and do everything right!

 

[Vip]

Why do you even bother with Apple products, if you don't seem to like their business approach of "control" or software?

The masses who drive cars do not want to tinker under the hood. (Let alone would they know what to do) They just want to drive and the car to work as advertised.

You constantly bemoan what Apple doesn't do, let you do, should be there etc.
Whatever they do has worked out just fine in terms of sales, profit etc.

Apple products are made for the masses, not nitpickers!

You have choices, so stop complaining about what isn't there or open your own company and do everything right!

This is possibly the best post I have seen here for a long while.

Like you said if you want to be a geek and tinker buy a geek product (plenty to choose from), if you want to use a product, buy an Apple product. Simple.

 

[JarJarThomas]

And the sole purpose of iOS still is to lock in and control the user as much as possible. The fact that the file system is entirely locked down alone causes so many usability issues that it's almost impossible to count them. And no, using NSA iCloud doesn't help here much either.

The fact that the filesystem is locked down is one of the best features of ios.
First the security is great. Especially for companies you WANT TO LOCK DOWN your documents.
Also for all people who store all their documents on the desktop you don't want to bother them with folders (because they don't understand it).

What is the only real pro of a filesystem ?
You can open file of application a in application b.
Do you really need that on a phone ?
I can say i AM a real power user as developer and artist.
i NEVER needed that feature on my ipad or iphone.
So don't 99% of the people.

So right decision away with filesystem. Most people don't need it, most people don't wan't it, most people don't understand it.
Remove it, make it easier to use. Perfect.

 

[moderately]

For example, maybe I want to switch over to email to copy something to insert here. But once I go to app switch mode, I can forget just what I was doing. But with the app still above in ios6, I can stay on task.

So I am standing in the kitchen trying to remember what I came for.... You say there is no longer an app for that?

 

[uncertain.nomad]

[...]Remember the horrible and unusable ice hockey puck mouse back in the iMac G3 days? Or Command-Click to emulate the second mouse button? Heck, you couldn't even left- AND right-click at the same time with the "Mighty Mouse". (And in case you wonder when this would ever be useful - try playing a first person shooter once in a while.)[...]

I may be one of the few people how but anyway, here it goes: I loved the hockey puck mouse. The mouse is extremly nice for people like me that let the arm rest, and push the mouse around just with their fingers. Try to do that with one of those "put your hand here, I'll help you let it rest and we slide all the way around the table" mice. You can do it, but they are so huge, that it's rather unpleasant. So there you have it. The only person in the whole internet, who actually like the mouse.

 

[Gudi]

(usability is not 100% equal for all users no matter how much you try to say otherwise so already it's not a hard science like 2 hydrogen plus 1 oxygen always makes water)

Hydrogen and Oxygen do not really exist. Atoms are just models to simplify and describe the observable effects of what is actually happing. But we can not explain it. We not even have an idea. String theory tried to and miserably failed. Usability is as much science as chemistry. There are things we already know for sure and they won't change fundamentally, even if our understanding of the matter grows.

 

[stavtag]

There's an indicator for the countdown in the lock screen!

 

[Taipan]

Wow, seeing the two screenshots next to each other, it's very obvious that the old settings icons were much better to recognize at a glance.

 

[Arelunde]

I've kept a light background wallpaper that approaches white with a barely-there light variated light green. I notice that the icons in Beta 5 are considerably brighter - colors are more intense. Very good!

One of my disappointments with earlier betas has been the blah-ness of the overall appearance, despite the new icon design. No more. Now it's VIVID!. Looking GREAT!

Also, check out the notification pull-down for a more conversational approach. For tomorrow, mine says "Your calendar looks clear in the morning. There are 2 events scheduled, and the first one starts at 2 p.m." Cool.

Notice in settings the screens slide sideways and the buttons settle on the screens independently!

 

[sabont]

Colored Keyboard proof on iPhone

While switching back and forth between Portrait and Landscape, I noticed that there was a flicker on the keyboard, and with the help of a screenshot (or 24) I was able to capture what was really showing on the screen. Here are 2 pictures that show it changing mid rotation, and the instant it is black, prior to the rotate. BTW, I am using my Black iPhone 5. (Note: Personal Hotspot is *not* required for this)

Also HotSpot shows differently on the lock screen (in the status bar).

 

[Jaligard]

that simply isn't true, if your phone came with iOS 6 or older, you can downgrade back. If you buy a new iPhone in the fall, unless it is an older model, then you might be "stuck" with iOS 7.

Apple hasn't provided a downgrade path for any other iOS; why would they start now?

I would love to be able to try out iOS 7 when it's released, if I could go back to iOS 6. It's probably doable via some third party utilities, but I never know if I can trust those.

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This poor marketing team.

I'm sure that this is a great opportunity for them to grow as artists, but I all the criticism from these professional ranters must be tiresome.

My favorite comments on this thread are the ones where people try to say what would look better. As if they have a degree is graphic design (like myself) or know a thing about the concepts and rules of design or the current trend in iconography.

I'm pretty sure that the people who designed these icons had degrees in graphic design (or similar). Degrees can be over-rated. If these follow the rules, concepts, and current trends, then those rules, concepts, and current trends need to be revised.

Whoever thought that putting thin white text on glow-in-the-dark green for Messages was a good idea should have their degree taken away. If I look at it all day, it shouldn't make my eyes bleed.

Let's make that a new rule for graphic design, shall we?

 

[sabont]

Apple hasn't provided a downgrade path for any other iOS; why would they start now?

I would love to be able to try out iOS 7 when it's released, if I could go back to iOS 6. It's probably doable via some third party utilities, but I never know if I can trust those.

You don't need a 3rd party tool. You just download the ipsw for your device on the desired iOS version (you can make a backup copy of the one iTunes downloads when you "restore" so do this prior to iOS 7 launch) Then "Restore" in iTunes, the key here is to press the "Option" key which allows you to pick which ipsw you want to restore from. No need for a Dev account or anything like that.

 

[2IS]

I'm not sure how, but Apple took the iOS personality and snuffed it. The UI is ultra-boring, just like bauhaus architecture: it looks great, but you wouldn't want to live in it.

The UI has moved from delightful to cool. Using it makes me want to throw my phone away. It's like Apple has sucked all the joy out of the UI and replaced it with futura.

I have to agree... Ever since putting iOS 7 on my iPad I've been reaching for my laptop to do simple browsing where as before I'd always use my iPad. It's just not an enjoyable experience any more.

 

[phalseHUD]

YES they have to FlipFlop. Try what works better in reality.
See usage statistics, if users are finding their settings easier with multicolored icons than with the standard icons.

You see sometimes you have to TEST stuff.
Thats why it is beta.
And if you have an ios beta, it measures stuff like
-> how long is someone in settings. how long does he need to come to a specific submenu

Then they change parameters like colors, icons, positions, fontsizes and look how the data looks then.

And after that they decide
-> Hey we want this look, but we see in data users can use the phone better with this look. What do we want todo ? Do we change the design or is the difference so small that the design is more important.

Thats how beta software works. Thats why beta software is for DEVELOPERS because they KNOW how it should work. And thats why beta software is NOT for standard users, because they complain and complain and complain and have no idea of whats going on.

I'm cool with the concept of beta software cheers. Maybe I'm not being clear. Since when have Apple ever been bothered about what its users think about the parameters you mention? Apple lead the way, the don't follow what users think because they already know the way it should be...

Essentially what I'm trying to say (and i know its a cliche) but this would never have happened under Steve Jobs.

 

[ntrigue]

It's the default one for iOS7. Why should I have to change it?. It's been ok for the last 4 Beta's, now Apple's screwed it up

Just change your background. Sheesh.

 

[ry23]

Hey... So i was thinkin, now that in B5 there is the pull down available in notifications, there seems to be quite a bit of extra space surrounding the words. Do you think this extra space will be used for quick reply? And maybe they just haven't added the link, just the space the link will fit into? Just a thought?

Also... Is it just me or can you not share YouTube videos via message, Facebook, Twitter, etc.? Everytime I press share it just loads and doesn't take me to where I say..

Edit to the second half: I KNOW ITS A BETA! Just haven't seen it brought up

 

[LeeSteel]

Calendar

This new calendar is completely useless. I had to download CalenMob.
I live by my calendar and was totally comfortable with the old version.

 

[kendals]

This new calendar is completely useless. I had to download CalenMob.
I live by my calendar and was totally comfortable with the old version.

I gave up on Apple's calendar a while ago...try Fantastical..it works great under iOS 7!

 

[TheOriginalPol]

On my iPad 3, notification/control center no longer blurs out the background, but instead just darkens/lightens it a ton like on the iPhone 4. Can anyone else confirm this or do I just have a lemon?

 

[kendals]

On my iPad 3, notification/control center no longer blurs out the background, but instead just darkens/lightens it a ton like on the iPhone 4. Can anyone else confirm this or do I just have a lemon?

It sounds like you might have the "Increase Contrast" setting turned on. Go into Settings > General > Accessibility and turn off "Increase Contrast"

 

[ry23]

On my iPad 3, notification/control center no longer blurs out the background, but instead just darkens/lightens it a ton like on the iPhone 4. Can anyone else confirm this or do I just have a lemon?

I am running an iPhone 5 and mine is still blurring the background with both notification/control centers enabled. Not sure if it is supposed to blur it or not? Lol

 

[53kyle]

On my iPad 3, notification/control center no longer blurs out the background, but instead just darkens/lightens it a ton like on the iPhone 4. Can anyone else confirm this or do I just have a lemon?

My iPad 2 also does this: