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The Whining Bloggers Won. Apple Overreacted. Consumers Lost.
- Thread starter whocaresit
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The smartphone market was quite different when the 4S was released in 2011. The Android software wasn't as competitive and we didn't have smartphones with 4.5-4.9" HD displays. At the time, there weren't many high quality phones available for under $200, either. Plus, there was a lot of pent-up demand because iPhone 3G/GS users had held off on upgrades in anticipation of the iPhone 5 or a LTE iPhone.
Until iOS 6, iOS was magnificent. Rich. Luxurious. Extravagant. Exuberant. AMAZING. INCREDIBLE in a word! Its aesthetic had no match.
The whining bloggers started complaining about Leather and Felt. Two apps that needed fixing, that was it. Then they jumped onto 'Skeuomorphism' bandwagon just because of Leather stitching and Contacts apps being like realworld counterparts. It was actually not that big of an issue.
Apple Overreacted. Removing everything that could be associated to the real-world. Like Reflections. Gloss. Shadows. Stripes. Textures. Colors. A reflective dock. Sign boards in Maps. Even Buttons, couldn't be saved.
Now all iOS 7 is, strictly speaking appearance-wise, obnoxiously ugly. Headache inducing. Every app looks the same, like it was put together the last minute. White everywhere. No shadows. Hard to read text. So much that it alienates the loyal and familiar iOS audience.
In the end, the bloggers successfully managed to bring down iPhone's OS aesthetic to 'just another Andriod-looking OS'. iOS has lost all it's character and richness. Everything feels dumbed-down and subdued.
Apple's dumb
There were phones with larger screens for the same price. You're grasping here. There is pent up demand as well because 4S users will be up for a new phone.
iOS 6? Excellent until you load up the App Store. Slow as molasses.
Also, what about the ever color changing status bar? That's NOT elegant.
How about the weirdly colored dialer in the phone app?
The only thing I like about iOS 6 is the quick camera access on the lock screen. Can anybody confirm if it's still there in iOS 7? That is important.
Also, what about the ever color changing status bar? That's NOT elegant.
How about the weirdly colored dialer in the phone app?
The only thing I like about iOS 6 is the quick camera access on the lock screen. Can anybody confirm if it's still there in iOS 7? That is important.
At the time, there were 4" phones, which Apple matched last year when interest waned in the 4S.
iPhone 4S users have much more compelling upgrade options now than 3G/GS users did in 2011. And IOS7 still doesn't address the key reasons why so many are opting for Android phones (see previous post).
But at the time of the 4S there were larger screened phones, there were several phones with 4+" screens, when the 5 came out plenty of people said it was still a small screen because they were using 4.5+" phones. Interest waned in the 4S because the 5 came out. That's the way it works every time.
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Like every new thing, some people won't like it. I think iOS 6 is stale, most of the apps haven't changed much in the past 5 years. The "if it aint broke, dont fix it!" mentality can only be used so long....it was time for a change. Sure iOS 7 isn't perfect, but I sure as hell like it better than iOS 6.
I happened to be watching an episode of "The Big Bang Theory" while reading the first post in this thread...the similarities were striking. Good lord folks...get a grip. Far too many are reacting the same way a child would when not getting their way.
Every photo of the lockscreen, including the ones on Apple's site, show it. Not sure why you were concerned it wouldn't be there.
Thanks I should've checked first.
So it's still "swipe up for camera" right?Thanks I should've checked first.
I do understand. I use it a lot as well.
IMO, besides the lockscreen, iOS7 looks nothing like Android. Sure some features are copied in similar fashion, but I think it resembles WP more than Android.
I finally got to touch iOS 7 beta.
At this stage, it's a huge leap over iOS 6 which was more than long in the tooth and was risking being poleaxed by other mobile operating systems as time moved on and Apple didn't.
At this stage, it's a huge leap over iOS 6 which was more than long in the tooth and was risking being poleaxed by other mobile operating systems as time moved on and Apple didn't.
Apple seems to have regained the boldness it once had during the iPod era. There were so many great designs came out a decade ago, e.g. the desk lamp iMac. However after the huge success of iOS devices Apple seemed to have stagnated esp. until the later stage in Steve's life, when he could no longer control that much for the work of Scott Forstall et al. Skeuomorphism had gone out of control, the Podcast app and the pass shredder effect of the Passbook app are prime examples of that.
Now, in 2013 after the departure of Forstall, Jony Ive can innovative in design without fettering, we can see bold designs again - radical redesign of iOS 7 and the trash can Mac Pro - bold changes are controversial but I'd prefer it to having the same look for one more year.
Now, in 2013 after the departure of Forstall, Jony Ive can innovative in design without fettering, we can see bold designs again - radical redesign of iOS 7 and the trash can Mac Pro - bold changes are controversial but I'd prefer it to having the same look for one more year.
Apples advantage is having so much extra cash on hand, they can afford to do anything they want. Able to stubbornly hold out and not offer features many user would enjoy, Apple takes pride in dictating to their customers. Operating nearly consequence free there's no telling what they will be doing in the months ahead.
Yup.Thanks I should've checked first.
If it was the other way around people would probably feel the same way. Some people don't like change. Change takes time and honestly, there are other options out there if you are not satisfied.
In the end, the bloggers successfully managed to bring down iPhone's OS aesthetic to 'just another Andriod-looking OS'. iOS has lost all it's character and richness. Everything feels dumbed-down and subdued.
iOS 7 looks nothing like Android. If anything it looks more like Windows Phone.
A: you are comparing IOS 6 which is in its 4th refined state AFTER beta to an OS in beta 1.
And B: This MR poll ( https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1594916/ )suggests that most of the people using IOS 7 b1 like the UI better than that of ios6
No one's saying iOS 7 shouldn't have been a significant departure from iOS 6. What people are saying is that iOS 7 takes a step back from 6's brilliant design.
For months there was rumor that iOS 7 would be "simplistic" in design. This is something I welcome. What we have so far, however, is a more "chaotic" and "confusing" design. Both OS's behave similarly. If you've used one, you'll quickly navigate the other. The difference is that iOS 7 is less intuitive, and visually troublesome. More-so than icons, people should be focusing on buttons. The removal of buttons is interface suicide. There's a reason most of the top UI's, across desktops as well, implement buttons correctly.
Is iOS6 perfect? Not by a long shot. There are plenty of visual inconsistencies within iOS 6, that iOS 7 rectifies. Pop up dialogues are much more consistent on 7, one of the biggest visual flaws in 6.
While I'm 100% sure 7 will improve tenfold by release, I'm not sure it will match iOS 6's fit and finish. Remember, iOS 6 has had the last ten years to refine itself. We're on day three.
For months there was rumor that iOS 7 would be "simplistic" in design. This is something I welcome. What we have so far, however, is a more "chaotic" and "confusing" design. Both OS's behave similarly. If you've used one, you'll quickly navigate the other. The difference is that iOS 7 is less intuitive, and visually troublesome. More-so than icons, people should be focusing on buttons. The removal of buttons is interface suicide. There's a reason most of the top UI's, across desktops as well, implement buttons correctly.
Is iOS6 perfect? Not by a long shot. There are plenty of visual inconsistencies within iOS 6, that iOS 7 rectifies. Pop up dialogues are much more consistent on 7, one of the biggest visual flaws in 6.
While I'm 100% sure 7 will improve tenfold by release, I'm not sure it will match iOS 6's fit and finish. Remember, iOS 6 has had the last ten years to refine itself. We're on day three.
anybody who thinks somehow ios7 will be rejected by the masses needs to think again.
YOU might not like it as a long time user. your GF might not like it as somebody that doesn't like change. your parents might not like it because they liked the simplicity of ios6.
But look at the new ios7 design objectively. The first screen you see. the galaxy background. thin text for time. The pretty looking fade on slide to unlock. then look at the lock code screen. round pretty buttons that light up when you press them. look at the way the buttons zoom onto the screen. look at the home screen. the slide up control panel. these are all effects that resonate with people. it looks "fancy". it looks clean. it has finesse.
when ios 6 came out it wasn't just the functionality that appealed to people. it was the cleanliness of the OS. no clutter. no confusion like windows CE/6 or symbian. The best thing though? the font apple was using. I don't want to over use the word clean, but thats what it was. it was "CLEAN". but the look was getting old after 5 years. the weather app started looking boring. the text started looking blocky. all the things that were so revolutionary 6 years ago suddenly lost lustre.
thats what ios7 is. CLEAN. NEW. PRETTY.
I guarantee you people will love it.
Those that say the OS is staid and old functionality-wise might move onto android. but we're talking a small percentage of consumers that actually put their money where their mouth is.
First time apple buyers will love it for what it is. old apple loyalists will love the evolution for the OS.
YOU might not like it as a long time user. your GF might not like it as somebody that doesn't like change. your parents might not like it because they liked the simplicity of ios6.
But look at the new ios7 design objectively. The first screen you see. the galaxy background. thin text for time. The pretty looking fade on slide to unlock. then look at the lock code screen. round pretty buttons that light up when you press them. look at the way the buttons zoom onto the screen. look at the home screen. the slide up control panel. these are all effects that resonate with people. it looks "fancy". it looks clean. it has finesse.
when ios 6 came out it wasn't just the functionality that appealed to people. it was the cleanliness of the OS. no clutter. no confusion like windows CE/6 or symbian. The best thing though? the font apple was using. I don't want to over use the word clean, but thats what it was. it was "CLEAN". but the look was getting old after 5 years. the weather app started looking boring. the text started looking blocky. all the things that were so revolutionary 6 years ago suddenly lost lustre.
thats what ios7 is. CLEAN. NEW. PRETTY.
I guarantee you people will love it.
Those that say the OS is staid and old functionality-wise might move onto android. but we're talking a small percentage of consumers that actually put their money where their mouth is.
First time apple buyers will love it for what it is. old apple loyalists will love the evolution for the OS.