March 28, 2024

Bits Blog: Love and Hate for Apple’s New Mobile Software

Apple's Craig Federighi introduced features of the new mobile operating system, which has been significantly redesigned.Kimberly White/Getty Images Apple’s Craig Federighi introduced features of the new mobile operating system, which has been significantly redesigned.

Apple this week unveiled a major redesign for iOS, the mobile software system running on iPhones and iPads. The software, called iOS 7, adopts a “flat” design principle that simplifies the look, while introducing thin typography and a vibrant color palette.

After Apple demonstrated iOS 7, Twitter lit up with reactions from designers, Apple fans and even some former Apple employees. The responses were polarized: Some loved the new design, while others despised it.

Here’s a sampling of tweets from notable people in the technology industry.

Andrew Borovsky, a former Apple designer who now works at Square, said the operating system was not designed for everyday people.

John Gruber, owner of Daring Fireball, an influential Apple fan blog, could not begin to fathom why anyone would dislike iOS 7.

Khoi Vinh, a former design director for The New York Times who is now an app developer, suggested that Scott Forstall, Apple’s former head of mobile software who was fired last year, did not have much to worry about.

Matt Gemmell, an Apple app developer, didn’t like some elements of the operating system, but he was otherwise positive about the overall improvements.

Sebastiaan de With, chief creative officer of DoubleTwist, the maker of a music app for mobile devices, disliked the icons and the typography of the system.

Josh Brewer, a designer at Twitter, wondered whether Apple had thoroughly tested iOS 7 before going with this approach.

Article source: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/love-and-hate-for-apples-new-mobile-software/?partner=rss&emc=rss