What iOS 6 should have focused on

[mjh483]

I totally understand Apple's approach to software updates. They want to add more features without having to force users to relearn how to use the OS. They have always kept the basic UI elements of the OS and only changed the design of some apps. Yes, I do appreciate this. Every new feature is implemented in a elegant and easy-to-use way, without changing the workflow of the predecessor. The end users just need to use what's new. And they've got nothing to lose even if the features aren't very useful to them.

Nonetheless, Apple, you have been doing this for 5 years straight. The only major overhaul was in iOS 4, which adopted so-called multi-tasking, practically app-switching. The basic UI has remained more or less identical to what was introduced in 2007. Don't you ever consider how bored diehard iPhone users can be of using basically the same thing for 5 consecutive years? Yes, tons of new features have been added ever since, but for the user, design is what we see and interact with every day. When iPhone users see Android UI getting more elegant and easier to use in every update, they do feel a bit inferior. ( at least many of my friends) And yes, again, I know iOS UI is already good, but just think about it, after 5 years, surely you Apple design geniuses could have come up with something better??

So basically, all I want to say is, that iOS 6 should have focused more on changing the UI. And more customisation options. Customisation in a Apple way. Elegant, easy to implement, easy to remove, clean. Maybe they could put a UI Skin section in App Store. Why not? They could just check the UI Skins just like they do with apps. Given the limited hardware choices of iOS platform, developers are more likely to come up with more optimised and more beautiful UI Skins.

In conclusion, new features are important. But they may not be as important as UI design and customisation options when the UI has remained basically the same for 5 years. Comeon, Apple, can't u just give iOS a new look for once?

 

[ghostface147]

A repository just like the photos app. Attaching documents would be cool. The rest is fine. I am not looking for a radical re-design of the UI.

 

[doubleaa25]

I personally iOS 6 was somewhat of a letdown in comparison to the other OS in the past.

iPhone OS 2.0 brought us corporate support and the so ever popular App Store.
iPhone OS 3.0 brought us Voice Memos, the Action Menu for Copy/Paste functions, more languages.
iOS 4 brought us the major overhaul as you mentioned.
And iOS 5 brought us iMessage and the Notification Center.

iOS 6 did bring new features nonetheless, but nothing that is really revolutionary. The biggest difference was with the in-house maps solution, but everything else is essentially the same (though facebook integration is nice). It is time for Apple to step up a notch and make the next major update truly revoltionary and different.

 

[Gazoobee]

I totally understand Apple's approach to software updates. They want to add more features without having to force users to relearn how to use the OS. They have always kept the basic UI elements of the OS and only changed the design of some apps. Yes, I do appreciate this. Every new feature is implemented in a elegant and easy-to-use way, without changing the workflow of the predecessor. The end users just need to use what's new. And they've got nothing to lose even if the features aren't very useful to them.

Nonetheless, Apple, you have been doing this for 5 years straight. The only major overhaul was in iOS 4, which adopted so-called multi-tasking, practically app-switching. The basic UI has remained more or less identical to what was introduced in 2007. Don't you ever consider how bored diehard iPhone users can be of using basically the same thing for 5 consecutive years? Yes, tons of new features have been added ever since, but for the user, design is what we see and interact with every day. When iPhone users see Android UI getting more elegant and easier to use in every update, they do feel a bit inferior. ( at least many of my friends) And yes, again, I know iOS UI is already good, but just think about it, after 5 years, surely you Apple design geniuses could have come up with something better??

So basically, all I want to say is, that iOS 6 should have focused more on changing the UI. And more customisation options. Customisation in a Apple way. Elegant, easy to implement, easy to remove, clean. Maybe they could put a UI Skin section in App Store. Why not? They could just check the UI Skins just like they do with apps. Given the limited hardware choices of iOS platform, developers are more likely to come up with more optimised and more beautiful UI Skins.

In conclusion, new features are important. But they may not be as important as UI design and customisation options when the UI has remained basically the same for 5 years. Comeon, Apple, can't u just give iOS a new look for once?

Nothing personal but you obviously don't know anything about Apple and clearly have no taste at all. Skins are one of the absolute worst aspects of customisation. It's not the "Apple way" to do skins, they've never done this on any of their products and probably never will. There's no way to even do skins in an "Apple way" as you suggest because a skin is by definition a complete redesign of all the main UI graphics. How is that ever going to work? Skins are primarily created by bored teenage boys with nothing better to do and the belief that years of playing Halo qualifies them to be "designers."

 

[luqman24]

Nothing personal but you obviously don't know anything about Apple and clearly have no taste at all. Skins are one of the absolute worst aspects of customisation. It's not the "Apple way" to do skins, they've never done this on any of their products and probably never will. There's no way to even do skins in an "Apple way" as you suggest because a skin is by definition a complete redesign of all the main UI graphics. How is that ever going to work? Skins are primarily created by bored teenage boys with nothing better to do and the belief that years of playing Halo qualifies them to be "designers."

Wtf are you talking about?? I think you missed the whole point of which this whole thread was created which is its about time for Apple to change its "Apple-way". I agree with the OP 100% and I do believe that majority of iOS users have been long bored of this same old and date UI which is why jailbreaking is super popular today in the iOS world. Defend Apple's strategy to bore us with the same old UI since the first day it was released but the facts will remain facts. Why do you think Jailbreaking is a huge deal and almost everyone who has their iOS device jailbroken has a theme installed and tweaks as well (including myself), exactly we are all tired of the same old UI we've been using since day 1. Not everyone enjoys sticking with the same thing for years and not thinking its time for a change. Well I think if Apple doesn't start change it's strategy regarding the UI of iOS, things will start going down hill and also will start losing their loyal customers and millions of users (including myself).

 

[Timhewitt]

The "Apple way" has made the company the most successful on the planet right now. Not likely to discard that formula any time soon.

Projections are for 10,000,000 iPhone 5s to be sold in the first week alone. Not much you can say bad about that.

Apple doesn't need to trick out iOS to be successful.

 

[BLiNK]

The "Apple way" has made the company the most successful on the planet right now. Not likely to discard that formula any time soon.

Projections are for 10,000,000 iPhone 5s to be sold in the first week alone. Not much you can say bad about that.

Apple doesn't need to trick out iOS to be successful.

ladies & gentleman, i present to you - Timhewett. smashing ridiculous theories and trolls One by ONE!

 

[NetworkLabs]

ladies & gentleman, i present to you - Timhewett. smashing ridiculous theories and trolls One by ONE!

Lulwut?

Anyways. I don't think Apple needs to change the UI at all. This is because new time Apple users that have or don't have experience with Apple technology are easily able to get used to the product. If you must really change the Theme, then there is the jailbreak option. Yea yea yea, you lose your Warranty but a simple restore can fix that. So if you want a change, go with a jailbreak. Besides, you have A LOT more customization that way. ;3

 

[dloveprod]

I agree, if a change ain't a coming, next time I might try another platform. Probably windows phone over android.

 

[Fausty82]

I agree, if a change ain't a coming, next time I might try another platform. Probably windows phone over android.

That's the whole concept of the free market economy. Designers design. Manufacturers manufacture. Buyers buy. Users use. All you have to do is find one that meets your needs... and there are lots of options... vote with your wallet. And if enough people vote against any particular platform, that platform must evolve to survive.

But with projections that up to 10 million units will be sold within the first week, I'd say that Apple has not reached that point yet. Time will tell.

 

[Exxod]

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." iOS has one of the smoothest UIs, if not the smoothest, out there. I'm honestly sick of hearing people complain about their "boredom"; and hearing about how "stale" iOS is comparatively. It does what an OS is supposed to do. What, do people want fireworks and alarms to go off in the background everytime they launch an app?

 

[1982ollie]

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." iOS has one of the smoothest UIs, if not the smoothest, out there. I'm honestly sick of hearing people complain about their "boredom"; and hearing about how "stale" iOS is comparatively. It does what an OS is supposed to do. What, do people want fireworks and alarms to go off in the background everytime they launch an app?

2nd that!


Sent from my jailbroken iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

 

[jclisenby]

You forget that Apple still has an iPhone event to put on. They always do a reveal of the OS and then reveal even more stuff at the hardware event. They have some big things coming Wednesday.

 

[jbrandonf]

All credit given to Apple for their success in adding millions of.people into their fold. I think tech users are ahead of the curve in our boredom but eventually the regular folk may feel the same way. We shall see. In my case, I used to work for at&t and a lot of iPhone 4 users said that the 4S wasn't different enough to warrant an upgrade. It's ubiquity and availability on prepaid carriers surely will help sales but now you have stiffer competition..

Galaxy S 3 in many different color variants, bigger screens, more storage for cheaper, et ... I'm a supporter of Apple but don't take the regular folks for granted.

 

[doublebullout]

The only thing I truly want Apple to change in iOS is to allow the lock screen to show more information, like my next upcoming appointment. It doesn't have to be fancy or obtrusive. The only reason I tried jailbreaking was to use LockInfo, and it was wonderful. But it's become pretty obvious that Apple, for whatever reason, is just not willing to do even this. So I will continue to grumble and put up with sliding to unlock, tapping in my PIN, and swiping down on notification center or launching the calendar app just to see my appointment schedule for the day. Maybe one day...

 

[IoannisTs]

What Apple should change on iOS
Which would not effect the
hole iOS experience and philosophy

-Lock screen
Options to reach commonly used apps from the lock screen
-Keyboard
Long press > Numbers and symbols
Upper keyboard line with ( !, ?,etc ) or input of ( photos, video )
Swipe
Change fonts
Suggestions for possible words
Long press of space button > continuous space until user stops
-Notification Center
Widgets to switch on or off basic settings ( toggle switch :Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, etc )
Access music (play/pause/etc) from notification center
Widgets from applications like notes or mail
Google search bar for faster web searches
When launching the notification center reveal from the top to bottom (not from bottom to top )
Pause app while launching the notification center only when fully launched
When notification shown, there should be something to click in order to show the os that you got the message ( not waiting for you to see the message you so two seconds ago ! )
-Bluetooth
Use mouse with Bluetooth ( why only keyboard )
To be able to send images/videos to other non-iPhone devices
-Phone
Better phone UI ( not the same IOS 1.0 line based UI from 2007 )
Customization all of groups such as favorites ,recents, contacts, etc
-Camera
The ability to lock photos you don't want others to look at
An entirely redesigned UI
The ability to shoot panoramas
The ability to change the image resolution
Make the shoot button on the iPhone the same as on the iPad
-Home Screen
Launch the multitasking bar by dragging up from the bottom.
Put apps where ever you want in the screen ( in a line or like a square )
The ability to lock apps you don't want others to look at.
Allow the app developers to make the applications live
* what I am trying to Say with live apps is that, for example the weather applications will indicate the weather in it's location or the clock app . And for 3rd party apps such as news apps like CNN or email as sparrow or clock or Eurosport or whatever
Touch and slide down an app to reveal notifications for that app
When searching the device there should be an ability to make mathematical calculations
-Safari
When you want to watch a video you should be able to watch it without taking fullscreen
Add Home page
All settings should be reachable from the app ( why should I have to go to settings to delete my history ? )
Search bar should be the same for URL and google ( as it is in chrome and safari in mountain lion )
Colour should change from blue to grey
Full screen for portrait mode too
Downloader in safari ( why are there 3rd party apps with downloaders and safari does not have it )
-Email
Rapidly redesigned UI
faster email download and sending
-Multitasking
When in landscape mode multitasking should orientate in landscape ( as it does on the iPad or if only rotating in portrait, it should rotate the apps not the multitasking bar )
-Siri
I should be given the opportunity to download all of this gigabytes of audio in order to have Siri off-line so that I have Siri wherever I want not only when connected to Wi-Fi or 3G
Siri should be faster
Siri should be able to search the web ( not launch Safari )
It should know more for people for example if you ask how tall Einstein or a Obama is, it should answer( not only for Lebron James )
Siri to be able to increase the volume
Siri to be able to turn toggles on/off ( - "Turn wifi on"
- "Ok" )
-Extras
I should have the choice to make sparrow my email client and chrome my internet client
Every app should have it's settings in it (not letting the user go to setting and change them and than go again back to the app)
Faster way to search the web from home screen
Faster on/off switch in applications
*When you are in Navigon and want to go to your friend who lives in the town near by and you don't know how to go there you launch the maps app and you find that your location settings are turned off . So your iPhone asks you wetherto go straight to settings or cancel .The problem is that I just don't want to go to settings to turn on my location settings this is what I want to do ! So apple should give me the option to turn on the location settings ( not go to settings so that i turn them on ) or cancel .
Reveal message and phone icon on the status bar when you have a missed message or call .
Mute button from the iPhone should be optional to mute/rotation lock ( as it is on the iPad )
Orientation lock should lock your orientation if it is landscape not only portrait mode .
Auto-update for apps
New sharing menu should be able to support apps ( like google+ )

 

[GreatNeal]

Android Says Hi.

Apple Inc. says we do whatever the hell we want. We want to make life easier for you. So that you don't have to trouble yourself doing ****s like customization.

The free market economy says.
Product differentiation in our economy will allow consumers to have a variety of choices.

The last thing I want is for Apple to become more like Android. Then I'll have to trouble my head over customizing instead of having apple to take all sorts of trouble to create that perfect UI.

 

[mjh483]

You know, now I have changed my mind.
Apple should not make big change in any version of iOS. Most consumers aren't geeks like us, and they do not like change. They just wanna get their stuff done. They use what they are used to. Apple has no reason to turn off the majority of the user base to satisfy the minority. Anyway, my mother do not even use the multi tasking bar. She uses it like how she used the original iPhone. There is no need to change her workflow, anyone's workflow, for the sake of changing it.

That is why despite the small change to a new iPhone every time, they sell millions and millions of it.

 

[Timhewitt]

You know, now I have changed my mind.
Apple should not make big change in any version of iOS. Most consumers aren't geeks like us, and they do not like change. They just wanna get their stuff done. They use what they are used to. Apple has no reason to turn off the majority of the user base to satisfy the minority. Anyway, my mother do not even use the multi tasking bar. She uses it like how she used the original iPhone. There is no need to change her workflow, anyone's workflow, for the sake of changing it.

That is why despite the small change to a new iPhone every time, they sell millions and millions of it.

This is absolutely correct.

 

[BLiNK]

What Apple should change on iOS
Which would not effect the
hole iOS experience and philosophy

-Lock screen
Options to reach commonly used apps from the lock screen
-Keyboard
Long press > Numbers and symbols
Upper keyboard line with ( !, ?,etc ) or input of ( photos, video )
Swipe
Change fonts
Suggestions for possible words
Long press of space button > continuous space until user stops
-Notification Center
Widgets to switch on or off basic settings ( toggle switch :Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, etc )
Access music (play/pause/etc) from notification center
Widgets from applications like notes or mail
Google search bar for faster web searches
When launching the notification center reveal from the top to bottom (not from bottom to top )
Pause app while launching the notification center only when fully launched
When notification shown, there should be something to click in order to show the os that you got the message ( not waiting for you to see the message you so two seconds ago ! )
-Bluetooth
Use mouse with Bluetooth ( why only keyboard )
To be able to send images/videos to other non-iPhone devices
-Phone
Better phone UI ( not the same IOS 1.0 line based UI from 2007 )
Customization all of groups such as favorites ,recents, contacts, etc
-Camera
The ability to lock photos you don't want others to look at
An entirely redesigned UI
The ability to shoot panoramas
The ability to change the image resolution
Make the shoot button on the iPhone the same as on the iPad
-Home Screen
Launch the multitasking bar by dragging up from the bottom.
Put apps where ever you want in the screen ( in a line or like a square )
The ability to lock apps you don't want others to look at.
Allow the app developers to make the applications live
* what I am trying to Say with live apps is that, for example the weather applications will indicate the weather in it's location or the clock app . And for 3rd party apps such as news apps like CNN or email as sparrow or clock or Eurosport or whatever
Touch and slide down an app to reveal notifications for that app
When searching the device there should be an ability to make mathematical calculations
-Safari
When you want to watch a video you should be able to watch it without taking fullscreen
Add Home page
All settings should be reachable from the app ( why should I have to go to settings to delete my history ? )
Search bar should be the same for URL and google ( as it is in chrome and safari in mountain lion )
Colour should change from blue to grey
Full screen for portrait mode too
Downloader in safari ( why are there 3rd party apps with downloaders and safari does not have it )
-Email
Rapidly redesigned UI
faster email download and sending
-Multitasking
When in landscape mode multitasking should orientate in landscape ( as it does on the iPad or if only rotating in portrait, it should rotate the apps not the multitasking bar )
-Siri
I should be given the opportunity to download all of this gigabytes of audio in order to have Siri off-line so that I have Siri wherever I want not only when connected to Wi-Fi or 3G
Siri should be faster
Siri should be able to search the web ( not launch Safari )
It should know more for people for example if you ask how tall Einstein or a Obama is, it should answer( not only for Lebron James )
Siri to be able to increase the volume
Siri to be able to turn toggles on/off ( - "Turn wifi on"
- "Ok" )
-Extras
I should have the choice to make sparrow my email client and chrome my internet client
Every app should have it's settings in it (not letting the user go to setting and change them and than go again back to the app)
Faster way to search the web from home screen
Faster on/off switch in applications
*When you are in Navigon and want to go to your friend who lives in the town near by and you don't know how to go there you launch the maps app and you find that your location settings are turned off . So your iPhone asks you wetherto go straight to settings or cancel .The problem is that I just don't want to go to settings to turn on my location settings this is what I want to do ! So apple should give me the option to turn on the location settings ( not go to settings so that i turn them on ) or cancel .
Reveal message and phone icon on the status bar when you have a missed message or call .
Mute button from the iPhone should be optional to mute/rotation lock ( as it is on the iPad )
Orientation lock should lock your orientation if it is landscape not only portrait mode .
Auto-update for apps
New sharing menu should be able to support apps ( like google+ )

wait, what?