#bringbackapple

[JohnnyW2001]

It sounds crazy, but I can literally remember the first time I saw iOS close up. I had an Android smart phone at the time, and my housemate showed me a text on his iPhone 3G. I didn't mean to, but so I was so struck by how beautiful iOS was that I had to blurt, "Wow, it's a thing of beauty". It was lost on him. "Is it?", he replied.

When I finally got an iPhone of my own (4S) I became an avid convert. The thing was so unbelievably flawless in every way. It was a joy to use. It actually made me happy. It was perfect in ways that *I* noticed. I suppose in some small way I loved the idea that I wasn't alone; that there were other people out there that could see the finer details, too. It was a piece of technology that put ME, and my experience using it, first.

I saw every detail, and I loved it. Even something as small as the smoothness of the screen orientation rotation was sublime. Someone had taken the time to make sure it was flawless, and I noticed. The OS was rock solid, always completely smooth in everything it did. It made up for the odd little limitations it had (like not being able to remove Newsstand from the Home Screen, and being unable to scroll quickly up and down web pages). I didn't mind, because it was beautiful.

I became evangelical. I was telling everyone to buy an iPhone. I even bought my technophobe Mum an iPod, confident that even she could use it. I tried to get my Dad to use iTunes for his music.

I happily paid the Apple premium, and put up with the limitations, because the beauty (both visually and in actual user experience) that brought me joy was worth it. It was worth only being able to open 8 tabs in Safari for a perfect, flawless experience. I trusted in Apple. They made my life easier.

Then iOS7 happened.

What. The. F...?

I couldn't believe it. I kept waiting for the next update to give me back the magic. But the magic was gone, and I felt heartbroken. Right now iOS is now barely better then Android on a Google Pixel. Yes, there has been some great improvements to iOS from 7 onwards, but it's no longer a thing of beauty. It really, truly isn't. And I haven't told anyone to buy Apple since iOS 7 arrived.

In hindsight, Jobs's focus on detail worked to help Apple: Create products so goddamn beautiful that they turned the aesthetes of society, the people who are emotionally touched by beauty in things, into true evangelists for them. There's a reason there was a fanaticism in Apple fans that was incomparable to any other company. They truly struck something deep inside some of us.

Now iOS is all about new features, at the great expense of that incredible, beautiful, flawless, user experience. And iOS has glitchiness, and janikness, and with iOS 11, inconsistent design and glaring bugs, too. And I notice. I notice we're going backwards.

Cook seems like a genuine guy, and I like him, but Apple is coasting, and the goodwill is running out. If you're not going to give me true beauty, why the hell do I want to be tied into this ecosystem? Doesn't anyone at Apple see what's happening? Can't anyone at Apple see the difference between iOS <= 6 and iOS >= 7?

Please #bringbackapple before it's too late!

https://bringbackapple.tumblr.com

 

[s15119]

Exactly what issues are you having. This is just vague gobblygook. Sorry, the only difference I see is that iOS has improved with every iteration. But hey, if you don't like it, there are a number of other great phones for you to choose from. Good luck.

 

[AidenShaw]

It sounds crazy, but I can literally remember the first time I saw iOS close up. I had an Android smart phone at the time, and my housemate showed me a text on his iPhone 3G. ...

Interesting timeline....

The first commercially available smartphone running Android was the HTC Dream, also known as T-Mobile G1, announced on September 23, 2008. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)#History

The two initial Iphone models, a 4 GB model priced at US$499 and an 8 GB model at US$599 (both requiring a 2-year contract), went on sale in the United States on June 29, 2007, at 6:00 pm local time, while hundreds of customers lined up outside the stores nationwide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone

The Iphone 3G was launched in July 2008.

So, you bought the very first Android phone fifteen months after the Iphone went on sale, and two months after the Iphone 3G was launched.

 

[JohnnyW2001]

I had a HTC Desire at the time. According to my emails, I bought it in May 2010. Also, I live in London.

Not sure why this is so fascinating to you, though.

Edit: Lol. It seems like you didn't read the very thing you spent time researching. Well done.

 

[maflynn]

If you're unhappy with iOS, then find a different platform that fits your needs better.

its only a phone after all.

 

[4ppleg1rl]

Get over it. There's nothing wrong with iOS. If you don't like it, get an Android phone.

 

[JohnnyW2K1]

If you're unhappy with iOS, then find a different platform that fits your needs better.

I'd rather Apple once again reached the heights they previously did.
[doublepost=1506601168][/doublepost]

Jesus Christ, #1 cringe post of today.

They're mobile phones, not handmade Swiss timepieces.

Steve Jobs would say: What's the difference?

 

[phillytim]

There is nothing wrong with iOS at all; in fact, I'm convinced that it saved many a user from themselves (unlike how out of whack Android gets).

People were cryin' their eyes out back in the iOS 5/6 days that it's stale and needs to change, and then iOS 7 happened - and you got probably just as many folks belly-aching about how evil Apple is to actually change something.

And change happened for the better - with iOS 8, 9, etc. we get so many new features at a much rapid pace than the quicksand that the old iOS 1-6 platform brought.

C'mon - grow up and enjoy the fruits of Apple's labor to keep our platform on top of the game compared to all others.

 

[maflynn]

I'd rather Apple once again reached the heights they previously did.

And what heights is that? They're doing pretty amazing things now.

I think people forget the issues with Apple when they view history. Consider how long it took for them to adopt multitasking, cut and paste, the notification center was a clear ripoff of android

 

[JohnnyW2K1]

From the “that’s not what they said file”:

"Jesus Christ, they're only mobile phones" - Steve Jobs

 

[JohnnyW2K1]

And what heights is that? They're doing pretty amazing things now.

I think people forget the issues with Apple when they view history. Consider how long it took for them to adopt multitasking, cut and paste, the notification center was a clear ripoff of android

I explicitly mention several issues, so I haven’t forgotten them (although I skipped over Apple Maps, which definitely didn’t make my life easier!). And as for the heights, well I mention those, too.

The responses here are a little nutty, overall. This post is just a completely open and honest account of my experience. Nothing more. I’ve never even shared it with anyone before. If it upsets you, you might want to ask why.

Telling me to switch to Android is quite possibly the strangest and most illogical reaction, though.

Jobs wanted to create works of art through technology. I appreciated that. So I should switch to a company that has no such ideals? Why would that make me happy?

Sounds like an attempt to make me move along. (And again I ask; if someone having a different experience to you upsets you, you might want to ask yourself why.)

If you’ve had a different experience to me, that’s fine. Good for you. I’m not going to get angry with you because of it.
[doublepost=1506642832][/doublepost]

There is nothing wrong with iOS at all; in fact, I'm convinced that it saved many a user from themselves (unlike how out of whack Android gets).

People were cryin' their eyes out back in the iOS 5/6 days that it's stale and needs to change, and then iOS 7 happened - and you got probably just as many folks belly-aching about how evil Apple is to actually change something.

And change happened for the better - with iOS 8, 9, etc. we get so many new features at a much rapid pace than the quicksand that the old iOS 1-6 platform brought.

C'mon - grow up and enjoy the fruits of Apple's labor to keep our platform on top of the game compared to all others.

Lol. Did you just tell me to “grow up”??

It’s true people wanted a change in the iOS 5/6 days. (I was one of them.) But I wanted another work of art, not what we got. A case of “be careful what you wish for”, I guess.

I sincerely believe Apple is about to see a downturn. Google has made too many strides, and Apple is focusing on the wrong things (namely features and gimmicks). I believe there’s no longer a “keeper of the vision”, as Jobs put it.

I think in the past Apple made decisions based on two things: Is it good for the user and their experience? If it’s not good for the user, is it good for us?

They ignored everyone else when making these decisions.

Now we have a “full screen” iPhone. Why? Is that good for the user? Is it good for Apple? I think the answer is a no to both. Jobs would ignore what the market was doing and focus on what he believed was right. I fail to see what a “borderless” screen does for anyone in any real sense.

I feel the same way about the touch bar, too.

When Jobs found that his engineers couldn’t stop Adobe Flash from causing jankiness on his phones, he put the user experience first and killed Flash support. It literally stopped users from being able to use certain websites. It wasn’t a selling point. He’d rather REMOVE a feature that have it cause harm to user experience.

Now Apple is about a lot of gimmicks with not enough focus on the user experience, in my opinion. I’d rather have a buttery smooth OS than animated emojis.