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BlendedFrog

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 9, 2010
312
231
I have been reading a lot of these threads about hopes, thoughts, ideas for iOS 6 and I am wondering....does anyone actually think that there will be an overhaul to iOS for version 6?

I wonder this because it could potentially break a ton of apps. I get that Android has seen massive ui updates from Gingerbread to Honeycomb to ICS but that is because it is still maturing and trying to find itself. I think iOS is in that stage where it has matured into an adult product and doesn't need a major overhaul but just improvements.

Thoughts?
 

pchipchip

macrumors regular
Sep 7, 2011
131
0
I have been reading a lot of these threads about hopes, thoughts, ideas for iOS 6 and I am wondering....does anyone actually think that there will be an overhaul to iOS for version 6?

I wonder this because it could potentially break a ton of apps. I get that Android has seen massive ui updates from Gingerbread to Honeycomb to ICS but that is because it is still maturing and trying to find itself. I think iOS is in that stage where it has matured into an adult product and doesn't need a major overhaul but just improvements.

Thoughts?

I think that the UI in iOS should be a little more customizable. I just think that Android users can customize their devices a little more than iOS users. I do NOT think that Android is better than iOS, but it has more customization. Having said that I still think iOS is great and runs a lot smoother than Android. It is a lot more consumer friendly than Android. But in the end I think Apple will add some cool new features to iOS to make it more customizable, but still run smoother than Android.
 

SDub90

macrumors 6502a
Nov 9, 2009
685
3
Long Island
It's stale, but it works and everyone is familiar with it. Changing it will probably do more harm than good unfortunately.
 

nuckinfutz

macrumors 603
Jul 3, 2002
5,542
406
Middle Earth
I think the changes will be there but it won't be drastic.

Things like widgets and other toggles will likely be replaced with Siri commands.

Eye candy is nice but in the end the end goal is to get the info that you need without a whole lot of intermediary steps.

App management is key.
Lanscape support is key (improves typing accuracy"

I suspect a lot of iOS 6 will be architectural with some nice spiffy new UI features but not a whole lot of chrome so that everything is still familiar.
 

Glassed Silver

macrumors 68020
Mar 10, 2007
2,096
2,567
Kassel, Germany
I think the way we get UI improvements (slowly and small additions at that, think notification center or customizable wallpapers back then) is better than whopping quick overhauls. (think Android 2.x/3.x -> 4.0, albeit I find 4.0 a lot more attractive than previous versions, speaking of whopping, quick and even function disrupting overhauls: Windows 8, I'm looking at you!)

I think some stuff needs to be extended or refinement in function and hence design, whilst the design itself is proper, familiar and solid.

I think Apple is on a good path, don't rush things, I'd rather long for some stuff a little while than get blasted with sh** that'll hit the fan hard and annoy everyone.

Glassed Silver:mac
 

thewitt

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2011
2,102
1,523
Overhaul? No way.

Consistent ease of use is a major selling point.

Incremental adjustments? Certainly.
 

Scott90

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2008
273
0
Overhaul? No way.

Consistent ease of use is a major selling point.

Incremental adjustments? Certainly.

This. Just like we went from rectangular switches to the round edged switches, we'll probably see more adjustments like that, but familiarity is a big selling point of iOS.
 

Hyper-X

macrumors 6502a
Jul 1, 2011
581
1
iO5 is boring, so was 4, 3... and iO6 will be boring too, same ol' ____ in every release.

The only real revolutionary change Apple could make to make iOS less boring and more useful is to allow jailbreak-like customization. Obviously a ton of iOS users are interested in jailbreaking so that's a clear indication that they're disatisfied with vanilla iOS.
 

MattInOz

macrumors 68030
Jan 19, 2006
2,760
0
Sydney
Well if they bring AutoLayout to iOS that would be a massive UI overhaul.
At least from a technical stand point. I'd imagine they would be trying to make that change transparent so not to break existing apps.

Otherwise changes most likely tweaks and maybe new features if App Developers choose to use them.
 

SMIDG3T

Suspended
Apr 29, 2012
3,859
2,316
England
No. I don't think we will get a UI overhaul. I would like (as well as many other features) is more customisation, by far that is what most iOS users would like, the ability to put 16 or 18 apps into folders and not 12 and finally the ability to place icons wherever you want.
 

thewitt

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2011
2,102
1,523
Obviously a ton of iOS users are interested in jailbreaking so that's a clear indication that they're disatisfied with vanilla iOS.

The non self serving reports are 1/2 of 1 percent of all iOS devices are jail broken, so the numbers are not likely to sway Apple to open up iOS to user add ons
 

Hyper-X

macrumors 6502a
Jul 1, 2011
581
1
The non self serving reports are 1/2 of 1 percent of all iOS devices are jail broken, so the numbers are not likely to sway Apple to open up iOS to user add ons

I'd like to see your source of that info. Back in 2009 the report by Pinch Media was somewhere over 8% with it rising rapidly at the time towards 8.5% of iPhones. In Jan 2012 about 1 million JB'd their devices in just a day or so.

http://www.simonblog.com/2009/08/14/percentage-of-jailbroken-i/
 

AndyK

macrumors 65816
Jan 10, 2008
1,025
377
Terra
All I'd like from a UI overhaul at a real push is the ability to hide the default apps I never use completely.
 

barredfreak

macrumors 6502
Jan 9, 2012
285
0
I am not expecting a UI overhaul, but I am hoping for at least a little more customization to be allowed.
 

daviddth

macrumors 6502a
Jun 29, 2009
787
104
Australia
Things like widgets and other toggles will likely be replaced with Siri commands.

I hope not. Siri is good but not great, so until it can, with 100% reliability, never more than 1-2 seconds delay, tell me where the neareest XXXX service station, what the weather is currently like, what the time is, and a whole lot more, then it's far from replacing many of the features on the phone now.

Sure the above serches might work in the USA, but they dont elsewhere, so until they do work then they wont be a replacement for what I would like on the phone. I'd love to have it tell me the current temp at my home weather station , appointments, missed calls and more on the lock screen, amd maybe even on a small section of the main screen (AKA widgets) all the time.

The existing UI is good, but not great, so it needs some more improvements and features, and hopefully they will come in iOS 6
 

sand_man

macrumors 6502a
Jun 3, 2011
642
113
Johannesburg, South Africa
Yip Yip, customization, customization, customization....

Theme's option in settings with 4-6 custom theme's including some of your current favorites, with an option to buy others in the Appstore...

In addition Springtomize, Barrel, Fakeclockup and Iconoclasm standard features.

Homescreen feature incorporated into settings that allows one to create a homescreen icon/shortcut of any setting menu or sub-menu at a single key press.
 

erawsd

macrumors 6502
Jul 1, 2011
279
0
It is def time for an overhaul. The simplicity is doing more harm to the ux than good, imo.

The UI was originally designed for a much simpler device. iOS for the original iPhone was perfect. However, the intent and expectations of iOS have grown massively over the years. Apple never expected people to have hundreds of apps to manage, multitasking, use these devices for productive tasks, or a 9.7" screen. A lot of these feel crowbarred into the UI, and they are not at all things that a new user can just pick up and start using.

By comparison, Google has continued to evolve the Android UI along with major feature implements. The result is that ICS is actually a more efficient and *intuitive* UI. Users can access data/functions a lot faster on Android. For the record, I'm talking strictly from an OS standpoint.

It feels like Apple is still trying to squeeze their 5 year old in baby clothes.
 
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Matthew9559

macrumors 6502a
Apr 7, 2007
941
55
Cleveland, OH
I hope they keep the consistent same UI just with some modifications to improve the experience.

One thing I am begging for in iOS is the ability to hide apps from the home screen. One thing that drives me nuts is that I can't hide the stock Apple apps that I will never use. I have them in a folder titled Misc. but that's a rediclious work around. Just let me hide them! I know its a small complaint but it really digs at me for some reason.
 
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scubus

macrumors member
May 25, 2001
47
0
Orlando, FL
iO5 is boring, so was 4, 3... and iO6 will be boring too, same ol' ____ in every release.

The only real revolutionary change Apple could make to make iOS less boring and more useful is to allow jailbreak-like customization. Obviously a ton of iOS users are interested in jailbreaking so that's a clear indication that they're disatisfied with vanilla iOS.

Maybe.

I may be unique, but I am perfectly content with the vanilla iOS... but I am still interested in Jailbreaking because I like to tinker and I like to play around with "forbidden" things - if they actually allowed the customization that jailbreaking provides, I'd be bored with it.
 
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