In your opinion, which was the worst IOS version released ?

[Tozovac]

What is the difference between the "new way" and "Best way"? Whose yardstick is being used to measure this and which customers are you referring to? Essentially some(mostly) hyperbole in this post as I can tell.

And IOS 6 was dated, but that's just my own opinion.

You're definitely allowed your opinion!

If you ignore the new functions added by ios7 which could have been enacted with an ios6-esque UI, and instead just focus on ios7-8-9-10's way of doing things vs. ios1-2-3-4-5-6's way of doing things, it's my opinion that most all of ios7-8-9-10's UI is most definitely *not* better than before. Ever since ios7, I have found myself fumbling too often when trying to guess how to do things that, before, magically "just worked" like the reputation used to be, as a result of using intuitive cues. The flat and monochrome interface is most certainly *not* more intuitive than before, even if it does appeal to Jony Ive's or whomever's personal taste/opinion what a UI should be. Also there is most definitely *not* a benefit to requiring 2-3 swipes and presses to do what used to take 1 swipe/press, all in the sake of "clean" design. And although I can't point to a call/email log from parents & friends & relatives since 2013, I can definitely say there has been more frustration and confusion from folk I know who are baffled how to do something on their phone or iPad that wasn't so unobvious and hidden away before.

The best way I can summarize things is - the "Best way" could be judged by what's done in real life. Pictures on the walls have borders...things in real life have interesting textures and hues and surface finishes, sometimes to help show what's usable and what's just for background use....photos are rectangular/square not round, to use as much available space as possible....play/stop buttons on CD players are right there for the pressing and don't require two swipes to work to get it...spreadsheets and calendars have discrete borders to help separate cells for ease of use, not the squinty light grey color you can barely see throughout iOS and, unfortunately, now OSX. Most of all, everything out there in the world is *not* all white, dark white, gray, and light gray, for many functional and decorative reasons. I could go on but now I'm depressed.

Last, regarding the IOS6 being dated argument....certainly then ios7-10's horrible UI is destined to be called dated, right? So what's next when a refresh is needed? My point is, Apple used input from geniuses & years of UI development to develop its UI, enacting incremental changes the smarter they got. Until ios7 where someone decided everything before was the wrong way to do things. Does that really seem possible that *everything* was done so poorly that it could all be reinvented in one fell swoop? Sure, you and others are allowed to prefer ios7-10 over ios1-6, but I have yet to hear one valid argument about my comments in this paragraph!

 

[BeeGood]

8 for me. 7 was probably worse, but 8 was supposed to be a refinements of 7 and it was not.

 

[Altis]

7 was absolutely terrible until 7.1 came an entire half a year later, and even that wasn't great.

I was actually quite happy with 9.3 on my iPhone 6 but was forced to upgrade to 10 the other day and I very much dislike it.

A lot of strange bugs and my battery life is about 1/3 shorter than it was prior. I hate that I can't go back -- probably the worst thing about Apple.

 

[Nancy bout]

I think -106 was ugliest

 

[C DM]

I think -106 was ugliest

What?

 

[Yun0]

ios 6. was just another ios 5 in 95% of ways.

 

[Acronym]

Honestly it was the worst when you only had one page of apps on your Ipod touch/Iphone, and you had to jailbreak to get more apps.

 

[d5aqoëp]

I think IOS 11 will slow down older devices like 5S and ipad air 1

iOS 8 already did that. You don't need to wait for iOS 11.

 

[eoblaed]

iOS 1.

Couldn't cut and paste or use mms messaging.

That was my vote as well, for largely the same reasons.

 

[M. Gustave]

iOS 10 has been the most impressive one to date, in my opinion. It runs beautifully on my aged 5S and it's surprisingly smooth on the 5 as well. With the sheer amount of devices out there, it's a testament to Apple's software team for how relatively trouble-free it's been.

I guess this just shows that user experience depends on many factors. I am 180° from you on iOS 10.

 

[McGiord]

all those that removed genius playlists in the Music app.

 

[dysamoria]

I can't believe I missed this poll. iOS 7 is trash and set the new standard of Apple's stupidity in abandoning best practices for fads and irrational obsessions.

 

[M. Gustave]

I can't believe I missed this poll. iOS 7 is trash and set the new standard of Apple's stupidity in abandoning best practices for fads and irrational obsessions.

And to think we almost missed out on your comment... phew!

 

[Tozovac]

I can't believe I missed this poll. iOS 7 is trash and set the new standard of Apple's stupidity in abandoning best practices for fads and irrational obsessions.

I read a good article from ~2015 this week critiquing Apple's (Jony Ive's?) horribly misguided obsession of sticking with what they think is best for Apple and not what's best for customers and users. So sad it's so true.

 

[C DM]

I read a good article from ~2015 this week critiquing Apple's (Jony Ive's?) horribly misguided obsession of sticking with what they think is best for Apple and not what's best for customers and users. So sad it's so true.

On the other hand, there's the whole "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." concept as well.

 

[Tozovac]

On the other hand, there's the whole "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." concept as well.

I didn't say Apple should ask customers anything. They once knew (and provided) something that just worked.

Luckily smart inventors and tech leaders of 100 years ago obviously wisely interpreted any such hypothetical faster horses requests as: provide something improved, more dependable, and more efficient. Apple's leaders after Steve Jobs misappropriated "no more green felt" as "carpet bomb 'it just works' for 'it just looks alike, is less intuitive, less attractive, less easy, but is different.' " ios7, voila!

 

[C DM]

Ha, well luckily the smart inventors and tech leaders of 100 years ago obviously wisely interpreted any such request as: provide something improved, more dependable, and more efficient. Too bad Apple's leaders after Steve Jobs interpreted "no more green felt" as "carpet bomb 'it just works' for 'it just looks alike, is less intuitive, less attractive, and less easy.' " ios7, voila!

And as much as I wasn't a fan of various parts of the iOS 7 redesign, here we are years later and iOS, iPhone/iPad/etc., and Apple are doing just fine (and realistically more than just fine) with more and more people using it all.

 

[Tozovac]

And as much as I wasn't a fan of various parts of the iOS 7 redesign, here we are years later and iOS, iPhone/iPad/etc., and Apple are doing just fine (and realistically more than just fine) with more and more people using it all.

Oh but how much better it would be if they returned to "it just works" and stuck to it, like things used to be before 2013 instead of all the "it's just different every 1-2 years and not necessarily better," which should be left as MSWindows' calling card.

 

[C DM]

Oh but how much better it would be if they returned to "it just works" and stuck to it, like things used to be before 2013 instead of all the "it's just different every 1-2 years and not necessarily better," which should be left as MSWindows' calling card.

And at the same time there were so many calls for Apple to change things up here and many other places because people were getting tired and bored and things were just old and silly to them.

 

[Tozovac]

And at the same time there were so many calls for Apple to change things up here and many other places because people were getting tired and bored and things were just old and silly to them.

I love the "needed something new and different" logic that comes up now and then. Any predictions to what will happen when the current "it just doesn't work iOS 7-esque" UI is deemed old and silly? What minimalist drek could Jony Ive whip up: Black and white and all grey gradients? When was the last time you walked from your car to the front door on your hands, just to have something different?

 

[C DM]

I love the "needed something new and different" logic that comes up now and then. Any predictions to what will happen when the current "it just doesn't work iOS 7-esque" UI is deemed old and silly? What minimalist drek could Jony Ive whip up: Black and white and all grey gradients? When was the last time you walked from your car to the front door on your hands, just to have something different?

All of this has been hashed and reshashed in many many threads back in iOS 7 days and many times since then. In the end, here we still are, years later, and despite it all it seems like it's been doing the trick just fine for the masses and Apple.

 

[Tozovac]

See post 118. "Good enough" should never be an excuse for trading off Greatness.

Thinking more and more that Steve Jobs at Apple was like marrying The One. I stopped believing there was just one The One long ago, but now I need to rethink that.

 

[C DM]

See post 118. "Good enough" should never be an excuse for trading off Greatness.

Thinking more and more that Steve Jobs at Apple was like marrying The One. I stopped believing there was just one The One long ago, but now I need to rethink that.

Well, idolization is a whole different thing in itself.

 

[Howl's Castle]

iOS 10. Hate the new UI.

 

[C DM]

iOS 10. Hate the new UI.

New UI? The notifications (and widgets) or something else?