iOS 7 UI ruined from overuse of white (but black mockup is beautiful)

[dxyovak]

You mean like all the theme options we got in 1-6?

Steve would never have allowed it. /s

Steve would have no problem with two themes. It conforms nicely with Apple simplicity. No one is talking about multiple theme options, just two: dark/light. In fact if utilized within environmental context it is exactly the kind of "smart" feature Apple is known to adopt. Apple has a white iPhone and a black iPhone. Apple has single Home button press and double Home button press. Two themes would just be further refinement of Apple user-friendliness.

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I made these mockups weeks ago to see what a black theme would look like.
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A dark theme doesn't have to be all black. Use Garmin GPS devices as a reference (Garmin is what I'm most familiar with). When the evening arrives the devices change to a darker theme but it isn't "black." It uses darker color elements which actually aid in seeing the device better in the dark.

This is what Apple should do with its themes. My complaint with iOS 7 is the overuse of white. The overuse of black wouldn't be an improvment. My hope is that Apple will tone down the white but also add a dark theme as well.

 

[donnaw]

what does Steve have to do with it and what does the options being there or not in prior iOS versions have to do with discussing what would be good to have now that a number of things have changed?

Come on. Didn't you notice the /s after his comment? Denoting sarcasm.....?

 

[robotphood]

Funny, on my android phone I used a light (mostly white) theme throughout instead of the commonly black/blue holo theme most people use (these mockups look very much like it). White is brighter at night but I can manage with filter apps that lower the brightness even more. As for ios 7 I adapted to the white but the one thing I think needs to be tweaked is the ui elements. Everything is so flat that it can be hard to distinguish at first. Even a couple shadows here and there might do wonders. A lot of times I feel like it's an early version of windows phone.

 

[TwoBytes]

I'd love to see a black theme. The current version of ios7 looks very unfinished, almost a prototype.

 

[Rogifan]

Steve would have no problem with two themes. It conforms nicely with Apple simplicity. No one is talking about multiple theme options, just two: dark/light. In fact if utilized within environmental context it is exactly the kind of "smart" feature Apple is known to adopt. Apple has a white iPhone and a black iPhone. Apple has single Home button press and double Home button press. Two themes would just be further refinement of Apple user-friendliness.

Then why don't we have themes now where I can turn off the ugly skeuomorphism for something more sleek and modern?

 

[martinocando]

I also support the black theme iOS7 idea. After rolling back to 6.1.4, because B3 really started eating battery like hell, I feel my eyes way more relieved with the not-so-white interface.

Just LOVE the black keyboard of the first mockup. It almost seems like is a physical keybed. Awesome!

 

[MaxMike]

I also like the white since I have a white iPhone. But having two themes couldn't possibly be that hard for Apple to implement. Hell, my LG Voyager had a white theme as default since it was the silver model, but I could change it to black as they also made a black model.

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

I made these mockups weeks ago to see what a black theme would look like. I think it looks pretty cool . . .

These look terrific - I definitely want a black theme as much for the slick appearance now as for the practicality of less eye strain, less bright in dark situations etc.

Are you watching Cupertino?

 

[Hephaestus]

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Those look superb! I'd love to see an option to enable that. If Apple were smart, they'd allow us to set the OS to automatically switch to the black theme at nighttime hours, that would be awesome.

iOS6 strains my eyes at night as it is, so I can't imagine how uncomfortable it will be to use iOS7 when lying in bed at night.

 

[Pompiliu]

Black looks to androidish.
White is more stylish, that's what i like.

 

[notrack]

The os colour should match the device colour. lol If you buy a pink iPhone you get a pink os.

 

[Gogurt48]

iOS6 strains my eyes at night as it is, so I can't imagine how uncomfortable it will be to use iOS7 when lying in bed at night.

At least you have quick access to the brightness slider.

 

[blakek]

get a white iphone 5; problem solved

 

[Rogifan]

Not digging the black background with bright colors. Plus black backgrounds too easily show fingerprints and smudges. Every time I looked at my screen I'd be wiping fingerprints off it. Doesn't really matter though because the chances of Apple adding a black "theme" to iOS 7 is 0%.

 

[roadbloc]

Black is terrible on glossy touch screens. Mockups don't show the extreme visibility of fingerprint streaks compared to white interfaces.

Total nonsense. My Windows Phone sports a black background theme in most apps and it looks fine. You can't see fingerprint streaks anymore than you can on the white theme.

 

[rocknblogger]

Total nonsense. My Windows Phone sports a black background theme in most apps and it looks fine. You can't see fingerprint streaks anymore than you can on the white theme.

Yeah I have to agree with this. More often than not, if an app has a dark theme I enable it and I don't see any more fingerprints or smudges than on a light themed app.

 

[XboxMySocks]

Black is terrible on glossy touch screens. Mockups don't show the extreme visibility of fingerprint streaks compared to white interfaces.

I dunno what phone you're using, but fingerprints show up way more on the white screen than the black one :s

 

[KenAFSPC]

Black is terrible on glossy touch screens. Mockups don't show the extreme visibility of fingerprint streaks compared to white interfaces.

Not digging the black background with bright colors. Plus black backgrounds too easily show fingerprints and smudges. Every time I looked at my screen I'd be wiping fingerprints off it. Doesn't really matter though because the chances of Apple adding a black "theme" to iOS 7 is 0%.

We all know that fingerprints and other defects are more obvious on an otherwise glossy black finish, as you might find on a car, speaker, or smartphone. However, this doesn't translate to displays. Indeed, as MySocks suggests, the opposite is true with displays. Fingerprints are more visible on white backgrounds than they are on black backgrounds.

If anyone has doubts, just set your PC's desktop background to black. Then run your fingers all over your monitor's glossy screen to add fingerprints. You won't see them, or you'll barely see them. Then, set your desktop background to white; you'll find that the fingerprints become much more noticeable.

 

[KenAFSPC]

If you don't believe that a white UI is more tiresome to use, try this:

Set your home and work PC desktop backgrounds to white. See if you can tolerate it for a week. I bet you can't.

 

[Rogifan]

We all know that fingerprints and other defects are more obvious on an otherwise glossy black finish, as you might find on a car, speaker, or smartphone. However, this doesn't translate to displays. Indeed, as MySocks suggests, the opposite is true with displays. Fingerprints are more visible on white backgrounds than they are on black backgrounds.

If anyone has doubts, just set your PC's desktop background to black. Then run your fingers all over your monitor's glossy screen to add fingerprints. You won't see them, or you'll barely see them. Then, set your desktop background to white; you'll find that the fingerprints become much more noticeable.

I'm saying this from my own personal experience. When my iPad is turned off I see smudges as much if not more so than when it's on. If course I also see smudges on white backgrounds, but in my personal experience its not worse.

As far as a black background I guess it's just personal preference for me. I don't personally care for a black background with with bright colored text. If colored text is going to be used I'd prefer it to be on a white background.

 

[Patriot24]

That's why a simple option for the user would be more appropriate as most have mentioned.

It will never happen. Maintaining one UI is hard enough. Two is suicide.

Source: I work for a software company that provided multiple skins to users for years. Once we scaled, it was impossible to keep track and fix the myriad issues that having multiple skins created.

 

[C DM]

It will never happen. Maintaining one UI is hard enough. Two is suicide.

Source: I work for a software company that provided multiple skins to users for years. Once we scaled, it was impossible to keep track and fix the myriad issues that having multiple skins created.

they can do it, but it's definitely not as simple as providing a black background and that's it. Will they do it? Hard to say but things probably lean toward "no" in general. However, should they do it, especially given everything pointed out in this thread? Yes, it would make quite a bit if sense on many levels.

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We all know that fingerprints and other defects are more obvious on an otherwise glossy black finish, as you might find on a car, speaker, or smartphone. However, this doesn't translate to displays. Indeed, as MySocks suggests, the opposite is true with displays. Fingerprints are more visible on white backgrounds than they are on black backgrounds.

If anyone has doubts, just set your PC's desktop background to black. Then run your fingers all over your monitor's glossy screen to add fingerprints. You won't see them, or you'll barely see them. Then, set your desktop background to white; you'll find that the fingerprints become much more noticeable.

yeah indefinitely notice much more of the dirt, smudges, streaks, etc. while I'm in various iOS 7 stock apps with more white than in other darker apps.

 

[betabeta]

The BEST implementation of this would be app level choice, most apps have settings, so add a choice for color, and instead of a choice for black or white, make it a color slider, then those that like a light background or toolbar, but not a stark white color could simply choose an off white or even grey.

So not everyone likes the same thing or vision is different, so choice is a way to make almost everyone happy, more happy people, more iPhone users, more money for Apple. No real impact on system or memory, and certainly not that hard to do, choice of font and size should also be app level.

I myself like the black for certain apps like say photos, while other apps I may prefer white. Same for font size, some apps like mail I want a larger text, other apps I may want a smaller text.

 

[maxosx]

Apple should provide a setting for two themes (one white and one dark). User can pick which one they prefer. User may even prefer to switch themes depending on context (day/night--indoors/outdoors--theater/office).

My prominent criticism of Apple products is their lack of customizability. But offering two themes would be something that I would commend. Users gain some control over their interface to the device and can select the mode they're most comfortable with, accommodating individual user preferences like eye-health, environmental context, aesthetic preference, etc.

Kudos for an excellent post!

Your thoughts and ideas are in line with what I too would like to see.

The problem is that it's more than Apple could handle. Common sense and choices are concepts that seemed to have faded from Apple's view.

Rather than risk doing something like you have outlined which would sell more devices and make more customers happy, Apple would rather dictate and deliver a narrow single minded solution that they thought up.

Besides, as you may or may not have read here in the forum, many Apple faithful love to regurgitate the company line about how Apple knows what's best for you before you do.

 

[Rogifan]

Kind of pointless to be discussing this as we know it isn't happening with iOS 7. Maybe iOS 8 if enough people complain.

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Kudos for an excellent post!

Your thoughts and ideas are in line with what I too would like to see.

The problem is that it's more than Apple could handle. Common sense and choices are concepts that seemed to have faded from Apple's view.

Rather than risk doing something like you have outlined which would sell more devices and make more customers happy, Apple would rather dictate and deliver a narrow single minded solution that they thought up.

Besides, as you may or may not have read here in the forum, many Apple faithful love to regurgitate the company line about how Apple knows what's best for you before you do.

That was the Steve Jobs way, right? So Apple is doing what Steve would do.