App Store, iTunes & iBook stores redesigned & improved in iOS 6

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple's three digital storefronts will see significant changes with the launch of iOS 6, including new looks and new functionality for the App Store, iTunes Store, and iBookstore.

The new App Store in iOS 6 has a black theme at the top and bottom, with a number of user interface tweaks throughout. On an iPhone, the "Featured" page allows users to now scroll from left to right to view applications under the "New" and "What's Hot" categories.

When buying and updating applications on the App Store, users are no longer sent back to the home screen in iOS 6. Instead, the installation begins in the background and users can continue to browse the App Store.

Users are reminded of what applications they just installed when they return to the home screen with a blue badge that appears in the top right corner of the application icon reading "New."

When an individual application is selected on the App Store, users are presented with selectable options for "Details," "Reviews" and "Related." In the current developer preview of iOS 6, Genius for software on the App Store is not yet available on either iPhone or iPad.

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Apple has also added Share Sheets buttons to the top right corner when content is being viewed in the App Store, iTunes Store or iBookstore. This allows users to share that content via Mail, Message, Twitter or Facebook, or copy the link to paste elsewhere.

The new iTunes Store and iBookstores also features a darker look and similar icon style to the redesigned App Store. In iTunes, similar set of selectable tabs are available when users load up an album in the music section, providing "Songs," "Reviews," and "Related." On the iBookstore, these are "Details," "Reviews," and "Related."

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One new addition allows users greater flexibility when previewing a song. Controls for the preview appear at the top of the screen, and users can browse other options like Movies or TV Shows, or even close the iTunes Store application, while the song preview continues to play.

Previewed content is also synced through iCloud, so a user can shop the iTunes Store on their iPhone and later continue on their iPad, complete with a history of what content they were looking at.

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Still included in the new iTunes Store is Ping, even though Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook hinted at last month's D10 conference that his company could kill off Ping, after it has failed to gain traction with consumers. However, while a link to Ping remains, the service is listed as "not currently available in iOS 6," much like Genius.

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"See the best of what?s new in music, movies, TV shows, apps, and books at the top of each store?s home page," Apple's official description of its updated storefronts in iOS 6 reads. "Browse with a swipe of your finger and tap to learn more. Keep track of the music, movies, and TV shows you previewed by tapping the History button, and when you're ready, tap Buy to add something to your collection."

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For more, see AppleInsider's other first looks at iOS 6:

iOS 6 Settings adds Do Not Disturb, quicker Bluetooth access

iOS 6 brings Siri to iPad, adds Facebook integration

Apple's all-new Maps in iOS 6

Apple's Clock app comes to iPad with iOS 6

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member


    Nice changes. I like the action sheets with icons. I just hope Apple let us, developers, use those standard icons (Print, Meesage.. etc) within our apps.

  • Reply 2 of 15


    In the App Store you can tap screenshots and make them full screen, as well.

  • Reply 3 of 15


    Also, this new style would be consistent with the "leaked" unibody iPhone 5 backing colors.

  • Reply 4 of 15
    thedude1 wrote: »
    Also, this new style would be consistent with the "leaked" unibody iPhone 5 backing colors.

    I doubt they are linked in any way.


    I very much like the redesign!
  • Reply 5 of 15

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    Nice changes. I like the action sheets with icons. I just hope Apple let us, developers, use those standard icons (Print, Meesage.. etc) within our apps.



     


    I don't think they'll let us just use the icons however we want but they may add that action sheet as a public api and it would include the icons.

  • Reply 6 of 15
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    I don't think they'll let us just use the icons however we want but they may add that action sheet as a public api and it would include the icons.

    That's what I mean. I have just finished reading the documentation and it seems this is indeed a new API that give us access to this in our apps.
  • Reply 7 of 15
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I don't think they'll let us just use the icons however we want but they may add that action sheet as a public api and it would include the icons.

    I'm pretty sure it would be part of an API.


    450
  • Reply 8 of 15
    myapplelovemyapplelove Posts: 1,515member
    They should let users choose if they want to see a damn twitter or facebook icon, there should be an option to disable them.
  • Reply 9 of 15
    I am delighted to see the new UI going dark, but was hoping my wish list could be accessed. I've been emailing album links to myself for sometime and although the process has become somewhat rote I don't think the new--albeit handy--history will suffice. 90% of my purchases are on my iPad which includes apps as well; a store I was hoping to adopt the wish list outside iTunes on my iMac. As one might suspect I am still anxious and delighted with what's coming. All-in-all as Mobil OS goes I think we're spoiled.
  • Reply 10 of 15
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    No subcategories? Fine, Apple, you don't want my money… I'm sure developers hate it, too.

  • Reply 11 of 15
    shaun, ukshaun, uk Posts: 1,050member


    Wouldn't it be simpler to merge the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore into one iStore.


     


    I hope they update the iTunes desktop version as well. It's looking a bit dated now.

  • Reply 12 of 15
    sdbryansdbryan Posts: 351member


    This may be crazy talk but I think it would be nice if Apple finally made it possible to read iBooks on the Mac. Amazon supports Kindle books on the Mac but Apple declines to support iBooks on the Mac. Go figure.

  • Reply 13 of 15
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    sdbryan wrote: »
    Amazon supports Kindle books on the Mac but Apple declines to support iBooks on the Mac. Go figure.

    "Buy an iDevice."
  • Reply 14 of 15
    sdbryansdbryan Posts: 351member


    I own an iPad and iPod touch. That still doesn't solve the issue of being able to read iBooks on the Mac. Apple's failure to address this obvious omission is just embarrassing and an insult to Mac owners.

  • Reply 15 of 15
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    sdbryan wrote: »
    Apple's failure to address this obvious omission is just embarrassing and an insult to Mac owners.

    I fail to see how it's embarrassing. They want you to buy an iDevice, that's all.
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