Inside iOS 5: New lock screen notifications, receding iMessage keyboard
The second beta of Apple's iOS 5.0 mobile operating system began making its way to developers on Friday, revealing cosmetic changes to certain lock-screen notifications, a slide away keyboard in iMessage, and other tweaks.
New Lock-Screen Alert Style
As previously discussed, users of iOS 5.0 this fall will be able to select between two distinct styles of notifications: traditional "Alert" notifications that overlay the screen (as they do in iOS 4.0) and require the user to dismiss them, and new "Banner" notifications that appear subtly at the top of the screen for a few seconds before rolling out of view and into the Notifications pull-down without any interaction.
With the release of iOS 5.0 beta 2, Apple has tweaked the display of traditional alerts that appear on the home screen, adorning them with slightly larger typeface and the icon of their associated application. After a few seconds without user interaction, however, these alerts will morph into the standard lock-screen alerts that tile one after the other on the lock-screen.
Receding Keyboard in iMessage
While it's not exactly clear whether the feature was present in the initial iOS 5.0 beta, developers evaluating the updated iMessage app in beta 2 note that the keyboard will gracefully recede downwards and out of view when scrolling upwards in a message history.
New iCloud icons and Active OTA Software Updates
Also apparent in beta 2 is a switch from the purple iCloud icons Apple had in place throughout various panels in beta 1 to the brushed aluminum style present in iCloud marketing materials.
That same icon also shows up while adding a new iCloud mail account, which is now the default account creation type, relegating MobileMe to the end of the automated email account setup list. Also, the over-the-air Software Update mechanism appears active in beta 2.
For more on what to expect in iOS 5.0 this fall, check out AppleInsider's ongoing series: Inside iOS 5.0
New Lock-Screen Alert Style
As previously discussed, users of iOS 5.0 this fall will be able to select between two distinct styles of notifications: traditional "Alert" notifications that overlay the screen (as they do in iOS 4.0) and require the user to dismiss them, and new "Banner" notifications that appear subtly at the top of the screen for a few seconds before rolling out of view and into the Notifications pull-down without any interaction.
With the release of iOS 5.0 beta 2, Apple has tweaked the display of traditional alerts that appear on the home screen, adorning them with slightly larger typeface and the icon of their associated application. After a few seconds without user interaction, however, these alerts will morph into the standard lock-screen alerts that tile one after the other on the lock-screen.
Receding Keyboard in iMessage
While it's not exactly clear whether the feature was present in the initial iOS 5.0 beta, developers evaluating the updated iMessage app in beta 2 note that the keyboard will gracefully recede downwards and out of view when scrolling upwards in a message history.
New iCloud icons and Active OTA Software Updates
Also apparent in beta 2 is a switch from the purple iCloud icons Apple had in place throughout various panels in beta 1 to the brushed aluminum style present in iCloud marketing materials.
That same icon also shows up while adding a new iCloud mail account, which is now the default account creation type, relegating MobileMe to the end of the automated email account setup list. Also, the over-the-air Software Update mechanism appears active in beta 2.
For more on what to expect in iOS 5.0 this fall, check out AppleInsider's ongoing series: Inside iOS 5.0
Comments
Don't these beta-testers have to sign an NDA?
These kind of leaks hurt the entire Community, because the competition gets a head-start.
The "competition" isn't coming to AI to get this info. If they want it they will have direct access so AI posting this stuff doesn't affect anything.
That metallic iCloud icon is straight up ugly. Not sure what they're thinking. I haven't seen the purple one but I feel it would be much nicer.
As for the messaging keyboard dropping down, I can clarify how it works. If you are swiping in the message pane, the screen scrolls as normal, but as soon as you are swiping down and continue swiping into the keyboard, that is when it drops down. It's nice this way so you can scroll up a bit if you have to without the keyboard going away.
Don't these beta-testers have to sign an NDA?
These kind of leaks hurt the entire Community, because the competition gets a head-start.
Competition can just send someone to sign up as a dev and get the beta..
The "competition" isn't coming to AI to get this info. If they want it they will have direct access so AI posting this stuff doesn't affect anything.
I dunno - I think the guy in the gaberdine suit is a spy!
To be nitpicky on these things, those bigger notifications on the homescreen are pretty ugly with the glossy bubble. To me it looks like design from windows vista, or the old design I thought they were getting away from. Design today is more about straight lines, flat tones, like when you see the list on the homescreen.. It's more elegant. I wish they would unify some of their design choices.
The use of gradients for "hot" info makes a distinction between that and "resident" info. Unifying design choices only makes sense if it serves usability, OS UIs aren't simply exercises in aesthetics.
For instance, Microsoft's Metro UI for WP 7 looks cool but has some problems with undifferentiated hierarchies of information and density. The slavish commitment to "flat" doesn't always serve usability.
That metallic iCloud icon is straight up ugly. Not sure what they're thinking. I haven't seen the purple one but I feel it would be much nicer.
To each his own; I think it looks OK and that Apple probably wanted to visually link it to System Settings as another example of "plumbing", distinct from other types of apps.
I dunno - I think the guy in the gaberdine suit is a spy!
Be careful-- his bow-tie is really a webcam.
That metallic iCloud icon is straight up ugly. Not sure what they're thinking. I haven't seen the purple one but I feel it would be much nicer.
I like the icon. It maintains the brushed metal from the old iSync icon but if I were to make a huge leap in reasoning I'd say that icon is perfect as an iCloud Inside (Ã* la Intel Inside) logo to be found on future TV sets.
I dunno - I think the guy in the gaberdine suit is a spy!
Be careful-- his bow-tie is really a webcam.
For those that are unaware and wish to be aware: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W773ZPJhcVw
Don't these beta-testers have to sign an NDA?
These kind of leaks hurt the entire Community, because the competition gets a head-start.
Don't these beta-testers have to sign an NDA?
These kind of leaks hurt the entire Community, because the competition gets a head-start.
In case Google steals Apple's notification drawer?
I find it odd that no one has pointed out that Windows Live Hotmail is now a default mail account time, especially when it has more users than either Yahoo! Mail or Gmail.
Where are these stats published?
I find it odd that no one has pointed out that Windows Live Hotmail is now a default mail account time, especially when it has more users than either Yahoo! Mail or Gmail.
The second half of your sentence doesn't make sense within the context of the first half.
And Yahoo! shouldn't even be an option since they're stupid enough to monetize their POP.
At the moment, the Event alert options are as follows:
5 minutes before
15 minutes before
30 minutes before
1 hour before
2 hours before
1 day before
2 days before
On date of event
PLEASE...PLEASE...PLEASE add two more options:
1 week before
2 weeks before
1 month before
2 months before
My reasoning is as follows:
Let's say TODAY (June 25th, 2011) I found out about a band playing at the Shoreline Theater in Palo Alto, CA. That band is playing on August 20th, 2012, so the concert is over a year away. I would really like to go to that concert, but life gets really busy, I have a lot on my plate, so it's realistic it could slip my mind. If I am able to set an event alert a couple of weeks before, or a couple of months before, I will be able to pre plan well in advance, gather friends, buy tickets, etc. with plenty of time to spare.
However, If I'm only reminded of that event two days before (as current Even alerts options are set), I may miss getting a ticket in time or I might plan something else on the same day, having completely forgotten about that date, because I had remembered it over a year earlier.
Come on Apple. This is an easy addition to an updated OS.
Respectfully,
John
Come on Apple. This is an easy addition to an updated OS.
It's the little things that we never seem to get that rankle isn't it? I've wanted hierarchical playlists since I first filled my 2nd gen iPod. Nothing doing though.
Don't these beta-testers have to sign an NDA?
These kind of leaks hurt the entire Community, because the competition gets a head-start.
The "competition" could just sign up and download iOS5 beta. Very simple process.
To be nitpicky on these things, those bigger notifications on the homescreen are pretty ugly with the glossy bubble. To me it looks like design from windows vista, or the old design I thought they were getting away from. Design today is more about straight lines, flat tones, like when you see the list on the homescreen.. It's more elegant. I wish they would unify some of their design choices.
That metallic iCloud icon is straight up ugly. Not sure what they're thinking. I haven't seen the purple one but I feel it would be much nicer.
As for the messaging keyboard dropping down, I can clarify how it works. If you are swiping in the message pane, the screen scrolls as normal, but as soon as you are swiping down and continue swiping into the keyboard, that is when it drops down. It's nice this way so you can scroll up a bit if you have to without the keyboard going away.
The brushed metal iCloud icon in large looks decent, but at that size, you're right, it looks horrible. It's just too small to contain that kind of texture and look pleasing to the eye. Way too busy. Purple icon definitely looked better. Actually, ANYTHING besides brushed metal would look better.
The brushed metal iCloud icon in large looks decent, but at that size, you're right, it looks horrible. It's just too small to contain that kind of texture and look pleasing to the eye. Way too busy. Purple icon definitely looked better. Actually, ANYTHING besides brushd metal would look better.
I'm suspending judgement till I see what it looks like on the actual hardware. Apple are such perfectionists about this kind of thing usually, that I 'd be really surprised if it's as ugly as it seems from that screenshot.
Where are these stats published?
Here's a link that ranks top US websites based of # of visitors: http://www.hitwise.com/us/datacenter...ard-10133.html. Amongst email providers, Yahoo is on top. Perhaps one should combine Hotmail and MSN, but that still trails Yahoo. At the same time, visitors ≠ # of users. Furthermore, this does not take into account the rest of the world. I'm pretty sure not one of these companies has released reliable numbers about their email users.