Apple's iOS 7 triggers App Store refresh as developers adopt its design cues
Just in time for the public release of Apple's new iOS 7, a series of new iOS 7-savvy apps will hit the iTunes App Store sporting new looks and new technology under the surface.
At its June Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple invited third party developers to adopt the fresh new design it unveiled for iOS 7, while emphasizing that for Apple, design is "more than the way something looks; it's the whole thing, the way something actually works on so many different levels."
Lots of iOS developers have been rethinking the design their apps in the months since, and a variety of new apps will become available tomorrow alongside the release of iOS 7.
In August, Twitterrific developer Craig Hockenberry reported that 95 percent of the 575 developers he surveyed said they were working to add support for iOS 7 features, and 52 percent said they were working on apps that would require the new software.
Threadflip noted that iOS users are its most important demographic, generating three times more engagement within the app compared to web users. App users contribute 80 percent of Threadflip's daily new listings and half of the company's purchases are made via the app.
The company, which has its new iOS 7 app approved for release tomorrow, also noted that efforts to develop for iOS 7 triggered an internal evaluation of how the company could improve its visual experience on other platforms as well, including desktop and mobile web apps.
Following the "complete overhaul," the app now features similar edge to edge visuals that blend into the formerly static status bar, more subtle navigation controls, and a luminous, simplified topic picker (below).
Along with the visual overhaul, the developer also notes that the redesign afforded an opportunity to check a variety of planned features off their internal to-do list. The new edition of the News360 will also be available tomorrow.
Source: iOS 7 apps in Apple video still, via Buzzfeed
Buzzfeed tried to identify as many of the apps as it could from the blurry still, but only managed to name about half of them.
Of those it could make out, it's clear that developers are embracing the focus on full edge to edge visuals, cleaner presentations, and stripping shiny gloss bevels and textured bars of buttons in favor of iOS 7's luminous depth, layered translucency, more elegant lines and simpler icons (below).
Your browser does not support the HTML5 video tag.
In addition to the new appearance, iOS 7 offers developers features including AirDrop and expanded sharing, new Multitasking support for background updates, Sprite Kit and new Game Center features, iBeacon support for Bluetooth LE, Inter-App Audio for streaming audio between music apps, new Map Kit features for navigation and overlays, high frame rate video capture, custom video composition and barcode scanning.
iOS 7 will also introduce support for the iPhone 5s with Touch ID, incorporating Apple's latest and most advanced 64-bit A7 Application Processor.
At its June Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple invited third party developers to adopt the fresh new design it unveiled for iOS 7, while emphasizing that for Apple, design is "more than the way something looks; it's the whole thing, the way something actually works on so many different levels."
Lots of iOS developers have been rethinking the design their apps in the months since, and a variety of new apps will become available tomorrow alongside the release of iOS 7.
In August, Twitterrific developer Craig Hockenberry reported that 95 percent of the 575 developers he surveyed said they were working to add support for iOS 7 features, and 52 percent said they were working on apps that would require the new software.
Threadflip Simplifies
One example is Threadflip, a social app designed to buy, sell and discover fashion finds. It's design team was inspired to "dramatically simplify and emphasize the visual elements" on their mobile shopping platform, dropping the existing versions' heavy menus and rows of buttons for a streamlined presentation espousing iOS 7's edge to edge graphics, borderless buttons and an clean, uncluttered overall presentation.Threadflip noted that iOS users are its most important demographic, generating three times more engagement within the app compared to web users. App users contribute 80 percent of Threadflip's daily new listings and half of the company's purchases are made via the app.
The company, which has its new iOS 7 app approved for release tomorrow, also noted that efforts to develop for iOS 7 triggered an internal evaluation of how the company could improve its visual experience on other platforms as well, including desktop and mobile web apps.
News360 Illuminates
Newsreader app News360 similarly described iOS 7 as influencing a "rethink" for every screen within the the app, discarding old user interface "baggage" including heavy textures and complex navigation (below).Following the "complete overhaul," the app now features similar edge to edge visuals that blend into the formerly static status bar, more subtle navigation controls, and a luminous, simplified topic picker (below).
Along with the visual overhaul, the developer also notes that the redesign afforded an opportunity to check a variety of planned features off their internal to-do list. The new edition of the News360 will also be available tomorrow.
Apple teases a series of major app updates
The company presented a brief glimpse (below) of a grid of a couple dozen revamped new iOS 7 apps, ranging from Facebook and Twitter to Evernote and PayPal, during its keynote presentation last week.Source: iOS 7 apps in Apple video still, via Buzzfeed
Buzzfeed tried to identify as many of the apps as it could from the blurry still, but only managed to name about half of them.
Of those it could make out, it's clear that developers are embracing the focus on full edge to edge visuals, cleaner presentations, and stripping shiny gloss bevels and textured bars of buttons in favor of iOS 7's luminous depth, layered translucency, more elegant lines and simpler icons (below).
Your browser does not support the HTML5 video tag.
In addition to the new appearance, iOS 7 offers developers features including AirDrop and expanded sharing, new Multitasking support for background updates, Sprite Kit and new Game Center features, iBeacon support for Bluetooth LE, Inter-App Audio for streaming audio between music apps, new Map Kit features for navigation and overlays, high frame rate video capture, custom video composition and barcode scanning.
iOS 7 will also introduce support for the iPhone 5s with Touch ID, incorporating Apple's latest and most advanced 64-bit A7 Application Processor.
Comments
Your browser does not support the HTML5 video tag.
No, your forum software doesn’t support Safari 7.
Just wish they would have kept the depth on those icons…
In addition Apple Incider is happy to show off three new, and previously unannounced, iPhone 5s colors.
From the left, Dark Chocolate, Almond, and Coffee with Cream.
Also everything related to Apple that's online seems to be dog slow this evening. Even the Apple TV keeps pausing and failing to find content for 30 seconds at a time. Seems kind of sloppy overall.
Also, still annoying how I have automatic downloads and automatic updates turned on and I still have to go to iTunes and manually download all the updates. It's been at least two versions of iTunes since that setting actually worked.
Does anyone know if iOS 7 fixes the wish-list and favourites syncing issue? That one's been going on for over a year.
No, your forum software doesn’t support Safari 7.
...
I get the same error on Safari 6.
Ooh, here’s a wild thought. Apple did a volume slider button that changes “shine” based on gyroscope, et. al. Apple did a Springboard that shows parallax based on gyroscope, et. al.
How about doing icons that change shine based on gyroscope, et. al.? Right now I’m looking at Pages specifically. Imagine if the glare on the inkwell moved as you moved your device?
IMAGINE IF SAFARI’S NEEDLE POINTED NORTH!
Nothing stupid and flashy. Nothing overt. Nothing that would make your Home Screen look like a teenager’s website in 1995.
Just tasteful. The little things. Like Apple used to do.
I don't believe that widgets are coming in iOS 7, but that would be neat touch to have the compass point north.
Ooh, here’s a wild thought. Apple did a volume slider button that changes “shine” based on gyroscope, et. al. Apple did a Springboard that shows parallax based on gyroscope, et. al.
How about doing icons that change shine based on gyroscope, et. al.? Right now I’m looking at Pages specifically. Imagine if the glare on the inkwell moved as you moved your device?
IMAGINE IF SAFARI’S NEEDLE POINTED NORTH!
Nothing stupid and flashy. Nothing overt. Nothing that would make your Home Screen look like a teenager’s website in 1995.
Just tasteful. The little things. Like Apple used to do.
I agree that adding moving shine or lighting to the icons, to go along with the background parallax, would have been an awesome effect. As it stands now, the effect is barely visible, unless you're specifically looking for it. Why make a big deal out of something and then not take it all the way? Subtle changing the lighting on the icons as you tilted the phone would have looked gorgeous. But I guess "flat" icons are not supposed to reflect any light at all, or something.
As for these app redesigns.. meh. Not a big fan, and the redesigns are neither inspiring, nor even particularly an improvement to me. I guess I'm not on the whole "the best design is absolutely no design" bandwagon. I'm more into tasteful lushness, and gorgeous detail, down to the pixel, that I guess we're never going to see again from Apple.
I'm more into tasteful lushness, and gorgeous detail, down to the pixel, that I guess we're never going to see again from Apple.
They’ll have to hire new designers eventually; there’s no telomere treatment yet. Someone will be hired who thinks that way again.
At least 4 apps I've updated have added the circular ring in their icon. It's annoying to see they're all copying Apple's icon design.
I'm working on an app update for iOS 7 and Apple has requested a demo of the app. They're going to provide feedback on the design and possibly promote it as an iOS 7 styled app. They seem to be going all out for this launch.
When a big OS update comes out, it's a good opportunity for previously unknown apps to get noticed, by being the first to adopt new features, and then people download them just to see. I wonder if any new stars will be born today?
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/09/death-to-textures-ios-6-and-ios-7-compared-in-pictures
Even at this late stage I still think 6 looks better, but am resigned to the inevitable.
I don't know if anyone else has experienced this but as I tried to update my apps, a couple of updates downloaded okay but the installation process seemed to get stuck and would't complete after many minutes. I finally had to force quit iTunes, then I deleted the misbehaving apps (notably Amazon Mobile, Flipboard, and How to Cook Everything) and redownload the app from the iTunes Store, which I assume were already updated. BTW at this point I am still on IOS6.1.3.