i OS 7's switch to the Helvetica Neue Ultra Light typeface was one of the bigger design points for the new OS. But it came with a catch: It looked, in places, pretty bad on non-retina screens. The fix was simple enough. Just change it back to regular weight. Here's what that looks like, courtesy Panic co-founder @ Cable on Twitter: S ( Click Expand if our site's compression is making the GIF appear fuzzy; you can see the details more clearly that way anyway.) The newer version is the frame with the lighter blue background, instead of grey. The differences can be seen all over the OS, in Messages, Weather, and other first party Apple apps. Most of the text had been readable on non-retina i OS 7-compatible devices, but some things like badges and smaller alerts just looked bad. Still, this throws the weight of the entire OS off from where it had been, even if just slightly.
Apple today released the third beta of i OS 7, which brings a number of improvements and bug fixes to the operating system. According to the release notes, double notifications have been resolved and Air Play issues have also been fixed. Several other minor enhancements have been bundled into the release, as noted by our forum members: Redesigned Fonts - Fonts across a number of apps appear to have been tweaked to be thicker, using Helvetica Neue Regular instead of Ultra Light. This is most noticeable in the Messages app, where text appears to be bolded, but it can also be seen in the Weather app, the Notification Center, and the Settings menu. Panic co-founder @cabel has provided a GIF that demonstrates the differences. Safari - Safari has had the.com button removed and replaced with a simple period button. The.com.net, and.org domain extensions can be accessed by holding down on the button. Status Bar - The Status Bar, which provides information on cellular connection strength, Wi- Fi, Bluetooth, and battery life has had its size slightly increased for better readability on the lock screen. Lock Screen - When playing music, the lock screen will now display the time. Music App - The Music app has seen a slight redesign with new icons and rearranged controls. Ratings have also been re-added. Podcasts - Apple's Podcasts app is now functional. Calendar - In the monthly view, the Calendar app has been updated to display small gray dots on days where events are scheduled. Siri - A number of Mac Rumors forum members have noted that Siri’s voice now sounds more natural. New App Download Animation - When installing an app, i OS 7 users will see a new animation that does away with download bars in favor of a more organic circular download timer. Control Center - The clock located in the Control Center has seen yet another redesign, this time appearing in the original dark.
In a move that is sure to bring a puzzled grin and a shake of the head from Android and Windows Phone users, Apple made what some are calling “the most significant change” to i OS 7 in the third beta, released last night in response to pressure from designers and bloggers. It changed a font. Previously, Apple had been using Helvetica Neue light, but as of last night, i OS 7 is using Helvetica Neue. Designers and bloggers had been calling for the change since Apple originally released i OS 7 in June. One went so far as to call the original font choice “art school masturbation,” while Instapaper’s Marco Arment said it was “one of Apple’s biggest recurring flaws: letting cool come before functional.” It’s so thin and barely readable, it looks like a scratch in the glass. This is not progress. This is art school masturbation. That was not precisely what I meant when I said i OS 7 is the essence of less. Here’s a side-by-side example, in the i OS 7 calendar app. The original i OS 7 beta version is on top; the new-as-of-last-night i OS 7 beta 3 version is on the bottom: Above: i OS 7 beta 2 versus i OS 7 beta 3 fonts Image Credit: John Koetsier In a word, Sir Jony Ive has, apparently, relented. The entire debate may seem like an art school tempest in a teapot, but the results are clear. On my i Phone, text is clearer, more readable, more obvious. As such, it’s a good change. One of Apple’s key design goals for i OS 7 has been deference: letting data take the front seat, not interface. In other words, design for the sake of communication, not design for the sake of design. This change, I think, is in line with that original goal. The funny thing for Apple outsiders, however, is probably what it took for Apple to get there. VB's research team is studying web-personalization. Chime in here, and we’ll share the results.
Download Now