It's a question worth asking: with the release of iOS 7, will Apple dictate the future of the app market?
Bugs aside, there is no denying iOS 7's seemless harmony—from its vibrant colors to its sleek design; there's a oneness to the user interface, a characteristic previous iterations lacked. All the pieces of the app puzzle seem to fit perfectly this time around. And that's no coincidence.
"In months and even years to come, iOS 7 will set a different trajectory for apps, changing not just how they look, but how they work, and in some cases, who’s building them, too.," Kyle Vanhemert reports for Wired. "[The] most exciting thing about iOS 7 is the groundwork it lays for the future—the space it clears for a new generation of apps yet to be cooked up. As Jony Ive has said, iOS 7 isn’t just a new direction; in many ways, it’s a beginning."
With iOS 7, Ive has created a visial language all his own—minimalism is all the rage—and as Vanhemert notes, "Apple’s new OS isn’t just prettier to use, it’s more accessible to build for, too. It refocuses the whole expectation of an app to the solution, not how flashily that solution is packaged. Basically, the new design language makes it simpler to turn a good idea into a first-class app."
The move toward simplicity will allow for greater innovation, according to Gentry Underwood, co-founder of Mailbox and a former IDEO designer. “I do think you will see a broader spectrum of things on iOS 7,” Underwood said. He believes iOS 7′s focus on animations will provide a “new axis," which will ultimately create a modern user experience for developers and designers to toy with.
As for the possibilities? Limitless.
[via Wired]
