When Apple began updating the software of hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads Wednesday, it also gave a glimpse into the future of apps.
The new software, called iOS 7, is the first major design overhaul of the mobile operating system Apple first introduced in 2007 that gave rise to the booming apps economy.
Now Apple is pushing the design and functionality principles of app companies in new directions — whether app developers like it or not. Apple‘s new software, first previewed over the summer, takes a stark departure from the look of years past, eschewing dark colors, photo-realistic surfaces and buttons for a lighter, airier feel.
Over the past few weeks, many app developers have been toiling to ready new versions of their products that match Apple‘s new direction. On Wednesday, many of the world‘s most popular app makers offered free updates, including Facebook, Twitter and note-taking app maker Evernote, all of which adopted a brighter look with content that filled more of the screen.
Facebook, for example, scrapped navigation tools hidden on the side, swapping in navigation buttons on the bottom. Evernote included a new technology that automatically updates with new notes in the background, allowing customers quicker access to their information.
While Apple‘s move forces their hands, many app developers say the new designs and technologies can help lead to a flurry of new experiences on apps, giving customers the feeling their phones are quicker and more responsive to what‘s going on around them.
“The moment you open the door for what the iOS 7 app will look like, you open a door,“ said Josh Elman, a partner at the venture firm Greylock Partners and an alumnus of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Omer Perchik, founder and chief executive of to-do list app maker Any.do, said apps will now have an ability to respond to the context of where customers are, what time it is and what they‘re doing. “It‘s a major change and it allows you to do more than you could earlier,“ he said.
Some developers say they‘re now moving towards larger presentation of photos and videos, without extra buttons or menu bars.
“One of the big things Apple‘s pushing is that they want us to use the whole screen,“ said Brenden Mulligan, co-founder and chief executive of photo-sharing app Cluster. His company, for example, displays collections of photos in large frames, with text overlaid on the photo to give the image extra room on the screen.
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(Published September 18, 2013 @ WSJ.com.)