One Big Reason Why iOS8 Sucks
Tags: UI, Design, Mobile, iOS, UX

One Big Reason Why iOS8 Sucks

The bigger the display is, the less easily-accessible zone is, the more necessary is the adaptation of design to improve the user experience.

Before I dive into details I should take a moment to explain a couple of things. Let’s travel back in time of the iOS7 release. What has changed in the system compared to its previous versions?

User’s content got the highest priority.

No skeuomorphism in design.

Lightweight UI.

More focus on interaction.

Almost everything according to Dieter Rams. And that was fucking right and necessary move by Apple!

But what they did not change?

The pattern of usage!

It could be seen from the very first iPhone and to the iPhone 4s. The dimensions of the display were the same. Hence, the patterns of users behavior and usage of the devices were the same too. This allowed to transfer users to the new iOS7 almost seamlessly. And the reason of that — they instantly got familiar to the common UI elements: a navigation bar at the top, a tab bar at the bottom, a table view, etc.

The lineup of Apple’s iPhones is growing up in the dimensions and I think Apple have already reached the limit. No, I am not stating there could not be the bigger size. I’m just saying that if there is a bigger than iPhone 6+ display (5.5 in) then that will be absolutely different device. It is called — a tablet. Therefore, another usage, another user’s behavior, etc.

Apple knew and clearly understood that the increase of the display size was inevitable. Bigger screens will lead to a bigger size of every single system element. Thus, the load on the processor, network and so on… I think that’s indeed one of the main reasons why all those changes I’ve mentioned above were applied. But did they take into consideration the inherent behavior patterns that originated with the previous iOS to be extremely uncomfortable and ergonomically incorrect for usage on the larger devices? I suppose, they did not.

The basics

Take a look at your hands right now. Did your thumbs, palm and the hand overall become bigger? No? Hmm, mine too (Okay, if you are a teenager they could really got bigger as you are! Good for you…). I would even say they have become a little bit thinner because of the adaptation to a constant use of the iPhone. But in general, yeah, they are still the same.

And what about your phone? Which one were you holding three years ago and which right now?

The resizing of the devices inevitably involves a change of how we hold our phones, how we use them and so on. And since we are not growing over the years (human body stops growing between the ages of 18 and 21 years of age), the behavioral patterns in iOS interface which were laid out in previous versions, do not work properly since iPhone 5.

Here are three basic ways of how people are holding their phones:

1. Basic ways of how people are holding their phones. According to research by Steven Hoober

85% of observed users working with their phones using one hand. This is happening mechanically, on a subconscious level. Cradled method seems to be the perfect one. But it has obvious good and bad sides.

Mostly whole display is in an easily-accessible area.

Both hands are always busy.

But I’m pretty sure that Cradled method is a necessary measure, which appeared just because of the inconvenience of the usage of big sized phones. A human is a lazy creature and will not involve two hands instead of one when it’s possible. But let this be another topic called ‘User behavior on psychophysical level’ or something like that.

The problem

The following heat map shows sorts of the thumb zones applied to every iPhone display size since 2007.

2.1. Thumb zones. According to ‘How to design for thumbs in the Era of Huge Screens’ observation by Scott Hurff

Have you noticed that the typical navigation bar position is in the red area starting from iPhone 5? That stumbling block of the whole system which consists of the most important actions (Send, Done, Save, Confirm, Back, Close, etc.) is there because of the pattern which has been implemented on the system level. All the previous iOS versions, as well as the current one, accustomed us to use it. Even if it’s not convenient at all. And developers are forced to follow that pattern too, because they have no choice. Now it became a stereotype for a usual user.

I know a few great developers who are trying to change the situation on their own to improve user experience of their applications. But it’s not enough to destroy or even change a little such a strong stereotype. It must be changed on the system level. By Apple. In iOS. Only then it will be possible to reteach a user with a new, correct and more convenient pattern.

Namely with the iOS8 release Apple had to change that and adapt their design under the new dimensions of the iPhones. That was not done. And that is a big reason why iOS8 sucks! Therefore, a conclusion:

The bigger the display is, the less easily-accessible zone is, the more necessary is the adaptation of design to improve the user experience.

As a true proof of the reason why do we have to care about the big-screen-devices, please check out the graph below. And that is just a beginning!

2.2. Screen size and browsing share by phone size. According to Adobe Digital Index, 2014

Now let’s run a simple test on a couple of apps I use daily.

Mailbox. The whole and the only one bar with all navigation controls is on the red area. So, you have to shift your grip up to reach any element on it. Those guys launched their product 6 months after iPhone 5 has been released. That means they knew their product would be used on a bigger device and did not change anything in the native iOS pattern. And the reason is clear — a user should be familiar with the app from the first touch. But they got lost in the usability on the bigger iPhone.