Apple has enjoyed a view from the top of the world for the past few years, thanks mainly to products that run iOS, and since WWDC is just around the corner, I've been thinking a lot about the future of Apple's mobile OS. According to Forbes, sales of the iPhone alone dwarf all of Microsoft's sales, not to mention the other products in their lineup, including the entire line of Mac desktop and portable computers, and iPods of various shapes, sizes, and colors.
But while the taste of victory has been sweet for the Cupertino based company, who for many years was the underdog in the PC wars of the 90's and early 00's, some fear that success has led to some stagnation, particularly in the product that has made them the most valuable company in the world.
Apple's famous mobile operating system has come a very long way from what it was in 2010 when iPad was announced, but as much as Apple has done with it, they need to step up their game. The most common rumor on the Internet right now is that iOS 7 will feature a "flat" design that reflects Jony Ive's idea of aesthetic appeal, and I am all for that. I think that iOS could definitely benefit from a UI overhaul, and a flat sleek look would be great, not to mention the fact that I love the look of everything Sir Jony has had a hand in designing. But the Android platform has been gaining in popularity and rightly so. Google has been churning out great new feature after great new feature on their mobile OS offering, and aren't showing any signs of stopping. This means that iOS 7 has to be more than the abolishment of skeuomorphism.
When the iPad was first launched, I felt like it was a cool idea and that it would definitely sell, but I failed to see it's potential. To be fair, the state of iOS at the time didn't really make the first iPad the powerhouse that it is today, but I was far from thinking it was much more than an expensive extra device to have around the house. I have done an about-face on the iPad and now firmly believe that it is one of the single most wonderful devices ever created, and has the ability to replace a computer for many people. But in order for it to really replace a computer, a few things need to change. Don't worry, I'm only going to talk about one of them here.
Data Management
When I say "data" management, I'm not referring to the amount of cellular data an iPhone or LTE enabled
iPad sends and receives. I'm talking about the user's data that is stored on the device. It's probably the wrong term to use, but I'm at a loss for a better one. Specifically what I'm referring to here is the ability to move data between apps. Currently iOS is getting the crap kicked out of it by Android on this front.
I am all for having the file system in iOS remaining hidden. This idea is part of what has made the iPhone and
iPad a success thanks to it's ease of use for people who would need a user's guide otherwise. However, having your hands tied on certain functions is where the current "Open In... " system falls flat. Android boasts a robust system for handling this that allows users to move a piece of data to any app on the device that can handle that type of data. Here's an example of what I'm talking about: I use Evernote *a lot*. When running
iOS, if I have a PDF in Evernote that I want to open in a PDF editor like Good Reader, mark it up, and then send it back to Evernote with my annotations, I can't do that.
This seems like a really specific use scenario, but if iOS is going to continue to be Apple's bread and butter, and they are going to continue to dominate the mobile market, workflows that are no-brainers on a desktop operating system have to become something that is at least as easy on iOS. So, bring on the flat, sleek, non-linen look, just so long as it's not the only thing being improved.
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