iOS18: New Features and Controversy, Can Apple Still Hold onto the Premium Market?

iOS18: New Features and Controversy, Can Apple Still Hold onto the Premium Market?On the early morning of September 17th, Apple officially released the iOS18 update, supporting the second-generation iPhone SE and subsequent models. The internal version number is 22A3354, and the update size is approximately 4GB

iOS18: New Features and Controversy, Can Apple Still Hold onto the Premium Market?

On the early morning of September 17th, Apple officially released the iOS18 update, supporting the second-generation iPhone SE and subsequent models. The internal version number is 22A3354, and the update size is approximately 4GB. The update brings many new features, such as the much-anticipated app lock and call recording, as well as the rumored Apple component encryption feature. However, the arrival of iOS18 has caused a stir, with many users questioning the new system, even labeling it the "worst iOS ever".

New Photos App Mocked by the Community: Give Us Back Our "Mom-Born Photos"

The most controversial aspect of iOS18 arguably lies in the redesigned Photos app. The new Photos app abandons the previous intuitive information flow logic, opting for a card-style design that displays features like Albums, Featured, Memories, etc. all on the homepage, leaving many users feeling disoriented. The thumbnail-style video playback progress bar has also been simplified to a timeline bar, only showing the video snippet for the specific second when manually dragged. Some users find this change inconvenient.

Apple prioritizes intelligent featured photos in the new Photos app. While these machine learning-selected photos may be interesting, the core function of the Photos app should be to facilitate easy browsing. Now, with the dominant presence of featured photos, users' habit of browsing photos in order is disrupted, leading to numerous calls online for the "mom-born photos" to be restored.

Control Center Changes Spark Controversy: Circular Icons Break Apple's Design Style

Another controversial change in iOS18 is the Control Center. The new Control Center allows users to customize the widgets they need freely, but it chooses to use circular icons, a departure from Apple's consistent rounded rectangle design style. Previously, iOS adhered to a unique rounded rectangle design, with its curvature mirroring that of the iPhone's frame, creating a visually harmonious aesthetic. Now, with both rounded rectangles and circular icons appearing simultaneously in the Control Center, this mixed style is uncommon in iOS history.

Despite the increased customization offered by the new Control Center, the introduction of circular icons still leaves many users feeling uncomfortable. Several users have expressed that the circular icon design style clashes with Apple's usual design principles, appearing abrupt and disjointed.

iOS Design Style is Outdated, Lacks Features, and Usability Suffers

Since officially entering the flat design era with iOS7, Apple's design style hasn't seen significant changes. In recent years, it has even been criticized for being "minor tweaks" lacking originality. While flat design was groundbreaking at the time, it's now widely adopted, making iOS' design style appear somewhat outdated.

Additionally, iOS' functionality is also under fire. After the iPhone X, Apple fully embraced the full-screen era, with phones getting increasingly larger, yet iOS still doesn't support side-swiping to go back, essentially eliminating the possibility of one-handed operation for Pro Max users. Some features already popular on Android systems, like app cloning and floating windows, remain absent in iOS, severely hindering the iPhone's usability.

iOS18 is Not Without Merit, but Overall Still Appears Mediocre

Of course, iOS18 is not entirely without merit. It brings features that users have been eagerly anticipating, like app locking and call recording. Additionally, iOS18 also sees performance improvements. INIYSA's performance test report shows that the iPhone 15 Pro Max upgraded to iOS18 outperforms the iOS 17 version in several areas, especially in terms of AI and machine learning computation speed.

However, the overall performance of iOS18 still appears mediocre, lacking any striking innovations. In contrast, Android has made great strides in customization, with systems like OriginOS4 and HarmonyOS 4.0 receiving high praise for their user experiences. In contrast, iOS18 has a user rating of only 7.4 points, lagging behind OriginOS4 and HarmonyOS 4.0.

iPhone 16 Series Met with Cold Reception, iOS "Deserves the Credit"

The negative feedback surrounding iOS18 has also impacted the pre-sale performance of the iPhone 16 series. Currently, the iPhone 16 Pro in desert-colored titanium on AppleStore shows an arrival date of October 11th. In the initial pre-sale phase for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 series, pre-orders for this timeframe were already backed up until November. This indicates that the controversy surrounding iOS18 has had a negative impact on the iPhone 16 series' market performance.

Apple Faces Huge Challenges, Needs Breakthrough Innovations to Hold onto Premium Market

The controversy surrounding iOS18 is not merely about design aesthetics. It reflects the deeper challenges Apple faces in the current market competition. As Android systems continuously improve their customization capabilities, Apple's advantage in the premium market is gradually being eroded. In the second quarter of 2023, domestic brands like Huawei, OPPO, and Xiaomi occupied 19.8%, 16.5%, and 13.7% of the market share respectively, demonstrating strong local competitiveness.

In the future, for Apple to maintain its competitiveness in the smartphone market, it needs to make greater breakthroughs in iOS design and functional experience. But such breakthroughs may not necessarily be accepted by all longtime users. The iOS18 design, for example, sparked significant controversy. For those who haven't upgraded from older versions to iOS18, it's wise to carefully consider whether upgrading is the right choice.