3 ms·

Except the "native" look and feel is falling out of style fast anyway. The iOS app store is a fashion show and nothing screams amateur now like stock widgets.

drivebyacct2 14y ago
And thank god for that. Android started out ugly, but I don't hear many people asserting that iOS apps are de facto better than Holo-themed apps for Android anymore. Frankly, I feel like it's 2003 when I pick up an iPhone. Plastic and faux-wood. Comforting.
gurkendoktor 14y ago
Can you please provide examples? After uninstalling Facebook, every single third-party app on my phone is built of stock widgets. Some skin them, but that retains both behavior and dimensions. I would even say that the "snob masterclass" of iOS apps is all about using stock widgets in style, like Instapaper and Carcassonne do it. Or only in select places, like Paper, but still seamlessly. The only example of well-received custom widgets on my iPad is eBay.
- gurkendoktor 14y ago
  Oh, I guess Flipboard is also mostly customized. There's probably a stronger incentive to come up with your own stuff on a tablet where UIKit is not as helpful for the overall navigation. For example, the eBay phone app still looks like Apple could've built it.
- cageface 14y ago
  Just look through the top apps and marvel at how few use the stock UI, even excluding games. Some examples from the top 100: http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/itranslate-voice/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/itranslate-voice/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/camera/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/camera/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/instaframe-pro-photo-frame/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/instaframe-pro-photo-frame/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/djay-for-iphone-ipod-touch-scratch-mix-dj/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/djay-for-iphone-ipod-touch-s... http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/motionx-gps-drive/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/motionx-gps-drive/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/nick-jr-draw-play/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/nick-jr-draw-play/
  - gurkendoktor 14y ago
    I'm looking through the top free iPhone apps in Germany and I can't see a clear trend. Also, I'm not sure how to prove or disprove my point - because being a top app is orthogonal to looking like an amateur effort. WhatsApp has long been #1 here, and while I welcome its stock navigation UI for usability reasons, I think their tacked-on timestamps are as "amateur" as their name.
    - cageface 14y ago
      In the top paid apps in the U.S. the trend is overwhelming. Think what you like about the aesthetics of those apps but they're the ones making money.
      - gurkendoktor 14y ago
        Well you said amateur, I thought that was about aesthetics. :) I took the time to analyze Top Grossing US without games. I've gotten a lot of inquiries about HTML5 based apps recently, so this was interesting. #3 MLB, stock; #5 Pandora, stock; #12 MotionX GPS, custom; #17 and #26 comics, slightly customized navigation bar & stock tab bar; #27 Zoosk, faux stock UI; #30 eHarmony, stock; #38 TeleNav, stock; #46 WhatsApp, stock; #52 iTranslate, custom; #68 Nike+ GPS, stock; #72 Camera+, rather custom; #74 MyCalendar, stock; #81 Pages, stock; #83 DC Comics, slightly customized navigation & stock tab bar; #85 Grindr, sotck; #86 Instaframe, custom; #88 Badoo, stockish; #90 Free Music Download, stock; #93, Palm Reader, custom; #96 TurboScan, stock; #97 iMovie, stock where applicable. Some of the UIs are badly imitating UIKit, like Zoosk. They still often replicate the navigation concepts, UIKit shadows (skeuomorphism), widget sizes … - I don't think the stock look & feel is dead yet.
        cageface 14y ago
        By "amateur" I mean that I think the typical app consumer is getting pretty good at spotting stock UI and tends to equate that with a slapdash app, justified or not. This is more pronounced on the iPad I think.
  - 14y ago
- jaxn 14y ago
  The left side drawer in Twitter and Sparrow is amazing. Like it should have always been there.
  - gurkendoktor 14y ago
    I totally agree with this example. Both eBay for iPad and Facebook use that concept too, so to most users it will probably feel like a stock widget already. I hope it will eventually become one :)
shadesandcolour 14y ago
But the argument isn't just about native look and feel vs custom. This is native code vs some ported over stuff that doesn't run quite as well.
r00fus 14y ago
It's not about the widgets - it's about how smooth the app works, and what it does. The fancy widget or two like accents (necessary like decor) can take a basic stock widget pile and allow the user to focus on what they're using the app for...

drivebyacct2 14y ago

And thank god for that. Android started out ugly, but I don't hear many people asserting that iOS apps are de facto better than Holo-themed apps for Android anymore. Frankly, I feel like it's 2003 when I pick up an iPhone. Plastic and faux-wood. Comforting.

gurkendoktor 14y ago

Can you please provide examples? After uninstalling Facebook, every single third-party app on my phone is built of stock widgets. Some skin them, but that retains both behavior and dimensions. I would even say that the "snob masterclass" of iOS apps is all about using stock widgets in style, like Instapaper and Carcassonne do it. Or only in select places, like Paper, but still seamlessly. The only example of well-received custom widgets on my iPad is eBay.

gurkendoktor 14y ago
Oh, I guess Flipboard is also mostly customized. There's probably a stronger incentive to come up with your own stuff on a tablet where UIKit is not as helpful for the overall navigation. For example, the eBay phone app still looks like Apple could've built it.
cageface 14y ago
Just look through the top apps and marvel at how few use the stock UI, even excluding games. Some examples from the top 100: http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/itranslate-voice/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/itranslate-voice/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/camera/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/camera/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/instaframe-pro-photo-frame/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/instaframe-pro-photo-frame/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/djay-for-iphone-ipod-touch-scratch-mix-dj/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/djay-for-iphone-ipod-touch-s... http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/motionx-gps-drive/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/motionx-gps-drive/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/nick-jr-draw-play/ http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/nick-jr-draw-play/
- gurkendoktor 14y ago
  I'm looking through the top free iPhone apps in Germany and I can't see a clear trend. Also, I'm not sure how to prove or disprove my point - because being a top app is orthogonal to looking like an amateur effort. WhatsApp has long been #1 here, and while I welcome its stock navigation UI for usability reasons, I think their tacked-on timestamps are as "amateur" as their name.
  - cageface 14y ago
    In the top paid apps in the U.S. the trend is overwhelming. Think what you like about the aesthetics of those apps but they're the ones making money.
    - gurkendoktor 14y ago
      Well you said amateur, I thought that was about aesthetics. :) I took the time to analyze Top Grossing US without games. I've gotten a lot of inquiries about HTML5 based apps recently, so this was interesting. #3 MLB, stock; #5 Pandora, stock; #12 MotionX GPS, custom; #17 and #26 comics, slightly customized navigation bar & stock tab bar; #27 Zoosk, faux stock UI; #30 eHarmony, stock; #38 TeleNav, stock; #46 WhatsApp, stock; #52 iTranslate, custom; #68 Nike+ GPS, stock; #72 Camera+, rather custom; #74 MyCalendar, stock; #81 Pages, stock; #83 DC Comics, slightly customized navigation & stock tab bar; #85 Grindr, sotck; #86 Instaframe, custom; #88 Badoo, stockish; #90 Free Music Download, stock; #93, Palm Reader, custom; #96 TurboScan, stock; #97 iMovie, stock where applicable. Some of the UIs are badly imitating UIKit, like Zoosk. They still often replicate the navigation concepts, UIKit shadows (skeuomorphism), widget sizes … - I don't think the stock look & feel is dead yet.
      - cageface 14y ago
        By "amateur" I mean that I think the typical app consumer is getting pretty good at spotting stock UI and tends to equate that with a slapdash app, justified or not. This is more pronounced on the iPad I think.
- 14y ago
jaxn 14y ago
The left side drawer in Twitter and Sparrow is amazing. Like it should have always been there.
- gurkendoktor 14y ago
  I totally agree with this example. Both eBay for iPad and Facebook use that concept too, so to most users it will probably feel like a stock widget already. I hope it will eventually become one :)

shadesandcolour 14y ago

But the argument isn't just about native look and feel vs custom. This is native code vs some ported over stuff that doesn't run quite as well.

r00fus 14y ago

It's not about the widgets - it's about how smooth the app works, and what it does. The fancy widget or two like accents (necessary like decor) can take a basic stock widget pile and allow the user to focus on what they're using the app for...