Technology & Opinions: Why iOS7 & Samsung Ads Suck?

If everyone is busy making everything how can anyone perfect anything?  We start to confuse convenience with joy, abundance with choice.  Designing something requires focus.  The first thing we ask is what do we want people to feel?  Delight. Surprise. Love. Connection.  Then we begin to craft around our intention.  It takes time.  There are a thousand no's for every yes.  We simplify. We perfect. We start over.  Until everything we touch enhances each life it touches.  Only then do we sign our work Designed by Apple in California. -- Quoted from Forward Thinking.

Honestly, I have been refraining myself from making any unfair comments about Apple and Samsung (surprised?) until the latest "stuff" is out and settles, until I saw the latest iOS7's UI design, some ads and some news headlines, I can't bear not to make myself heard any more and here's my eruption!

BOOOOMMM!!!!

Complaint 1:

Image from igeeksblog

Okay, nice ad above Apple, you obviously go against Samsung's "More is More" philosophy which is fine for me, have it your way, but don't try to confuse us that "convenience" isn't related to "joy" and "abundance" isn't related to "choice"!!! If convenience has nothing to do with joy, then why did you create that annoying virtual home button in iOS6? That is not to make your customers more "joyful" because of your incredibly non-durable home button? I don't think seeing my wife clicking multiple buttons just to switch on and off the 3G data a joy to behold. I think it's irritatingly inconvenient to even look at it!

If abundance has nothing to do with choice, then why are you adding features that Android already has? Why not just keep it "minimalistic"?

Complaint 2:

iOS 7 lock screen (left), home screen (centre), pull-up menu (right)
Image from Gigaom

The first thing we ask is what do we want people to feel?  Delight. Surprise. Love. Connection. 

Delight, love, connection? Maybe, because it's new. Surprise, definitely!! I'm seeing a whole lot of colour changes of the Android system now running on iPhone.

Jellybean 4.1 lock screen (left), Samsung Galaxy Mega home screen (centre),
Samsung Galaxy Note II dropdown menu (right)

Don't say that other companies copy you until you can prove that you never copy others!

Complaint 3:

iOS7 Weather
Image from Gigaom

The first thing we ask is what do we want people to feel?  Delight. Surprise. Love. Connection.  Then we begin to craft around our intention.  It takes time.  There are a thousand no's for every yes.  We simplify. We perfect. We start over.  Until everything we touch enhances each life it touches.  Only then do we sign our work

So all that you come up with is a replica of Google Now weather?

Google Now
Image from onelickroot

Does that mean Apple also thinks Android is the perfect design?

Accuweather Widget on Samsung Galaxy phone
Image from iwritealot

iOS7 weather
Image from Gigaom

Or do you mean the best you can do is copy from Android?

Image from The Telegraph

"iOS7: Apple stands on the shoulders of giants"? Give me a break. Don't make me puke.

Complaint 4:

iOS6 to iOS 7 icons comparions
Image from idownloadblog

From 3D icons to 2D icons, Apple, where's your persistence of NOT becoming Android? Your Safari icon sickens me the most, the meaning of the map / the world is completely lost! The Reminders, the Game Center and the Notes icons, which part of the icon design looks like what they are supposed to do?

I used to make my wife really upset by criticising Apple's products and she had always defended Apple for whatever they make to be the best in the world simply because this is what love is all about, you don't need a reason to defend the person you love, so neither does she need one to defend Apple's products. When I showed her the icons in iOS 7 yesterday, her first reaction was,

"What are they doing to the icons? Where're all those 3D effects? I don't like this!"

When asked if she would upgrade her iPhone 4S to iOS7,

"I will never upgrade it! It looks so ugly!! Looks like your Android (phone)!"

"I thought you are a Apple fangirl." I asked
"I'm a big fan of Steve Jobs and his work, not Apple (any more)." She replied.

Sure enough, those Apple fans who loves Apple as a company will continue to stay loyal, and any small changes will be seen as "innovations" despite already having same old stuff flooding the mobile world for years.

Then again, fervent disciples of Steve Jobs are out there in millions. With this iOS 7 update, Apple will risk losing them, fast!

Click to Enlarge
Image from gizmodo

That said, it's time to criticise Samsung's approach!

Complaint 1:

Okay, your Galaaxy S4 looks great in close-up despite the polycarbonate case, but the music in the ad, please! It doesn't fit the warm and joyful mum taking a photo of his son with colour balloons (0:29-0:33)! The music is way too serious! It might work well for a cool car ad maybe, but won't in the world's sake relate to the concept of family, precious moments, joy, leisure, relaxation and most importantly, a "Life companion"!!! Every time I hear that music from the ad, I feel like I'm watching a horrifying drama play, and my "life companion" is something scary!

Samsung!!! Why can't you just do another version using the same Galaxy S3 warm, touching theme? Every time I see this ad I just have to complain once.

Complaint 2:

Slimmer? Not that much, stronger? Where's the proof? Unimaginable clarity? Tell that to HTC One. Water and Ice? You are not water-proof or ice-proof yet! Innovation continues? You mean the Dual Shot? I can't even tell the Dual Camera was there before the mum wasn't even moving much! AirView with finger, alright, you got this one correct, but what about the best of the best Smart Scroll, Smart Pause, Air Gestures, Drama Shots, Eraser features? Come one! I'm seeing none of these? Do you expect noobs to buy your phone just because of how it looks?

You are not advertising the best features of your S4 in this ad, Samsung!

Complaint 3:

I can almost guarantee you that you won't hear the Group Play music any more the moment you step away from the bench in that changing room. And I doubt that anyone wants to buy an S4 for this multi-4 dependent feature, it's just not practical!

Sell your other features, Samsung!!! Like this is an ad well done!

Why can't you give me more of this? If your S4 doesn't sell as good as S3, you know why, because your TV ads suck!


Vocabulary:
abundance -- (n)[S or U] the situation in which there is more than enough of something:
behold -- (vb)[T] old use or literary  to see or look at someone or something:
sicken -- (vb) [I]  to become ill:
fangirl -- (n)[C] A rabid breed of human female who is obesessed with either a fictional character or an actor. Similar to the breed of fanboy.
fervent -- (adj) (also fervid) formal describes beliefs that are strongly and sincerely felt or people who have strong and sincere beliefs:
disciple -- (n) [C] a person who believes in the ideas and principles of someone famous and tries to live the way they do or did:
vivid -- (adj) very brightly coloured:
horrifying -- (adj)  very shocking:
noob -- (n) [C] informal someone who has just started doing something, especially playing a computergame or using a type of software, and so does not know much about it
suck -- (vb)[I] slang If someone or something sucks, they are bad or unpleasant:


Resources:

Has Apple Been Feeling a Bit Insecure Lately? @ Forward Thinking
http://forwardthinking.pcmag.com/apple/312552-is-apple-feeling-a-bit-insecure-lately

iOS7: Apple stands on the shoulders of giants @ The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/10112005/iOS7-Apple-stands-on-the-shoulders-of-giants.html

Apple - Designed By Apple - Intention @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/VpZmIiIXuZ0

GALAXY S4 Official TVC @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUynugn9AYs

Apple Inc. iPhones, iPads banned by US, Samsung Group triumphs @ Mumbai Mirror
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/others/sci-tech/techtalk/Apple-Inc-iPhones-iPads-banned-by-US-Samsung-Group-triumphs/articleshow/20440740.cms

Technology: Welcome! Samsung Galaxy S4!! @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/03/technology-welcome-samsung-galaxy-s4.html

GALAXY S4 Official TVC - Group Play (Share Music) @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/zDVI0r1vRFw

GALAXY S4 Official TVC - Sound & Shot @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/RAEgmeiDbJo

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/abundance?q=abundance
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/behold?q=behold
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fangirl
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/fervent?q=fervent
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/disciple?q=disciple
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/vivid?q=vivid
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/horrifying?q=horrifying
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/noob?q=noob
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/suck_2