
Apple dictates that all new apps must fully support the iPhone X screen - hungerstrike
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/02/apple-dictates-that-all-new-apps-must-fully-support-the-iphone-x-screen/
======
MBCook
Why is it _new_ app? When will it apply to _existing_ apps?

I don’t have a X but I have apps that still don’t support the iPhone 6 screen
size. Not ancient apps that have never been updated.

TiVo updates their app regularly. Every 2 or 3 months. But it still doesn’t
support the screen size released _four years ago_.

This is a good move but at some point it needs to apply to existing apps or
you end up with an obnoxious loophole.

~~~
3pt14159
The problem is that some codebases are _horrible_. They assume a constant
ratio or a constant width and it's pretty much a re-write if they want to
support other orientations.

~~~
MBCook
I’m sure that’s true. But would it be that hard for Apple to say “this applies
to new apps today and existing apps in two years“? That way developers would
have tons of warning, but they wouldn’t be able to sit on their feet forever.

And I’d only apply it to updates to apps.

~~~
3pt14159
Yeah, that sounds like a reasonable compromise. I agree with you.

------
RKearney
Meanwhile, Apples own iMovie app doesn’t support the iPhone X display yet.

~~~
wereHamster
> all new apps submitted from April 2018 onward

Presumably they're going to make their own apps compatible by then.

~~~
eridius
I hope so, but there's no guarantee, because that says "new apps", not "app
updates".

------
reustle
Apple made a questionable design decision and people didn't want to play ball.
Now they're trying to keep their customers happy (who paid $1k for a phone) by
forcing everyone to design for it. Sounds like Apple.

~~~
SpikeDad
If you sell 15 million of something (or whatever the actual number is - I've
seen anywhere from 11 to 20 million) then where is the evidence that they made
a questionable design decision?

My iPhone X is the best phone I've every used and the notch is a nothing
burger except for folks that can only knock Apple.

Naturally they want software to play ball - what company doesn't want software
to work well with their hardware?

Sounds like someone that has an agenda. And Ars' use of "DICTATE" is a loaded
word they obviously used to boost click-ability. There are plenty of other
words like requires, updates standards, etc that don't have the connotation of
dictates.

~~~
jjeaff
The fact that they have sold so many phones may simply indicate that the other
perceived benefits outweigh the poor notch decision. Plus, lots of mass market
products are terribly designed. They sold over 3 million Ford Pintos.

~~~
mythz
The iPhone X is the best device I've owned. The notch quickly became
unnoticeable but took a few days to get used to lack of a physical home button
but that's also become natural to use and going back to use my wife's iPhone
now feels more mechanical/primitive.

~~~
timr
I tried an X, and bought a 7 instead. The notch was ugly.

So now we've shared competing anecdotes. We can conclude only that anecdotes
aren't arguments.

~~~
mythz
I'm responding to the unsubstantiated claim that:

> lots of mass market products are terribly designed

Insinuating the iPhone X is terribly designed which isn't my experience (the
only one I have). By definition all personal experiences are anecdotal, so no
I haven't conducted any empirical studies (neither have you), but we can infer
given the iPhone X is Apple's top selling phone that most people prefer the
iPhone X despite its higher price.

~~~
timr
No, you aren't. You're saying that you liked the iPhone, which is evidence
neither for nor against the parent's claim.

 _" we can infer given the iPhone X is Apple's top selling phone that most
people prefer the iPhone X despite its higher price."_

Maybe, maybe not. But that's not what you said. You said merely that you liked
the iPhone X.

~~~
mythz
You're either very confused or trolling.

I have directly responded to the comment I've quoted, as evident by looking at
the parent comment that my comment replied to.

> Maybe, maybe not. But that's not what you said.

That's exactly what I've said, you've even copied it verbatim, which was in
response to your comment pointing out the very obvious fact that personal
experiences are anecdotal, which you've somehow tried to contradict using your
own anecdote. It should not surprise anyone that most comments are anecdotal
(especially those beginning with 'I') but which should at least count for 1
data point with experience which is more than enough to respond to
unsubstantiated claims.

~~~
timr
_" That's exactly what I've said, you've even copied it verbatim"_

No, I didn't. But I will now:

 _" The iPhone X is the best device I've owned. The notch quickly became
unnoticeable but took a few days to get used to lack of a physical home button
but that's also become natural to use and going back to use my wife's iPhone
now feels more mechanical/primitive."_

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16403374](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16403374)

~~~
mythz
Yes you actually did copy what I've said verbatim, now you're showing you're
able to copy entire comments as well, congratz, which you may think was
pointless, but it does answer whether you're confused or just trolling.

~~~
dang
Come on you guys, please don't sink into pointless tit for tats.

[https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html](https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html)

------
Upvoter33
This is a non-story. Company who owns app store places requirements on apps in
said app store. Has been true from day one, and will be true until app store
no longer exists.

~~~
EpicEng
That's a ridiculously simplistic and incorrect way to think. The fact that
apple makes the rules doesn't mean we shouldn't discuss our opinion of said
rules. Also, they control the entire ecosystem. Do you remember how that
worked out for MS and IE? The fact that it's their app store is not the only
relevant details, and using that as a reason to ignore what they do is just
lazy.

------
rargulati
Skimming through the comments in this thread, I'm uncertain what people think
goes on during the design and manufacturing phase at a hardware company at the
scale of Apple (and if someone does quite a bit in this space, I'd love to
hear from industrial designers and folks in supply-chain manufacturing).

At the design phase for FaceID, competing designs are presented, each with
their own tradeoffs. These are then culled further for a manufacturing phase,
where the design is further iterated on. Finally, they are presented with the
limitations of supply-chain and engineering.

Why would a company at Apple's scale not test out many different variations
and ask the question: why the notch > black bar on the top (or even embedded
into the device itself)? From a marketing perspective, a black bar would have
been worse - less distinctive, less screen, potentially more noticeable in a
bad way ("the screen you don't have", "wasteful"). The complaints may have
been similar. Given the compromises between the target device size, actual
requirements of FaceID, and distinctive look, I'd say Apple hit their goals
and the market is mostly receptive.

------
yorby
What if you support it, but you display black in the notch?

~~~
ZenoArrow
I'm guessing that's what the 'fully' in 'fully support' is suggesting against.

~~~
yorby
so ads in the notches would be ok?

~~~
sharp1
That is brilliant.. please feel free to fill the notches with bright flashing
blink ads! It will be beautiful!!!

