apple has more features, but at the cost of...

apple has more features, but at the cost of...

Minimalism reduces intentional guidance, which creates an essential limitation. There are only so many intuitive, subconscious actions that users can take, and you can't achieve an infinite number of functions with very few interactions.

At WWDC 2022, for example, Apple announced a ton of new features, down to the smallest detail. Such as time limits on device use for family members, medication reminders for patients, running form reminders for exercisers, etc.

It's nice to have lots of features, but how many users actually use them?

In the past, these functions were typically implemented by third-party developers, and Apple simply provided the interface. As competition for mobile features increases and concerns about privacy increase, Apple is more likely to do these functions itself. Inevitably, the more you do this, the more complex the system becomes, and even longtime iPhone users have plenty to discover.

There are plenty of examples that complicate operations. Take 3D Touch, which debuted on the iPhone 6s. It introduces the repressing operation, for the user to present the shortcut menu, content preview and other operations, without additional buttons, seems to be simplified. Many digital enthusiasts agree that 3D Touch is good for things like paying with shortcut menus and using two fingers to play the mobile game "Eat Chicken".

For most users, however, 3D Touch is hard to use: a short press turns into a tap, and a long press turns into a long press, which conflicts with uninstalling apps. 3D Touch looks like a simplification, but it actually adds a layer of manipulation. A few years after its release, 3D Touch was replaced by a long-press operation, and eliminating force sensing lowered the threshold.

Take the single Home button design mentioned above. With the advent of the full screen era, the front single Home button design and the high screen ratio are difficult to balance, so the "always takes you home" Home button is replaced by a small bar, and the addition of gestures brings a certain learning cost.

The barrier to entry is low for young digital enthusiasts, but not for older users. Did you teach your elders to use hand gestures?