Apple Executives Talk About iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island in New Interview

[MacRumors]

In a new interview, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, and Apple's vice president of human interface design, Alan Dye, sat down to discuss the thinking behind the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island and how it was developed.

During the interview with the Japanese magazine Axis, Federighi, who oversees the development of iOS, said Dynamic Island represents the first major user experience change for the iPhone since the iPhone X five years ago.

It's probably the first major operation change in five years since the iPhone X came out. Five years ago, we lost the home button with iPhone X. This has fundamentally reviewed various iPhone operation methods, such as how to unlock the lock screen, return to the Home Screen, and how to switch apps. This new feature has also changed the appearance of the iPhone, and it made me think again about how to run multiple apps, notifications, and how to manage the ongoing behavior in the background. It was a very exciting challenge for us to consolidate what is happening on our iPhone into this small interactive place.

Dye, who presented Dynamic Island during Apple's "Far Out" event last month, said Dynamic Island further blurs the line between where the hardware ends and the software begins on iPhone, calling it an example of "Apple-like development."

For one purpose, our hardware and software partners will come together in the same studio to solve the problem together. This new feature also made it possible to display alerts, notifications, and ongoing operations in real-time without seeing the boundary between hardware and software. I think it's a good example of Apple-like development.

Speaking about where the idea of Dynamic Island originated from, Dye said that the team thought about what the extra space at the top of the display could be used for, thanks to the smaller TrueDepth camera system.

At Apple, it's very difficult to trace the source of ideas. Because our work is based on a huge discussion with different groups of people. However, one of those discussions was that if the sensor area on the screen could be made smaller, what could be done with the surplus space. It's not an argument that has come out in the past year or so, but it's one of the topics that has been discussed for many years.

Dye said the status bar area is a small yet crucially important part of the iPhone experience. "It is an area where our hard work put into every pixel has a very big effect," Dye said. "So, there was a story about doing something more special in this area anyway. Something that is very elegant, yet very useful."

So that this experience feels so smooth and natural, we brushed up with meticulous care and skills from both sides of design and engineering. Our goal was to make them forget that there is static physical hardware and make them think that the whole thing is fluid-like dynamic software.

Federighi noted that during the iPhone 14 Pro's event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park, there was an audible sense of surprise when Dynamic Island was revealed for the first time, saying that he had the same reaction when he saw it for the first time internally. "Personally, I felt as if there was a new life-saving identity on my iPhone," Federighi said. "It's a very delicate animation effect, but it's a little different from anthropomorphism, but I think it gave the iPhone a new strong personality and vitality."

Since its introduction, Dynamic Island has received positive reactions from users and customers online, with some calling it one of Apple's best designs in years. Already, some Android makers are looking to replicate the Dynamic Island experience on other smartphones.

Article Link: Apple Executives Talk About iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island in New Interview

 

[Antes]

It’s way too over-hyped. Not at all that useful especially since it’s way up on the top of the screen. I do like seeing the waveform of music I’m playing though.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Interesting interview! I would like to see more new innovative features with Dynamic Island. Make it more user-intuitive, please.

 

[Crow_Servo]

It’s a great concept that doesn’t come into play much during most of my use cases, but it’s cool that it exists.

 

[ct2k7]

So far my experience with Di feels limited, not enough apps make use of it, and we’re back to the fragmented ecosystem that Apple loathed at one point.

 

[LoveTo]

I feel like people give it too much credit. I was blown away by the reveal like everyone but essentially, it’s just a different way to show notifications. The interactions with it are mostly optional. It’s a UI change, not UX!

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Odd, all the reviews I’ve read or watched don’t care about the DI after a day. Just another gimmick like the touchbar and will be an asterisk in the history books.

 

[citysnaps]

It's a great solution to an issue that so many people have whined about. Sadly, I expect that will continue, though.

Seems many need a little bit of joy in their lives. Maybe the island can help a few out.

 

[1557750]

Love it or hate it. I think it was a brilliant use of space where ‘needed’ hardware is at right now. I don’t even notice the pill anymore and the only time I remember it’s there, is when the software makes a cool animation out of it.

Looking forward to the future with it, or without it.

 

[Böhme417]

Odd, all the reviews I’ve read or watched don’t care about the DI after a day. Just another gimmick like the touchbar and will be an asterisk in this history books.

If it receives no attention from developers, I fear that will be the case. It has a lot of potential, like the touch bar did, but someone will need to make it more useful.

With there being a lot more iPhones that will be sold with the island than Macs with the touch bar, there’s still hope.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Love it or hate it. I think it was a brilliant use of space where ‘needed’ hardware is at right now. I don’t even notice the pill anymore and the only time I remember it’s there is when the software makes a cool animation out of it.

Looking forward to the future with it, or without it.

I 100% agree. I just hope it’s a total success for Apple and DOES NOT end up like Touch-Bar. 🙏

 

[ct2k7]

Love it or hate it. I think it was a brilliant use of space where ‘needed’ hardware is at right now. I don’t even notice the pill anymore and the only time I remember it’s there, is when the software makes a cool animation out of it.

Looking forward to the future with it, or without it.

Do you then even use the pill then?

 

[Spidder]

I have only played with it at an Apple Store and I must admit, its off the charts neat, but it doesn't transform the user experience like the removal of the home button.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

I have only played with it at an Apple Store and I must admit, its off the charts neat, but it doesn't transform the user experience like the removal of the home button.

Exactly and it's actually inconvenient to use in most cases and does not provide a solution to a problem that didn't exist. It's yet again another way of doing something so instead of fixing the main issue Apple just adds another way to be annoyed or frustrated. Similar to the iPad and its unlimited amount of gestures the seemingly do the same thing.

 

[Martinrrrasmussen]

The only ting i see is like apple saying “look at us…we have found a way to hide our big black pill in the screen”…rather then making a small pinhole for the camera and making fingerprin reader under the screen like all the other mobile manufactures…
apple was once an innovative company and esthetic company…..now it’s just old wine in old bottles…boring an predictable

 

[IsaacM]

I think it has a lot of potential when they open the API to app developers. Long term it could become a real app switcher.

 

[1557750]

Do you then even use the pill then?

I use “the pill” for selfies or unlocking my phone. DI exists to show certain apps running at the time. I don’t have to “use” most of the time.

If I happen to have music going and the Timer going at the same time, of course I’m gonna tap the Timer in the DI vs searching for it somewhere else.

I have very few icons on my home screen. So if something I have started from somewhere else is available to check by tapping the DI, I’m for sure using it. Right now I just let it do its thing. No harm to me.

 

[ct2k7]

I use “the pill” for selfies or unlocking my phone. DI exists to show certain apps running at the time. I don’t have to “use” most of the time.

If I happen to have music going and the Timer going at the same time, of course I’m gonna tap the Timer in the DI vs searching for it somewhere else.

I have very few icons on my home screen. So if something I have started from somewhere else is available to check by tapping the DI, I’m for sure using it. Right now I just let it do its thing. No harm to me.

How do you use the pill itself for selfies? IE what makes the pill better than something like the notch?

right now, it has limited uses, the only hope is that other apps can provide contextual information.

 

[docbop]

So interesting most smartphone users whined and whined about the little space on top of the screen being too big, too visible, and on and on and smartphone makers tried to hide it, reshape it, move it and people still whined I want more of the my screen back, it's too big.

So what does Apple do they say screw all of you and create the Dynamic Blob that takes up even more screen real estate and now the whiners are screen masochists saying take more of my screen, please take more, the blob loves me.

 

[9594864]

The Dynamic Island is garbage and unintelligent design. It is pure distraction and I’m embarrassed the designers are so inept.

The STATUS BAR NEEDS TO BE STATIC. IT NEEDS TO BE SUBTLE. IT NEEDS TO NOT DISTRACT.

 

[mactexas]

As one who appreciates design details, the pill look, and subsequent Dynamic Island, appeal to me. Now looking at the notch on my wife’s phone it feels old in design language terms.

The animation and various effects with DI are cool. Apple could have easily left it as a pill cutout in the screen, but made it fun and entirely useful. I didn’t upgrade for the DI, but appreciate it being present.

 

[George Dawes]

More like a desert island than fantasy island

All the money , all the know how that Apple have can’t engineer a zero notch , I just don’t believe this at all

 

[bushman4]

Nice edition. Now the question is can they make it useful and will App developers embrace this and use it to its full potential

 

[ProfessionalFan]

More like a desert island than fantasy island

All the money , all the know how and Apple have can’t engineer a zero notch , I just don’t believe this at all

It is not technologically possible right now unless you want lower quality FaceID tech and they clearly don't want that trade-off. And then you'd still have a punch hole camera anyway unless you also want lower quality cameras.

No amount of money can make it happen yet.

 

[1557750]

How do you use the pill itself for selfies? IE what makes the pill better than something like the notch?

right now, it has limited uses, the only hope is that other apps can provide contextual information.

Did you even read what I posted, or how you worded your question?

You asked what I used “the pill” for. The pill itself is the hardware, not Dynamic Island. I use that by not using it, it’s hardware for the front facing camera and Face ID (selfies and unlocking device).

I gave you an example above what I would “use” DI animations for if I had multiple apps running. But now that I think about it, I use it mostly for entertainment. I like throwing in my AirPods and calling someone just to watch the voice animation. Easily entertained.

👊😉👍