Let's talk about the new Safari layout

[wildonrio]

I hate it. I'll just put that out there right now.

Now I have spent some time looking at it, and thinking, what in the world has been improved here?


The shortened, off-center address bar. It's not symmetrical anymore, you can't see as much of the address as before, nor is the loading bar as big. Also, the X is now smaller, and slightly to the right of the top center of the screen - harder to press.
The expanded google search bar. Now it's a little bigger and takes away from the address bar. The thing is, you still have to click it to search, and then it expands like it did before. Why do we need this slightly longer "button" essentially, instead of the simple non-offensive magnifying glass like we had before?

I am serious guys, I can NOT figure out their reasoning here. The only thing I can come up with - and wow this is a stupid reason - is that now it looks a little more like a standard desktop browser with your address bar on the left, and your smaller google search bar on the right. But that is a horrible argument for it! This isn't a desktop browser, we have very little real estate here to work with here.

I think Apple needs to reconsider this redesign and look to either going back to the way it was before (which was FINE), or look into something more like how Google Chrome is doing it, one hybrid bar for both URLs and google searches.

[dturner]

I definitely liked the old look better. But like any other change, I guess I will get used to it.

[super3g]

just takes some time to get used too. still prefer the old one. :smile:

[wildonrio]

I'm sure we'll learn to deal with it, but my question is, why did they do it? What is better with it now?

[Saverino]

I've already gotten used to it, so it's not bothering me too much... But I hated it when I first updated, and still think it's a stupid change. But oh well.

[dturner]

why did they do it? What is better with it now?
I guess only Steve knows that and who know what he was thinking. Sometimes you have to go by "if it ain't broke,don't fix it."

[monkeysrock0622]

I think I saw somewhere that it is supposed to be more "search friendly" so like not everyone payed attention to the magnification glass (like me) so now that the Google search actually has a search BAR more people will notice it and make it easier for them to search. I like it so far, except that when i want a page to stop loading I accidentally hit the search bar instead, but I'll get used to it.

[wildonrio]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the word "Google" now constantly being displayed at the top while we surf. Now that actually makes sense, and I'm even madder now.

[Lincoln]

I'm not a fan. But they're just making it more like the desktop version of Safari.

http://h4xr.org/u8hc

[wildonrio]

I'm not a fan. But they're just making it more like the desktop version of Safari.

http://h4xr.org/u8hc

That's what I feared. There's a key difference to desktop Safari and iPhone Safari, and that's screen size. It looks like they are using that as their cop out to making Safari worse, but I still think it's the Google text always in our faces now. Like Google needs any more support than they already have.

[Saverino]

I don't think it's a Google endorsement or anything because we can change our default search engine. I'm guessing the "Google" text will change too.

I think it's just to mimic the Safari browser.
The URL bar is squared off, while the search bar is rounded off. Just like desktop Safari.

[smittylube]

Ok but mine loads WAY faster than 2.1 so it was worth it IMO

[free2rhyme590]

i think they cut the top bar in half because they want it to seem like the page is loading up faster... with the old browser the bar was stretched across the whole phone and people would be sitting there thinking it was taking forever for their browser to load up... now with the bar being half the size, it plays a trick on people's eyes and tricks them into thinking their browser loads up faster now... just another trick apple played on people imo

[psylichon]

I prefer the old layout, but the new one doesn't bother me enough to start a thread about it ;)

I can't even remember anymore, but wasn't it two "clicks" to get to the google search bar before, whereas now it's only one?

[dcom]

Have you tried tapping in either the address bar or the Google search bar. Either one expands to the full width of the screen with a Cancel button above it and the title of the web page you're on to the left of the Cancel button.

I actually like that better than the old way.

[smittylube]

i think they cut the top bar in half because they want it to seem like the page is loading up faster... with the old browser the bar was stretched across the whole phone and people would be sitting there thinking it was taking forever for their browser to load up... now with the bar being half the size, it plays a trick on people's eyes and tricks them into thinking their browser loads up faster now... just another trick apple played on people imo

doesn't your safari work faster or is just me and in my head ;)

[wildonrio]

Ok but mine loads WAY faster than 2.1 so it was worth it IMO

No one is disputing performance enhancements in Safari, those are obviously welcome and appreciated. The layout has nothing to do with that, though.

I prefer the old layout, but the new one doesn't bother me enough to start a thread about it ;)

I can't even remember anymore, but wasn't it two "clicks" to get to the google search bar before, whereas now it's only one?

All you would do is click the magnifying glass and the same full search bar would open like it does now.

[dimensiondvdrob]

I don't care much about how the address bar looks, as long as I can get to the web page I want, fast. It works as I need it to. Also, I do like now how the Mac and iPhone versions of Safari look similar. Branding, that is what Apple does best.

Edit: WOW! My 500th post! Halfway to a reveal!

[BigCiX]

I'm sure we'll learn to deal with it, but my question is, why did they do it? What is better with it now?

They did it to make the 2.2 update list just slightly longer.

[ihack]

I kinds like it now