A Decidedly Less Cryptic iOS 6 Banner At WWDC 2012
Posted by Michael Nace on Friday Jun 8, 2012 Under Apple News, iOS 5 News
The banners have gone up at the WWDC depicting the new iOS 6 logo and tagline that appears to be much less cryptic than last year’s. Why is Apple doing less to hype the new iOS?
Every year before the WWDC, some of the top tech media outlets do a little snooping around the Moscone Center to get a glimpse at what Apple is doing with their banner ads ahead of the conference’s official launch. The appearance of iOS banners is never big news in and of itself — a new iOS is always expected at the WWDC. But the design of the banner, logo, and tagline — always imbued by Apple’s marketing and PR department with clues to the up-coming release — are always the focus of fun analysis and banter on the part of Apple enthusiasts.
This year, the iOS 6 banner features a different icon for the number, and as I suggested over on the iOS 6 News Blog, I think it looks conspicuously “Facebook blue,” which could foreshadow the deep Facebook integration with iOS 6 that many believe to be coming.
There’s not much else to parse, except for the tagline: “The world’s most advanced operating system.” That’s a bold, easy statement to make — and also the kind of statement that you’d better be able to back up. In my recent iOS 6 blog article, I imagined the debut of a radically smarter Siri — for all we know, it’ll be giving Tim Cook marital advice up on stage. We’ve seen in recent star-studded Siri ads a depiction of a wittier, more intuitive Siri. Perhaps this is what Apple will use to substantiate such claims.
But the reason I wanted to post something here on the iPhone 5 News Blog about this banner for iOS 6 is because it is remarkably less cryptic than last year’s iOS 5 banner. Take a look:
This was the banner ad from last year’s WWDC — and the glimpse that we got on it on June 6th, 2011.
Compare this sprawling, flashy banner to the new (boring) one. No comparison!
As you can see from this banner, Apple was planning on making iS 5 the centerpiece of its WWDC: it contained within it the arrival of last year’s OS X, plus the big launch of iCloud. The new iCloud icon was making a monumental splash at this point last year. Also, around the same time, 9to5Mac posted this photo of a shrouded banner, that many believed was going to be a “One More Thing” banner:
So, when you compare the iOS 6 banner from the 2012 WWDC, how does it compare? Basically, the new banner isn’t holding much back — and it isn’t ratcheting up much excitement. Whereas the iCloud icon had a buzz attached to it, Apple has decided to go with a very prosaic banner for iOS 6, and let it be displayed prominently.
What I wonder is this: is this it? As the old song goes, is that all there is? That iOS 6 banner, from a design perspective, is just about as boring as they come; bloggers have come up with better in months past. Did Apple’s sense of style and intrigue pass away along with with Mr. Jobs? I doubt it. I’m excited by this banner, because I think it is less like a teaser and more like a curtain. It is so conspicuously dull and lifeless that it tells me that there will be much more to the WWDC than just iOS 6 beta — more than even the ivy bridge Macbooks. To me, this banner is “Apple doubling down on security.” It’s the quiet calm before the storm. Please Apple — don’t let this be all that there is to WWDC 2012.
By Michael Nace
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June 8th, 2012 at 5:27 pm
I was going to release this tomorrow morning, but since everyone was already talking about it…
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June 8th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
The icon looks like rippling water, like you can flow from app to app and from menu to menu, hope iOS 6 is as beautiful as that banner!
A hot comment -- What do you think?
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June 8th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
“It’s the quiet calm before the storm.” I like that. Let’s hope that, what seems like a “That’s all there is?” WWDC, introduce the iPhone 5! Now that’d definitely be something. Keeping fingers crossed.
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June 8th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
I can’t wait!!! Three more days that long, long wait is finally coming to a short end. Patience might pay me back, or if Apple allows it.
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June 8th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Actually, someone on macrumors made this comment:
[QUOTE=CopyCatz;14984501]Water in the background? Am I the only one seeing the submerged 6 with a periscope sticking out?
Must mean something…[/QUOTE]
If you look at the app, it DOES look like the top of the 6 is lighter then the rest of it. Is it cryptic for something? Maybe going into the depths of iOS and making major changes?
The icon:
http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2012/06/6.png
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June 8th, 2012 at 7:40 pm
I think that commenter on MacRumors is seeing the shadow stripe that they cast through the entire logo. I think the “periscope” idea is a bit of a stretch. but who am I to accuse people of stretches? I own an iPhone 5 rumor blog.
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June 8th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
Couple of observations from the logos:
1) The ripples: The background of the “5″ logo from last year was a wallpaper image. Since Apple releases a new “representative” wallpaper for each major iOs, I wouldn’t be surprised if the “ripple” background turns out to be a background for iPhone 5!
2) Periscope: As Michael said, this is a bit of a stretch because the light area on the top area of “6″ is actually a gradient that follows on from the gradient in the “iOs” before the “6″ (bigger image here: http://9to5mac.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/header1.jpg). There could be a significance to the gradient “iOs 6″ banner as a whole but I’d say it’s highly unlikely because Apple does use gradients for pretty much all their logos and images of their products.
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June 8th, 2012 at 9:15 pm
Yeah I’m just getting excited and expecting to see little clues everywhere…truther (iPhone 5 that is) lol
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June 8th, 2012 at 9:58 pm
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June 9th, 2012 at 12:04 am
@Sean, that could just be for when they announce iOS 6 and need a device to run it on for the time being up until that “one more thing …” moment, then BAM, the new iPhone. But you could be right too, we’ll have to wait and see.
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June 9th, 2012 at 12:06 am
@Sean, even if there was a new device (which I happen to believe there will be), they would have pics of the legacy device on the banners. I’ve gone back to find pics of the banners from the previous WWDC events that included an iPhone launch and none had a handset pic. Last year the major announcement of WWDC was iCloud and that was ‘the future of iOS and Mac OS X’. This year the primary banner has the following tagline near the entrance to the Moscone Center, ‘Where great ideas go on to do great things.’ In 2010 the tagline was ‘The center of the app universe.’ iOS is a mobile OS and where do ‘great ideas’ (apps) go to do great things? A mobile device of course. So, hedging my bet, I am stating there will be a new mobile device launched at the WWDC. And my gut tells me that the device will be the new iPhone.
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June 9th, 2012 at 1:17 am
You guys are really not helping me stay calm and relaxed! Your comments are getting me all riled up!
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June 9th, 2012 at 1:25 am
Here’s another WWDC nugget from PC Mag:
http://tablet.pcmag.com/?ref=298886&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pcmag.com%2Farticle2%2F0%2C2817%2C2405519%2C00.asp
T-Mobile ‘testing’ iPhone compatible network on west side of Moscone Center during WWDC, read into it what you will.
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June 9th, 2012 at 1:27 am
I dont think that the color of the background on the “6″ indicates facebook integration. I think that if they were trying to subtly hint at that they would at least use the same color. It is a somewhat similar color, but obviously not the exact facebook color.
Thats not to say that facebook wont be intigrated, have no idea about that, i just dont think that this banner can really be too much of a hint just because its blue.
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June 9th, 2012 at 1:29 am
I really hope the iOS is much improved and not just a slight tweak. I wont be getting the new iphone right away if it does come out at WWDC, but it would be really nice to have the new software on my 4S.
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June 9th, 2012 at 2:37 am
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June 9th, 2012 at 2:55 am
@Winski
Woah there compadre.. Im your friend out here.
If you wanna throw down in fisticuffs, thats fine! I got Jack Johnson and Tom O’Leary right here for ya!
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June 9th, 2012 at 2:58 am
I think that the 6 under the water might mean that there is more “beneath the surface,” meaning there is more than just iOS 6. But I also think that this might just be the new MacBook line. I hope for the best, but am expecting the worse.
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June 9th, 2012 at 6:29 am
This white gradient from “6″ looks like cut from “f” from facebook app
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June 9th, 2012 at 6:34 am
and someone from macrumors pointed out very wisely:
first water drops (iOS5) now water ripples…what could be next?
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June 9th, 2012 at 9:14 am
I know 9to5mac isn’t the best source, but they posted a WWDC Roundup which says that iOS 6 won’t be a major change. I think nearly the same…maybe they announce New Maps, better Siri and some UI improvements. Are they really need a Beta for that ?
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June 9th, 2012 at 9:49 am
What day does everything start! I forgot and am too lazy to press the back button and scroll down! Also, I have for tabbed like navigation with the ability to have multiple things open in the front area (on the ipad). It would lead to more competition to fight windows eighate. I believe that because its on its own banner, it is going to be something big!
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June 9th, 2012 at 10:13 am
What was on the shrouded banner last year ? Because there wasn’t “One more thing”, or ?
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June 9th, 2012 at 11:10 am
@dofe the banner showed the integration of iCloud in iOS. I’ve attached a link to the google image:
http://www.google.com/search?q=wwdc+2011+pictures+hidden+banners&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=32bTT4zkNqnA2gXB1rGgDw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CE4Q_AUoAQ&biw=768&bih=928
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June 9th, 2012 at 11:10 am
@undfesatable:
When is WWDC 2012?
WWDC 2012 takes place June 11-15, 2012. On-site registration will begin Sunday, June 10 at 9:00 AM.
https://developer.apple.com/wwdc/faq/
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June 9th, 2012 at 11:11 am
Doh…that link is just for the search. Here’s the link with the image:
http://cydevice.com/archive/index.php/thread-7137.html
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June 9th, 2012 at 11:27 am
R.I.P. Steve Jobs.
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June 9th, 2012 at 11:30 am
i bet a big thing will be an iphone prepay announcement.
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June 9th, 2012 at 11:52 am
btw this is not the new iPad’s wallpaper .this new , because when u look closely the wallpaper u’ll find that the ripples are less tightly close together than the one in the logo , in this logo they r more tight and they look completely different than the iPad one
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June 9th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Riot at Foxconn just ahead of WWDC, think they might be under some stress heading into next week’s event?
http://www.gamenguide.com/articles/2040/20120609/apple-wwdc-2012-trouble-iphone-ipad-supplier.htm
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June 9th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
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June 9th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
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June 9th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
Where do I go to watch the WWDC online?
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June 9th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Which site do I go to watch the WWDC online?
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June 9th, 2012 at 3:53 pm
Hey Michael, people are getting updates on their Mac apps for RETINA DISPLAYS!! Retina display macs are here! I jst read about it on the news app the daily. Go look the app folderwatch.
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June 9th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
ask your cousin, he ought to know
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June 9th, 2012 at 5:27 pm
Please come out next week!! (iPhone 5) truther…
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June 9th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
While I hope for the iPhone to be announced this next week, I still don’t believe it will happen. This article is exactly what I’ve been saying and why I don’t think we’ll see the iPhone for a few more months:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/47742217
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June 9th, 2012 at 10:55 pm
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June 10th, 2012 at 12:58 am
37 hours and 2 minutes until we know if there is a new iPhone in our immediate future.
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June 10th, 2012 at 1:44 am
M,
If you go to https://developer.apple.com/wwdc/faq/ they have the info that you want.
Keynote
The excitement starts as Apple executives kick off WWDC 2012.
Monday at 10:00 – 11:30 AM in Presidio
Haven’t seen anything about broadcasting it…
Haven’t seen anything about broadcasting it…
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June 10th, 2012 at 2:31 am
@M … If you google WWDC 2012 Live Stream, there should be a few good quality sites that will be streaming the keynote. I’m going to use this one, and hopefully it works:
http://www.livestream.com/applefansite
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June 10th, 2012 at 8:09 am
Hi what live blog do you think is best for WWDC? – open to everyone.
And can anyone tell me what time in GMT will Mondays keynote start? Much appreciated.
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June 10th, 2012 at 9:55 am
are we expecting iPhone 5 releasing date in WWDC
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June 10th, 2012 at 11:16 am
@Sam
Those of us that do are called “IPhone 5 truthers” (Count me in as one)
@James
10:00:00 a.m. Monday June 10, 2012 in America/San_Francisco converts to
05:00:00 p.m. Monday June 10, 2012 in GMT
http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc.tzc
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June 10th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
After looking at all the data we have, right from what I consider to be the first seed of iPhone 5 trutherism; the WWDC invite and the hidden 5′s to the slew of parts and sightings rumours that are far too early for a Sept/Oct release… I’m expecting an imminent announcement of the iPhone 5, and I do think that’s what it will be called too, there have been too many references etc to it in the media for Apple not to use the power the name already holds.
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June 11th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Just me or does the background of the iOS 6 icon look like a fingerprint and not water ripples? Any thoughts on how that?
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