Reports on Wednesday have claimed Apple is planning to refresh the look of the forthcoming iOS 9 and Mac OS X 10.11 operating systems by switching up the default text font.
According to 9to5Mac sources, Apple plans to ditch Helvetica Neue in favour of the swanky new San Francisco font custom developed for the Apple Watch.
The new typeface, named after Apple’s spiritual home, has made it a little easier to see text on the smaller 38mm or 42mm watch faces and has apparently courted enough favour to take over the default on the mobile and desktop platforms.
Apple initially chose the font due to its improved legibility, regardless of the size of the text. Purportedly, it is able to ‘scale more dynamically’ making it easier to read without a pair of veritable telescopes on the end of one’s nose.
The report claims not everyone is sold on the switch, with some Apple engineers believing it may not look too snazzy on non-Retina Mac displays.
Read more: iOS 9 features we want to see in 2015
Both iOS 9 and Mac OS X 10.11 are highly likely to be previewed at next month’s WWDC 2015 expo before a roll out in the autumn.
If today’s reports prove accurate, it would spell the end for Helvetica Neue, which was introduced back in 2013 for iOS 7.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
