In addition to tweaks for stability and performance improvements, iOS 9 might bring with it a new system-wide font.
Sources speaking to 9to5Mac claim that Apple is planning to implement a new font on iOS 9 and OS X 10.11, which are codenamed “Monarch” and “Gala,” respectively. The new font will allegedly be San Francisco, which is the same font that Apple created for use on the Apple Watch. Below you can find a mockup of what this font may look like on iOS. The current font used on iOS and OS X is Helvetica Neue.
So why the change? Apple says that it created the San Francisco font “specifically for legibility,” and so the Cupertino firm may feel that utilizing San Francisco instead of Helvetica Neue on iOS and OS X will make things easier for users to read. The company also feel that changing the fonts on iOS and OS X may help to provide an overall refreshed look on the OSes and prevent them from feeling stale.
Changing the iOS and OS X system fonts to San Francisco will be a lot of work for Apple, but I could definitely see it making that move. Apple is all about consistency — it refreshes the iPhone hardware every year, it has the same three colors for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, etc. — and so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the firm bring more consistency to its platforms by using the same font on iOS, OS X, and the Apple Watch.
It’s said that Apple could debut its San Francisco-based iOS and OS X at WWDC in early June, but as is usually the case with unannounced moves, sources say that Apple could delay the font switch or ditch it altogether.
What do you think of San Francisco as the font for iOS 9?
