It seems like only yesterday when every one was talking about "New Twitter" yet there's already another one getting ready to be rolled out! What's more, Twitter seems to have kept pretty quiet about it too, I only found out when I saw "#NewLook" trending and clicked on it to see what it was about. And not only is Twitter.com getting a make over, so is Twitter for iPhone.
The New Look Twitter
Ok, so they have not changed any features as such, just the way they are laid out on screen. Actually, the only thing to have really changed is that they have flipped every thing back to front so what was on the left is now on the right and vice versa. Here's a list of the new changes:
- You can now see your tweet box, following, followers and number of tweets all in one small section in the top of the screen.
- The time line has moved over to the right of the screen and now you can see images and photos in the timeline rather than having to click on links. A great time saver, how many times have you ever clicked on a link hoping to see a great photo just to have your time wasted? That wont happen with this new feature in the timeline!
- Who to follow suggestions have moved to the left and is now under the section where you write your tweets.
- Trends have also moved to the left and have a small section at the bottom of the panel.
New Look iPhone Twitter App
Not only has the official Twitter website been chanced, but also Twitter for iPhone. Here are a couple of the biggest changes we tested:
- @Mentions and Interactions: So there's a new look for @mentions, it's neater, sharper and much clearer. However, there is a confusing new "Interactions" tab on the iPhone which, when we tested it, appeared to do nothing different from the @Mentions tab. It seems like a separate word choice for @mentions, they both showed exactly the same thing. It may still be in beta so "Interactions" may have been closed when we tested it or it may be a bug. Either way it's something to watch out for.
- Searches/Hashtags and Feeds: Once again, the interface has changed for searches and tags. It's much more spacious which makes it accessible and easy to use.
All apps find it hard to create an amazing, awe inspiring iPhone app. There just isn't enough room on a 3 inch screen to pack a powerful punch but Twitter have done well in making it much more user friendly and that's what really matters. Once they have worked out a few things, such as the Interactions feature, it will be a clean iPhone app.
Why The New Look Twitter?
So seeing as there has been no amazing new feature rolled out they need to accommodate, it seems a little questionable as to why they would be needing a new look when all they have done is move the features around the screen. Usability? Maybe. It does look slightly cleaner and sharper which is always a good thing for any Compton, website or app so it's possible that is a reason. We'll just have to see how new look Twitter x2 goes down with the masses, I for one, am looking forward to testing it out! Currently, you can get early access by downloading the android or iphone app. When we downloaded the new iPhone app, we still hadn't seen or heard back about Twitter about the new web based update after 30 minuets. A waiting game? We have yet to see but will keep you posted!
~Image Source for New Look: http://fly.twitter.com/
~ Image Source for iPhone New look: http://wearesocialpeople.com