[NewsPoster]

Today, Apple made a new system font available to developers that, in an unusual move, will unify the default system font on all three of the company's platforms -- OS X, iOS, and watchOS. It's called San Francisco, and it will formally arrive with the public release of the next upgrade to each of the thee platforms. The typeface is a sans-serif style with spacing and line heights that adapt to the font size, a useful feature for a font that will appear on everything from an Apple Watch to a 5K monitor.

While Apple will move away from Helvetica Neue, which has its fans, San Francisco is the first new font to be developed at Apple in 20 years. Users of the 2015 MacBook already see it on their keyboards instead of VAG Rounded used on the previous models. While sharing the name with the bitmapped San Francisco font designed by Susan Kare for Apple's original Macs in the early 1980s, the new font is radically different. Kare's San Fransisco font was a fun, motley "ransom note" affair, while this new one is reminiscent of classic sans serif font faces.

Susan Kare's original San Francisco font from the 80s

TextKit and font specifications for the new San Francisco are also available on the Apple developer site. These tools help developers implement the new font into their apps and programs.

While the new font bears a resemblance to Roboto, it is distinct

[James Katt]

What a silly loaded statement to make: "While the new font bears a resemblance to Roboto, it is distinct" Roboto is a totally different font. The author's eyes simply are too naive or cynical to tell the difference.
The author instead could have said: it also resembles Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, and many other English character san serif font instead of wrongfully implying Apple copied Android - which it did not. Apple users will note how similar San Francisco is to Helvetica Neue. If anything, they won't notice the difference.

[Mike Wuerthele]

"while this new one is reminiscent of classic sans serif font faces. "

I think we had your concerns covered. I'll pass your feedback on to the author, however.

Uhhhhhhhhh.........

Why is Apple trying to make the iPhone look more like an Android?

[TheGreatButcher]

"It's called San Fransisco"

Please run a spell check MacNN

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by TheGreatButcher 

"It's called San Fransisco"

Please run a spell check MacNN

Are you sure?

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/San...f076adff?hl=en

[coffeetime]

I think "San Francisco" resembles more with "Arial" than "Roboto". If you compare capital letter "Q" and "R", they are better match to "Arial" than "Roboto". I don't think Apple is copying anyone. It's just a trend that this style of font is "in" (the "san semi-light" font style look). I am glad Apple moves away from "Helvetica Neue". It gives me such a headache when Adobe's "Helvetica Neue LT Std" (an OpenType) also presented in my font book.

One cool thing about "Arial" is legibility and especially at a very small font size and on the web. I think "Arial" is originally from Windows. I am pretty sure Apple modified it a bit for it to read perfectly on all devices/applications and at all sizes.

[revco]

@ besson3c -- TheGreatButcher is referring to the fact that it's spelt both ways in the article. So calling for a spell check is in order.

[Charles Martin]

James Katt: with respect, you don't appear to understand the meaning of the word "resemblance." Hint: it does not mean "copy," nor does it mean that it doesn't bear a resemblance to other fonts. The inference that because Roboto and San Francisco are similar (to each other and to many other san serif fonts) SF must be a copy of the Android font is one you created yourself. The resemblance is more a matter, I feel sure, that both companies were looking to accomplish identical goals: a font that is clear and readable at a wide variety of point sizes and resolutions on a wide variety of devices.

[chucker]

Yes, it would have been nice if Apple's font had a little bit more "character" to it (sorry for the pun). So much for think different.