Apple Watch’s Spare (Some Say 'Dull') San Francisco Font Headed To iPhone, iPad?

Your Apple devices may be about to get a fresh, new look -- but not everyone is happy about it. Cupertino will reportedly use its newly-minted font called 'San Francisco' across its next operating systems, 9to5Mac reports.

Apple designed 'San Francisco' for the Apple Watch, which has a much smaller screen than the iPhone. The font is much thinner and has larger spaces between each letter. San Francisco is also used on the keyboard of Apple's new 12-inch Macbook.

This is Apple's first major switch to in-house fonts since the 1990s. Apple devices, except for the Apple Watch, currently use Helvetica Neue. Previously, Apple used Helvetica on iOS and Lucida Grande on the desktop operating system. In 2013, both systems unified and switched to Helvetica Neue.

But Apple has a storied history with in-house designs, such as the fonts New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, which were created by Susan Kare. If you're more curious about Apple fonts, get lost in this Wikipedia entry.

Apple engineers, speaking to 9to5Mac, are mixed on the matter. Some say the font can appear "particularly rough" on non-Retina screens. But others agreed with Apple's reported decision to refresh the operating system's look and feel.

Undergoing a font change isn't as easy as one simple click. Apple must adjust all pre-installed apps in its devices and each must have extensive quality testing. Apple may also ask developers to adhere to the redesign, 9to5Mac reports.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. More details may emerge at Apple's developers conference on June 8.