Fashion and taste evolves, and not always for reasons that are easy to articulate, especially to the laity.

Helvetica Neue wasn’t designed specifically to be read at small sizes on digital screens. Apple’s new font is, as it has a noticeably larger x-height and tracks wider on narrower letters, meaning it’s much easier to read.

Helvetica = more elegant

San Francisco = more legible

I like the new font. You can fit quite more characters on a single line, while maintaining high readability.

It also seems to have more weight and being clearer from distance, but that may also be my monitor tricking me.