For the first example, they're both difficult for me to read. Even the "good" one on the left doesn't have enough contrast for me. Also, because I'm old, the type is too small, and being as small as it is the strokes seem to "bloom" (a term of art that I just made up): there's too much stroke and not enough space for me to quickly figure out what letter is being used.
A mobile screen doesn't have enough space for "art" in something as dense as a map. Make it look good, yes please, but if I can't read it I won't.
I think what I'd like on a mobile device is a control that picks out lines and not lines, and maximizes the difference, and does something a little more complicated to make text more legible. "Reader View" in Firefox is one of my favorite features, but it only changes text, not images. Maybe a combination of SVG images and really fast processors would make this possible; I doubt CV is going to do this very well any time soon.
"Oh, but he's old and we can dismiss him." Yes to the first, and from my own observations yes to the second. And I suppose by the time these conditions afflict today's designers, instead of cradling your devices with your heads down you'll be hiding behind VR glasses and size won't matter.
Would love to know how it was tested.
