The favorites system has helped me big time in organizing my devices and groups. The old line by line had so much dead space that you had to scroll each time you wanted to get to something.
The new favorites system has allowed me to organize the left column to be cameras and misc devices and the right column is all my lights and light groups. Much more condensed and more functional with the use of tile borders and colors to indicate state or condition. I enjoy the new menu.
Learning the quirks of the UI is to be of expected. I had the same experience when I switched from Samsung phones to pixel phones, and smart tv menu system to trying a Roku then moving to a fire stick. But once I learned to navigate the new UI it became second hand.
I did not beta test the app and waited for the new UI when it made it to production.