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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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One of the more popular feature requests from iOS users has been live widgets for the home screen, similar to Live Tiles on Windows Phone and Widgets on Android. While there have been no specific rumors of widgets actually coming to iOS 8, a new concept from Jay Machalani (via The Verge) offers an excellent vision of how this could be implemented on iOS with the "iOS Block".

Here's how it works. On your iOS device you have your list of icons like you know and love. They work and look the same way as before. But, if you want more information about an app, you can simply pinch the app icon bigger and it will now become an iOS Block. There's no menu, no hidden options and no weird gestures to do. You literally make the icon bigger with your finger if you want more; it can't be simpler and more intuitive than that.

When you pinch the icon, you will see the transformation/transition into a Block and at that point you have two choices: Either you pinch it back to an icon since you got the information you need or you release your fingers and the icon will remain a Block on your iOS screen.
Malachani imagines three possible sizes for Blocks, designed to take up the space of a 2x2 grid of icons on the home screen for iPhone, iPad portrait, and iPad landscape.

ios_blocks_concept_screens.jpg
Malachani goes on to outline more details on how the Blocks would be constructed with a relative uniform layout consisting of an app icon in the lower left, a tap zone along the remainder of the bottom edge where buttons could be placed, and a content zone taking up the remainder of the Block. As examples, Malachani walks through how the stock Weather, Music, Calendar, Messages, and Photos apps might look as Blocks.

As Malachani notes, the concept is still a work in progress, as he is unsure exactly how iOS would handle moving other home screen icons to accommodate a new Block on a full home screen, as the normal method of pushing icons to the next page could be disruptive depending on how frequently Blocks are opened and closed.

Article Link: Home Screen Widget 'Blocks' Imagined in New iOS Concept
 

Ingot

macrumors 6502
Mar 24, 2010
266
23
I guess it look good. Not too sure if I would really like it though. Th pinching is a cool feature if implemented.
 

sualpine

macrumors 6502
May 13, 2013
497
513
Should have been this way by now. You don't go through 7 VERSIONS without changing the homescreen. And I don't mean the icons.
 

1Zach1

macrumors 65816
Feb 8, 2008
1,210
746
Northern Va
First widgets, then some sort of launcher so all the apps don't need to be on the screen/in folders taking up space?
 

KieranDotW

macrumors 6502a
Apr 12, 2012
623
68
Canada
I'd be happy to see something like this on Monday (wow, that soon?). Though the iPad version does look somewhat half-baked.
 

lilhobbes

macrumors newbie
Mar 9, 2014
16
3
Utah
Amazing

Yeah sure it doesn't look very appealing at the moment but just think of the possibilities if Apple got a hold of this! The wake up screen was awesome, and the fact that you can make your own widget was cool. Probably not very likely to happen (and probably along with split screen) but it's still fun to dream.
 

GeneralChang

macrumors 68000
Dec 2, 2013
1,671
1,502
Not really a fan.
But that's just me, don't kill me.

I’m with you. I had this functionality on my Android phone, have it now on my Android tablet. I never use it. I understand that some people would like it, so sure, put it in. Just don’t pull a Windows 8 and try and force me to use it.
 

okboy

macrumors regular
Oct 9, 2010
243
452
Like it or not, it's a much better way of adding widgets than on Android.

Now please, I need that wallpaper.
 

shareef777

Suspended
Jul 26, 2005
2,445
3,276
Chicago, IL
Should have been this way by now. You don't go through 7 VERSIONS without changing the homescreen. And I don't mean the icons.

While I appreciate all the updates and features added inside the apps, I'd have to agree that you'd think they'd put SOME effort to making the MAIN page a bit more feature rich and functional.
 

DragoniteD

macrumors member
Jun 18, 2013
78
55
I am neutral with this windows phone feature. However, if Apple want to add this function, do please make it good-looking, do not follow the ugly windows phone, please...
 

PlainviewX

macrumors 6502a
Oct 4, 2013
907
1,860
I'd really like this. The iOS home screens are stale. It needs some variety beyond Cydia icons.
 

edolecki

macrumors member
Mar 16, 2009
93
267
Boston, MA
I kind of like it (text treatments not included) - but then some of us would have to unlock our phones to get a look at the app tiles.
 

Yvan256

macrumors 603
Jul 5, 2004
5,080
991
Canada
What's with the hate?

Maybe the haters are biased because it's the way Android or Windows phones works (no idea, I only know one person with an Android phone), but this is the first time I see something like that and frankly it looks amazing, apart from the non-centered text under the tiles.
 

clintage3

macrumors newbie
Mar 4, 2014
17
10
Richmond, VA
Please no. Don't give me the eye sore I have to look at on Windows 8 on work computers on my iPhone. I can't imagine Apple would put that anxiety-inducing multi-sized icon/widget feature on their devices.:eek:
 

FSMBP

macrumors 68030
Jan 22, 2009
2,711
2,600
No good for the one-handed users.

True - but iOS already has multi-touch gestures that wouldn't work one-handed either.

I like this concept as it's easy! It's one thing I feel that Windows Phone does better than iPhone.
 
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