To those unhappy with iOS 6, where can Apple realistically go with iOS 7?

WeegieMac · Sep 15, 2012

I know iOS 6 is only just being prepped for release to the public, but while I'm happy with the update there are a lot of people here who are not. With this in mind, what do you think we can look forward to with iOS 7 next year?

I'm not asking what peoples' wish lists are, I mean what do you think Apple can/will add to the OS over the coming twelve months, because rest assured they will be starting work on it soon enough at Cupertino HQ.

I think iOS has matured, Apple adding it's own Maps app (along with the end of the YouTube license) has seen Google all but eradicated from the platform outwith basic search. Given the nature of Apple's iOS updates, what do you guys think Apple could add?

I personally struggle to see what's next for iOS and the iPhone in general, because it looks like both the hardware and software have matured to such an extent (the 5 is a thinner, taller 4/4S with a different back panel design).

My next iPhone will be the 5S, due to contractual reasons with O2, but I was discussing with friends in work the other day what Apple could possibly do next and thought I'd stick a thread up here.

alexander25 · Sep 15, 2012

99% of the people that are unhappy about the update couldn't even tell you what else they would want in iOS7.

Purant · Sep 15, 2012

alexander25 said:
99% of the people that are unhappy about the update couldn't even tell you what else they would want in iOS7.

Better multitasking, the current one is pretty bad.

More customization.

More options/customization on the notification center.

A native file manager.

Better playlist controls for the music app.

Better tabbed browsing for safari. Chrome seems to have managed to do it better.

A better way to manage your apps. The pages paradigm is cumbersome if you have a lot of apps. How about shortcuts that are on the first page that can take you directly to the 6th page for example).

These are from the top of my head, I'm sure if I actually spent time thinking about this I would come up with more.

There has also been a lot of other people posting ideas and suggestion on what they want on the new iOS, but you choose to ignore them I guess.

WeegieMac · Sep 15, 2012

Purant said:
Better multitasking, the current one is pretty bad.

More customization.

More options/customization on the notification center.

A native file manager.

Better playlist controls for the music app.

Better tabbed browsing for safari. Chrome seems to have managed to do it better.

A better way to manage your apps. The pages paradigm is cumbersome if you have a lot of apps. How about shortcuts that are on the first page that can take you directly to the 6th page for example).

These are from the top of my head, I'm sure if I actually spent time thinking about this I would come up with more.

See, a couple of those are definite "wish list" functions.

Apple will not change it's stance on it's multi-tasking UI, which is vital to battery life. Some don't like it as it's not "true" multi-tasking, although I fail to see why you'd want apps running, 100%, all the time in the background pumping life out your battery as opposed to being in a suspended state. If they're in the background, you're not using them, "real" multi-tasking or otherwise. Why spend juice running something full pelt when you're not using it?

A file system, never going to happen.

I'd like to see more apps have the API opened up to them to use Notification Center for a small widget. Having only weather, stocks, and now the Facebook/Twitter sharing one is a little restricting.

Edit: there was NO need for your narky edit to add that final sentence (my original quote of you above doesn't show it). None whatsoever, talk about being pedantic.

Cavan2211 · Sep 15, 2012

WeegieMac said:
I'm not asking what peoples' wish lists are, I mean what do you think Apple can/will add to the OS over the coming twelve months.

Did you read his post?
It's not a wishlist, but what is realistic for Apple to add...

WeegieMac · Sep 15, 2012

Cavan2211 said:
Did you read his post?
It's not a wishlist, but what is realistic for Apple to add...

Why are you quoting a line from my opening post which posed the question?

And given the history of the manner Apple has updated iOS, both "true" multi-tasking and a file system are wish list functions.

I didn't ask what they could realistically add within the realms of specifications and hardware, I asked what Apple could realistically add given the manner in which they treat iOS and have updated it in the past.

Edit: I've got a feeling you are replying to the bloke above me, but have only quoted my line rather than quote him?

Purant · Sep 15, 2012

WeegieMac said:
Edit: there was NO need for your narky edit to add that final sentence (my original quote of you above doesn't show it). None whatsoever, talk about being pedantic.

Agreed there was no need, but while your thread and post was legitimate alexander25's post added nothing and I got irritated. My last sentence was directed at him.

WeegieMac · Sep 15, 2012

Purant said:
Agreed there was no need, but while your thread and post was legitimate alexander25's post added nothing and I got irritated. My last sentence was directed at him.

Fair dues, appreciate the level headed response as opposed to a full scale argument.

As I said, I'd like to see Notification Center widgets get opened up to third party developers, but I just can't see what the next "big" thing is going to be. NFC is not big enough or important enough to be a selling point or "tentpole" feature.

We've now got LTE, albeit not here in the UK yet, the Maps app was the "big" thing with Flyover and turn-by-turn, FaceTime has gone HD, the camera now takes Panorama shots.

Going further back, Messages got revamped with iMessage, the camera records 1080p video ... just going through the features/stock apps and most have been redone or improved to a level they can't go much higher, if any.

Unless Apple decides to give us iCall, and make calls between iOS devices free like iMessage! *sarcasm*

Risco · Sep 15, 2012

I think live widgets is the main thing, along with a main screen that is not clutter with icons but movable objects.

Purant · Sep 15, 2012

WeegieMac said:
Why are you quoting a line from my opening post which posed the question?

And given the history of the manner Apple has updated iOS, both "true" multi-tasking and a file system are wish list functions.

I didn't ask what they could realistically add within the realms of specifications and hardware, I asked what Apple could realistically add given the manner in which they treat iOS and have updated it in the past.

Edit: I've got a feeling you are replying to the bloke above me, but have only quoted my line rather than quote him?

Here is the problem with what you are asking: The dissatisfaction comes from the unwillingness of Apple to change/tweak certain things. Most feature requests stem from that. The "manner in which they treat iOS and have updated it in the past" is the problem, so finding feature requests that fit outside of that is kind of impossible. I guess from my list the only two that fit in are the music app improvements and Safari tabbed browsing.

WeegieMac · Sep 15, 2012

Risco said:
I think live widgets is the main thing, along with a main screen that is not clutter with icons but movable objects.

I think the closest we'll see to live widgets on the home screen is live icons ... maybe.

----------

Purant said:
Here is the problem with what you are asking: The dissatisfaction comes from the unwillingness of Apple to change/tweak certain things. Most feature requests stem from that. The "manner in which they treat iOS and have updated it in the past" is the problem, so finding feature requests that fit outside of that is kind of impossible. I guess from my list the only two that fit in are the music app improvements and Safari tabbed browsing.

Safari tabbed browsing exists on the iPad, but yeah I see what you're saying, which is why I thought it'd be an interesting discussion.

I know a lot of people are unhappy with the lack of customisation, etc which is why wish lists are easy to rattle off. But if you look at iOS going forward from the manner in which Apple has updated iOS in the past, it's going to take a radicle change of mind by Forstall and co, or we're looking at pretty mundane changes going forward, simply because a) the platform has matured and grown so much and b) Apple are't ones for change.

If iOS was going to change drastically, it would have done so by now.

Zcott · Sep 15, 2012

£10 says most people's responses can be reduced to 'android'.

jafingi · Sep 15, 2012

- notification center widgets API
- api's to quick-reply direct from notifications (e.g. when you click a message notification banner, you could tap it, and reply directly. Same UI as the quick post to Facebook in iOS 6).
- Remove individual notifications
- browser improvements
- Public transportation in Maps.
- offline dictation/Siri (maybe??)

Risco · Sep 15, 2012

Zcott said:
£10 says most people's responses can be reduced to 'android'.

You just lost £10.

WeegieMac · Sep 15, 2012

Zcott said:
£10 says most people's responses can be reduced to 'android'.

Yup, and to those people I say, "Farewell and enjoy your Android phone".

I will never move to Android, I just don't like the interface and I've tried friends' HTC's and Galaxy S2/3's. I'm not saying Android sucks, so chill Android fans, I'm just saying that I personally do not like the interface and enjoy using iOS.

I'm also far, far too heavily invested via purchases from the App Store and as a big fan of iOS gaming, Android simply doesn't compete with the top quality games on iOS.

However, not to turn this into an Android vs iOS fight (like almost every other thread), but you do find that in terms of features both platforms are near identical. It's the style and presentation which differ now, and the biggest request continually seems to be home screen widgets, although when I see an HTC with that giant clock/weather home screen widget my first response is, "Why"?

It's as pointless as asking Siri the weather or time in my opinion.

pear21 · Sep 15, 2012

I feel nfc will be included and sme more features in the notification center and I doubt think they will have widgets but rethink ios 7 will start redesigning everything

BluePhoenixRa · Sep 15, 2012

I'm probably one of the few completely unhappy people.
And I most certainly don't want live widgets like Androids have.

But for the most part I agree with jafingi:
- Notification Center opened up for third party apps. (Though I can see why Apple might prefer not to do so, as some developers might take the chance to completely fill your notification center up. And Apple just wants to keep it simple and easy.)

- Remove individual notifications (Direct quote from jafingi. I don't always want them ALL to disappear, I want to keep one or two sometimes.)

- Some improvements could be done to the way Music app shuffles and there are ofcourse many ways to make the music app much easier and better to use, but I doubt they'll change that anytime soon.

Other than that..I like how it is now.

EDIT: Oh, and quick reply from home screen for certain apps would be a nice option sometimes. For like texts and etc. But it wouldn't really make much of a difference.

GfPQqmcRKUvP · Sep 15, 2012

Seems like a very strange thread to me. What could/should they add but not a wishlist? If you're asking what I want them to add within the confined of their UI, then:

-Bring back google maps. I haven't used apple's maps yet, but if the threads here are any indication, apple is several years behind google in this department.
-Live updating icons
-I want Siri to always be listening and come onto the screen with an action word such as "Siri". I really don't know how technologically feasible this is, but it would be cool.
-It should tell me I have notifications in the top bar so I know to enter notification center
-Something similar to Google Now. Basically, make the phone more personal and intelligent. Siri is quite good, but I'm sure those apple engineers can think of some amazing things like google did with Google Now. That app/service blows my mind. Apple understands people have their phone on them all the time and interact with it a lot, so I want it to be able to predict things and be more automated. Make it like an actual personal assistant, I shouldn't have to initiate the dialogue.

And also, Apple should quit making Siri updates part of the OS updates. Just update the damn software on the fly and publicize it. They're holding it back.

That being said, I preordered the iPhone 5. I went to Android with the Google Nexus a long time ago and absolutely hated the experience. Maybe I'll give it a try one of these days, but I don't know. The iPhone is the best phone for me.

WeegieMac · Sep 15, 2012

Badandy said:
Seems like a very strange thread to me. What could/should they add but not a wishlist? If you're asking what I want them to add within the confined of their UI, then:

-Bring back google maps. I haven't used apple's maps yet, but if the threads here are any indication, apple is several years behind google in this department.
-Live updating icons
-I want Siri to always be listening and come onto the screen with an action word such as "Siri". I really don't know how technologically feasible this is, but it would be cool.
-It should tell me I have notifications in the top bar so I know to enter notification center
-Something similar to Google Now. Basically, make the phone more personal and intelligent. Siri is quite good, but I'm sure those apple engineers can think of some amazing things like google did with Google Now. That app/service blows my mind. Apple understands people have their phone on them all the time and interact with it a lot, so I want it to be able to predict things and be more automated. Make it like an actual personal assistant, I shouldn't have to initiate the dialogue.

And also, Apple should quit making Siri updates part of the OS updates. Just update the damn software on the fly and publicize it. They're holding it back.

That being said, I preordered the iPhone 5. I went to Android with the Google Nexus a long time ago and absolutely hated the experience. Maybe I'll give it a try one of these days, but I don't know. The iPhone is the best phone for me.

Unbelievable, there's no need to be so condescending and dismissive.

What should they add based in the reality that is Apple's management of iOS. We've seen how Apple work for six years now when it comes to iOS, and a wish list simply ends up with people listing things that will never come, which is not the point of the discussion. A file system, to use an example from a wish list, will never happen.

The discussion, and the thread itself, is not odd in the slightest. It's about what Apple can add to iOS given how they add features to iOS, or more the manner of it.

It's easy to rattle off a wish list, but that's not what the discussion is. A wish list just ends up being someone's idea of a wet dream and is ultimately features that will never happen. Sure, there's a thread idea there if you wish to go and start it, but it's not rocket science that this is a thread based in reality in terms of Apple's way of adding features to iOS, and more importantly the kind of features, as opposed to rattling off a list of wannabe ideas that Forstall and co would never even entertain the thought of, let alone implement.

bushido · Sep 15, 2012

a first page with live updating and easy to access control widgets. they could replace the current search page with those for all i care and they should open the api of the notifaction center for devs so they can add their small widgets. the notification looks pretty pathetic on the iPad so far. not even weather to display ... so much unused potential

quickreply for text would be another thing, and maybe show contacts pictures in list view within the contacts app? and please apple, dont tell me how many apps i can/cant put in one folder, this is the most annoying thing of all. i dont need 5 folders called "games" ...

idk maybe i'm just too spoilt from the awesome jailbreak tweaks lol but it would be nice to no longer rely on cydia to have those things at some point in the future.

bobbba · Sep 15, 2012

Difficult to say, with the OS being so mature I can't see much change. My suggestions:

Passbook expansion
Furthr iCloud utilisation (more streaming etc)
More unlock options
NFC support for the iPhone 5s

These will never happen:

Better multitasking, the current one is pretty bad. (Nothing wrong with imop)
More customization.
More options/customization on the notification center.
A native file manager

GfPQqmcRKUvP · Sep 15, 2012

WeegieMac said:
Unbelievable, there's no need to be so condescending and dismissive.

Wait, what?

hot spare · Sep 15, 2012

Apple is synonymous to "boring" in terms of UI. The most rigid, the most dull and the most dated UI among all mobile OS. Until and unless they do a reboot like WP, not even considering iOS as an option.
Actually, there is no UI. It's just icons on home screen and apps. It's just a platform to run apps. I didn't like it in past, now I simply hate it after looking at awesome WP and redefined Android.

WeegieMac · Sep 15, 2012

Badandy said:
Wait, what?

It's not a "strange thread" and the reasons for not discussing a wish list was made clear in my previous reply. I enjoy a good discussion, but I don't know why people feel the need to open a reply with a snide remark.

Asking people not to submit a wish list, again, is down to the fact Apple will never implement the things in most peoples widely unrealistic and often Android based wish lists. This was meant to be a discussion about where iOS will go next in iOS 7 using the past updates to iOS, the manner of them, and the fact iOS has matured immensely.

That's why I said no wish lists.

----------

hot spare said:
Apple is synonymous to "boring" in terms of UI. The most rigid, the most dull and the most dated UI among all mobile OS. Until and unless they do a reboot like WP, not even considering iOS as an option.
Actually, there is no UI. It's just icons on home screen and apps. It's just a platform to run apps. I didn't like it in past, now I simply hate it after looking at awesome WP and redefined Android.

I don't see iOS as boring. It's extremely user friendly, some may say too much so. However, it still amazes me when I see my friends three year old son pick up his iPod touch and begin swiping through pictures and pinching/zooming.

Android is nowhere near the level of iOS when it comes to user friendliness, but then again Android does seem to be more for tweakers, spec junkies, etc.

GfPQqmcRKUvP · Sep 15, 2012

WeegieMac said:
It's not a "strange thread" and the reasons for not discussing a wish list was made clear in my previous reply. I enjoy a good discussion, but I don't know why people feel the need to open a reply with a snide remark.

I'm mostly wondering what mentality someone must have to be so easily offended at what was a perfectly non-threatening, non-aggressive remark. It wasn't snide and it wasn't condescending. I'm guessing other MR members wouldn't take my post the way you just did. I'm not trying to make this a super big issue, but how can people engage in meaningful dialogue if they are so easily aggrieved?

I tried to make my list something that Apple could/would realistically do rather than saying "I want a file manager".

To those unhappy with iOS 6, where can Apple realistically go with iOS 7?

Guest

macrumors regular

macrumors 6502

Guest

macrumors member

Guest

macrumors 6502

Guest

macrumors 68000

macrumors 6502

Guest

macrumors 68020

macrumors 65816

macrumors 68000

Guest

macrumors 6502

macrumors regular

macrumors 68040

Guest

Suspended

macrumors regular

macrumors 68040

macrumors 6502

Guest

macrumors 68040

Our Staff