Mobile OSs iOS can never change. That's why it's boring.

[Renzatic]

What device?

On both my iPhone 4 and ipad 4 app switching is extremely quick unless the app has dropped out of ram - uncommon on the newer devices.

I agree that I'd like to see a bit more power brought to the OS though. Better multitasking like you say (ie some way to have two apps share a screen) and I agree that the icons need t be able to live update.

I'm not talking about performance. My iPhone 4 and iPad 3 switch between apps without any lag or stuttering whatsoever. I'm talking about the process itself, which is too slow and deliberate for my tastes. If you're popping from one app to another on rare occasions, what we've got now is fine. But if you're ever intending on doing actual, honest to god multitasking, jumping back and forth between multiple apps gets really tedious after awhile.

Basically, I want something that works as quickly and elegantly as expose on iOS.

 

[cube]

What's with this all this talk that 2 year old Apple products are "obsolete"?

Apple obsoleted the iPad 1 in 2 years.

----------

Boredom is not a valid criteria to change OS.

 

[dalbir4444]

This isn't a windows 8 thread.

You compared Windows Phone to Windows 8 in an attempt to bring them down, so I simply corrected you.

 

[Technarchy]

That's the thing. On iOS, the home screen is just an app launcher, but on Windows Phone and Android, it can be much more.

How much time does one spend staring at their home screen? On my android phones and Windows 8 PC, 95% of the interaction still takes place in the application itself.

However, Apple is woefully behind when it comes to glance and go information. The lock screen is basically wasted because it only gives you the time, and the home screen could use dynamic icons just like the calendar app which changes every day and reflects the correct information.

 

[dalbir4444]

How much time does one spend staring at their home screen? On my android phones and Windows 8 PC, 95% of the interaction still takes place in the application itself.

However, Apple is woefully behind when it comes to glance and go information. The lock screen is basically wasted because it only gives you the time, and the home screen could use dynamic icons just like the calendar app which changes every day and reflects the correct information.

You second paragraph explains what iOS is missing. It is much more convenient for the relevant information to be displayed on the home screen rather than going to each app individually.

 

[IFRIT]

There is no way iOS is the perfect ui, it's way too simplified and doesn't show hardly any information unless a app is entered and the notifications are crap. That is why i voted WP because even though i find the WP garish i think it technically better at giving the user the information he wants faster and not tailored that 5 year olds and old people to pick up easily like iOS is.

 

[rrl]

Double tapping on the home button to switch between apps is a chore?

Compared to Android, it's actually ridiculous. It comes off as an Apple afterthought. That's what happens when your OS is too simple to begin with.

 

[sotorious]

I bet you any in ios 7 there will be a revamped, its one of the last things customers are bitching about now.

 

[Technarchy]

You second paragraph explains what iOS is missing. It is much more convenient for the relevant information to be displayed on the home screen rather than going to each app individually.

True to some extent, but possibly superfluous because the home screen offers limited interaction and an abbreviated experience; much of that same "relevant information" is also provided with icon badges and notification center. It makes sense to have dynamic icons in some areas, but not others.

The problem for me is the lock screen, where you can't see badges, and you can't see notification center. It's just dead space really, which is silly at this point in mobile OS development.

Windows Phone gets it right, and better than everyone else at this point.

 

[cynics]

Compared to Android, it's actually ridiculous. It comes off as an Apple afterthought. That's what happens when your OS is too simple to begin with.

A lot of iOS seems like an afterthought too me. They are cramming features into an old OS and it feels like it. The settings menu is a horrible mess IMO. Notifications block the top of the screen up and just feel forced. Getting rid of notifications one at a time is impossible. The red reminder circles cant be dismissed without actually performing the task. Some settings for apps are in the app, some are in the settings menu. Location services are redundant and can be access two different ways. Integration for apps is still seriously lacking, there is no way to send a photo to Dropbox or Drive without opening the app.

TO ME it feels like someone went through Android and removed/fixed annoyances.

 

[jsw]

Windows Phone gets it right, and better than everyone else at this point.

I agree - and that's a point which few would have thought possible a few years ago.

 

[onthecouchagain]

A lot of iOS seems like an afterthought too me. They are cramming features into an old OS and it feels like it. The settings menu is a horrible mess IMO. Notifications block the top of the screen up and just feel forced. Getting rid of notifications one at a time is impossible. The red reminder circles cant be dismissed without actually performing the task. Some settings for apps are in the app, some are in the settings menu. Location services are redundant and can be access two different ways. Integration for apps is still seriously lacking, there is no way to send a photo to Dropbox or Drive without opening the app.

TO ME it feels like someone went through Android and removed/fixed annoyances.

This 110%.

The competition has figured out how to do all those things far more efficiently. There's no clearer time than this moment, with 4.2 and Win8, that shows how outdated iOS is.

 

[viewfly]

True to some extent, but possibly superfluous because the home screen offers limited interaction and an abbreviated experience; much of that same "relevant information" is also provided with icon badges and notification center. It makes sense to have dynamic icons in some areas, but not others.

The problem for me is the lock screen, where you can't see badges, and you can't see notification center. It's just dead space really, which is silly at this point in mobile OS development.

Windows Phone gets it right, and better than everyone else at this point.

Image

Image

In notifications menu turn on View in Locked Screen.

 

[beyondthepale35]

This 110%.

The competition has figured out how to do all those things far more efficiently. There's no clearer time than this moment, with 4.2 and Win8, that shows how outdated iOS is.

Agreed. People always tout iOS as "just working" and simple, but with the way technology is going simple often is not nearly as efficient. Its not like it takes a rocket scientist to use WP8 or Android, just a little bit of using each and it is just so much easier to do simple tasks. That and the ability for apps to speak to each other are huge advantages iOS simply is behind on.

 

[VulchR]

With all due respect to the OP, I am bored with boring threads about bored people being bored with boring iOS. It's boring.

 

[spinedoc77]

Agreed. People always tout iOS as "just working" and simple, but with the way technology is going simple often is not nearly as efficient. Its not like it takes a rocket scientist to use WP8 or Android, just a little bit of using each and it is just so much easier to do simple tasks. That and the ability for apps to speak to each other are huge advantages iOS simply is behind on.

Don't forget the stories of "iOS is so simple my baby can use it", lol. I never understood where we crossed over into giving our computers more value because babies could use them, have we really become so dumb as a society?

 

[onthecouchagain]

Agreed. People always tout iOS as "just working" and simple, but with the way technology is going simple often is not nearly as efficient. Its not like it takes a rocket scientist to use WP8 or Android, just a little bit of using each and it is just so much easier to do simple tasks. That and the ability for apps to speak to each other are huge advantages iOS simply is behind on.

Yup. iOS is so simple it's ironically less usable. Just look at how many steps it takes to turn on Private browsing (and how many steps it takes to switch back too).

 

[beyondthepale35]

Don't forget the stories of "iOS is so simple my baby can use it", lol. I never understood where we crossed over into giving our computers more value because babies could use them, have we really become so dumb as a society?

Yeah, I mean Im pretty sure last time I checked Im a grown man, why do I want something my toddler could use? The lack of critical thinking skills in todays society is really disconcerting...I actually want to use my brain haha.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Didn't Jobs essentially say the end user is an idiot? That Apple has to make the decisions for them?

He's not necessarily wrong... :T

 

[zhenya]

Don't forget the stories of "iOS is so simple my baby can use it", lol. I never understood where we crossed over into giving our computers more value because babies could use them, have we really become so dumb as a society?

Making the complex simple is one of the biggest challenges anyone who works with UI or ergonomics faces. Apple is far from perfect, but their skill at this is one of the primary reasons for their success.

 

[sineplex]

That's why it's stale.

Don't you think this is dumb?

Image

It's always 73 and sunny! Yay!

oh well maybe just the weather app. just don't open pandora's box because i don't want it to have evey tile moving like on windows phone. but really it doesn't bother me it's just a button. i push and get the weather.... how much do you need? if you're outside you know the weather.

 

[onthecouchagain]

oh well maybe just the weather app. just don't open pandora's box because i don't want it to have evey tile moving like on windows phone. but really it doesn't bother me it's just a button. i push and get the weather.... how much do you need? if you're outside you know the weather.

This can so easily be solved to make both parties happy. Apple can have a toggle switch for "live icons" or something. Heck, they can even standardize it so that apps have to feature a "live icon" toggle in their apps where applicable.

It isn't "pandora's box" to give people choice.

 

[zhenya]

I'm not talking about performance. My iPhone 4 and iPad 3 switch between apps without any lag or stuttering whatsoever. I'm talking about the process itself, which is too slow and deliberate for my tastes. If you're popping from one app to another on rare occasions, what we've got now is fine. But if you're ever intending on doing actual, honest to god multitasking, jumping back and forth between multiple apps gets really tedious after awhile.

Basically, I want something that works as quickly and elegantly as expose on iOS.

Yeah, if you are switching just between 2-3 apps, the gestures are fine. I agree that an exposé gesture would be great - I remember when something like that was offered for jailbroken phones several years ago. Perhaps remap the four finger pinch to invoke exposé. I guess the question would be, what apps would it display? The current multitasking method means that there is little difference between open and closed apps, so they'd have to devise some way of only displaying the relevant ones.

 

[spinedoc77]

Yeah, if you are switching just between 2-3 apps, the gestures are fine. I agree that an exposé gesture would be great - I remember when something like that was offered for jailbroken phones several years ago. Perhaps remap the four finger pinch to invoke exposé. I guess the question would be, what apps would it display? The current multitasking method means that there is little difference between open and closed apps, so they'd have to devise some way of only displaying the relevant ones.

I don't think the task switching in iOS is that bad actually, I'm happy with it and prefer it over Androids task switcher. But the inexcusable missing feature in iOS is multi window support. It's less important on the iphone since it's such a small screen, but on the iphone 5 it makes a tiny bit more sense. On the ipad it makes a ton of sense and iOS is lagging behind its competitors, Windows has it, and at least the Note has it as well and I'll bet Google is looking into it as a feature.

 

[Nabooly]

iOS is starting to become somewhat similar to Verizon's UI that they took forever to get rid of. Anyone remember the red bars?