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Home Screen Widget 'Blocks' Imagined in New iOS Concept

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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.
Click to expand...
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
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/30/ios-blocks-concept/
I guess it look good. Not too sure if I would really like it though. Th pinching is a cool feature if implemented.
 
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.
 
First widgets, then some sort of launcher so all the apps don't need to be on the screen/in folders taking up space?
 
I'd be happy to see something like this on Monday (wow, that soon?). Though the iPad version does look somewhat half-baked.
 
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.
 
Lapidus said:
Not really a fan.
But that's just me, don't kill me.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Like it or not, it's a much better way of adding widgets than on Android.

Now please, I need that wallpaper.
 
sualpine said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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...
 
I'd really like this. The iOS home screens are stale. It needs some variety beyond Cydia icons.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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:
 
kdarling said:
No good for the one-handed users.
Click to expand...

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.
 
That looks pretty neat and potentially useful. I wouldn't mind seeing that as an option in the next iOS.
 
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