iOS 14 Could Offer Home Screen Widgets, Wallpaper Customizations

[cgsnipinva]

Android users are most definitely not running out of reasons to own an iPhone.

Except for fragmented OS base and sub-optimal applications. Widgets and customizable home screens are not as important to some as a more complete and coherent ecosystem with higher quality apps that integrate with my other home and IT products.

On that measure - Android and its ecosystem is a bit behind.

 

[macfacts]

Yep! Solid black since iPhone 4S in 2011

I spend zero time admiring my homescreen. I use apps!

You use apps one at a time. Super annoying only the iPad can have split screen.

 

[chucker23n1]

You use apps one at a time. Super annoying only the iPad can have split screen.

Do you really find yourself wishing a lot that you could put two apps on a six-inch screen? Sounds awkward.

 

[I7guy]

Do you really find yourself wishing a lot that you could put two apps on a six-inch screen? Sounds awkward.

Absolutely. Sounds very difficult to use. And Apple doesn’t seem to like implementing interfaces that at the outset are difficult to use.

 

[jjohnstonjr]

Sigh. And your point? The more Apple gives us “features Android had since forever,” the less reason to own an Android device. At this point, Android users are running out of reasons to not own an iPhone. Every year that list gets smaller & smaller.

While I love my iPhone 11 Pro Max and other Apple related products lets not be so full of ourselves and think that the gap is closing between the two OS's. Android has many enhancements that Apple does not have. Battery life, screens, multi tasking, RAM, processor etc. Android users are well within their right to think that they have no reason to switch.

 

[cgsnipinva]

While I love my iPhone 11 Pro Max and other Apple related products lets not be so full of ourselves and think that the gap is closing between the two OS's. Android has many enhancements that Apple does not have. Battery life, screens, multi tasking, RAM, processor etc. Android users are well within their right to think that they have no reason to switch.

I have had no problem with battery life - iPhone 8Plus here. And if you are going to argue processor - sorry I think Apple has it down in spades in comparison to Android platforms - the performance isn't even close.

 

[chucker23n1]

Absolutely. Sounds very difficult to use. And Apple doesn’t seem to like implementing interfaces that at the outset are difficult to use.

Yeah.

Like, sure, I can see edge cases where that'd be helpful. But this distinction makes sense to me. Just get an iPad mini instead.

 

[gigapocket1]

The wallpaper function on the iPhone is just outdated. They need to implement the Apple Watch functionality. where every time you look at the watch a different wallpaper is shown. Or maybe it changes every hour etc (similar to the Mac). Theirs a lot they can do on that..
And we just need Siri Shortcuts improvements! Please! open everything up to be able to be ran automatically.

 

[Michael Scrip]

The wallpaper function on the iPhone is just outdated. They need to implement the Apple Watch functionality. where every time you look at the watch a different wallpaper is shown. Or maybe it changes every hour etc (similar to the Mac). Theirs a lot they can do on that.

They need to fix the icon problem first!

Do you like this wallpaper? It's called "Mona Lisa with a bunch of crap on top of it"

 

[emmab2006]

Yea, and Joe Exotic didn't want to breed tigers for money..

 

[lkalliance]

How many more years to be able to personalize and declutter the home screen to show only most often used apps and be able to place them towards the bottom edge where they're more accessible? Hate wading through a wall of apps everytime.

Also, stop dumbing it down. Background multitasking time limit used to be 7 minutes with iOS <=6, down to 3 minutes for iOS 7 thru 12 and now 30 seconds for iOS 13.

And, allow changing default apps, unbundle Safari from OS updates and allow it to be updatable through app store, stop restricting apps like emulators, Kodi, torrent clients, etc. I own the devices, I'm not leasing them.

My iOS home screen. Not jailbroken, just a clever hack, from makeover.io

 

[satchmo]

Nobody billed these as “main features.”

He/she did say ‘if’.
If Dark mode is considered a main feature, i wouldn’t be surprised if this were too.

 

[mi7chy]

Does this explain Safari tabs not staying in RAM like the used to; having to reload more often?

Haven't done extensive testing with Safari but possibly. Use a stopwatch, put Safari in the background and see how long it takes to reload. If it gets killed consistently after a set amount of time then it's OS influenced.

I've noticed mostly with productivity apps like SSH which I use to manage my OpenWRT, Raspberry Pi, network, server, etc. devices. With previous iOS versions they at least gave a notification to move the active SSH session to the foreground before killing it. Now, with iOS 13 it silently kills it after 30 seconds.

 

[morjesta]

Can we PLEASE get custom notification sounds, PLEASE! I been using iPhone since last October, but had been an Android user since forever, and i must say that, this is one of the feature i miss the most.

 

[JimmyHook]

Hopefully Apple has found a better way to do widgets than Android. Android’s implementation is a mess
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Android users are most definitely not running out of reasons to own an iPhone.

Security and OS updates. That’s all you need to know why iOS is infinitely better for most consumers
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They need to fix the icon problem first!

Do you like this wallpaper? It's called "Mona Lisa with a bunch of crap on top of it"

While more icon placement customization would be great, the current grid layout actually has an advantage for many people who aren’t tech savvy. Working in my previous job at Apple, I know many people rely on muscle memory to find apps they installed. Once their grid is set, they get confused if an update installs an extra app and their grid slightly changes

 

[Mick-Mac]

All I want out of iOS (and even macOS for that matter) is for Apple to just fix all the damn bugs. Apple's software quality control is completely in the toilet these days. They can even do it in baby steps e.g. for both platforms a wonderful start would be to fix Mail and then just move forwards from there. Whoever is helming software QC needs to go.

 

[Flow39]

I have mixed feelings about the change. I did enjoy widgets a little bit during my time using Android, but I found that I scrapped most of them after a few weeks to go back to a few apps and a simple digital clock widget on my home screen. I actually like the way Apple does widgets by having them on the far left screen. Of course, I’ll be happy if they choose to add this though, there’s nothing wrong with more options for customization. What I would like most from Android though would be the app drawer, I miss that feature.

 

[edgonzalez32]

Except for fragmented OS base and sub-optimal applications. Widgets and customizable home screens are not as important to some as a more complete and coherent ecosystem with higher quality apps that integrate with my other home and IT products.

On that measure - Android and its ecosystem is a bit behind.

Again, Android users are not running out of reasons to run off to iOS. You make android sound like some sort of unusable OS when it’s not.

Get off the android bashing already ffs. You ****ing people on this site are so insufferable anytime anyone mentions android or windows. Christ.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Sigh. And your point? The more Apple gives us “features Android had since forever,” the less reason to own an Android device. At this point, Android users are running out of reasons to not own an iPhone. Every year that list gets smaller & smaller.

Remember that logic of yours next time Samsung or some other Android maker comes out with a feature that Apple has had "since forever". Instead of mocking it, congratulate them. That's what you're basically saying?

 

[The Game 161]

You use apps one at a time. Super annoying only the iPad can have split screen.

Which is far more useful than on a phone. I would use it on a phone but no where near as good on a bigger screen

Picture in picture is far more useful

 

[Zito Abroad]

Maybe die hard iOS users should be more critical of Apple and stop waiting for Apple to implement a certain feature that has been available in Android forever, before they admit how much that would love to have that feature in iOS. It's pathetic how every time a new feature that iOS is finally going to get, that the diehard iOS user can finally admit, how much they actually like that feature from Android all these years. Are you really so protective of your dear Apple, that you just can't voice your own opinion on features you wish Apple would just take from Android. Who cares if it's stealing/copying from Android. If it's a good feature, it's worth adding to iOS. It's that simple, custom notifications, custom home screen icon placement/separate app drawer, widgets, etc...sure, why not? Add all of it.

 

[The Game 161]

While I love my iPhone 11 Pro Max and other Apple related products lets not be so full of ourselves and think that the gap is closing between the two OS's. Android has many enhancements that Apple does not have. Battery life, screens, multi tasking, RAM, processor etc. Android users are well within their right to think that they have no reason to switch.

Processor? Android has always been behind in terms of that. The pro max still has the best battery life on a phone.

Android has many good things about it but Apple clearly are giving people less reason for Apple fans to get tempted

 

[M3gatron]

As long as they don’t slow down the phone like they clearly do on android. I’m sure apple will do it so you can’t add loads....

That doesn't make sense. Widgets and wallpaper customization don't slow down android phones at all. These features mostly only use RAM and that is something Android phone have in abundance these days.

not much is missing on iPhone now from android...spilt screen and picture in picture. Not much else

That's something someone that is not really familiar both platforms would say.
These 2 things are quite minor, Apple is basically just making baby steps towards Android.
Also I don't understand the idea that Apple would better implement these feature, what does that mean exactly?

 

[chucker23n1]

While I love my iPhone 11 Pro Max and other Apple related products lets not be so full of ourselves and think that the gap is closing between the two OS's. Android has many enhancements that Apple does not have. Battery life, screens, multi tasking, RAM, processor etc. Android users are well within their right to think that they have no reason to switch.

Android users should use whatever they're comfortable using, but bringing up the processor is strange. Apple has been ahead of the competition for years.

 

[M3gatron]

Android users should use whatever they're comfortable using, but bringing up the processor is strange. Apple has been ahead of the competition for years.

Too bad it doesn't translate into anything in terms of usage experience vs Android phones.
According to Anandtech the S20 series provide by far the most responsive and smooth experiences you can get on a mobile phone today.