Missing "pro" features

[universaliz]

Please don't turn this into another Android vs iOS vs W8 war.

I like iOS but I think the evolution has staggered a bit since iOS 4. What I am missing is versatility. A lot of apps that I see featured on the App store are either camera/social apps (how many can there be?) or games. The default camera is good enough for me and I don't play games.

Some things that would make iOS much more interesting and productive are
- Time Machine backups
- file system
- allow apps to compile code
- send more than 1 pdf file at a time (not possible with Pages)
- send more than 5 pictures in one e-mail (when adding a 6th picture in the pictures app the e-mail options disappears like it would be some kind of trial version)
- have the freedom to install torrent apps (torrents are not necessarily illegal)
- record phone calls
- and so on.

Most of these things are rather easy to implement. Even a "file system" could be just an app like the pictures app where you have documents instead of pictures. Access to this app would only be possible by apps you have allowed, just like you can allow apps to access your pictures. Of course there is one already but you don't see it and you can't use it.

What pro features are you missing?

 

[Menneisyys2]

Don't even think Apple would ever let for those, particularly not for call recording.

However, now that you can still JB, do it - it'll allow for everything you asked for. Note: you'll need to use my own muted call recorder for the best stability & reilability, unless you want to play a warning message at the beginning of every call - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1566350/

 

[Menel]

Please don't turn this into another Android vs iOS vs W8 war.

I like iOS but I think the evolution has staggered a bit since iOS 4. What I am missing is versatility. A lot of apps that I see featured on the App store are either camera/social apps (how many can there be?) or games. The default camera is good enough for me and I don't play games.

Somethings that could make iOS much more interesting and productive is customization (can't even turn off vibration for alarm clock), file system, allow apps to compile code, send more than 1 pdf file at a time (not possible with Pages), send more than 5 pictures in one e-mail (when adding a 6th picture in the pictures app the e-mail options disappears like it would be some kind of trial version), record phone calls, and so on.

Most of these things are rather easy to implement. Even a "file system" could be just an app like the pictures app where you have documents instead of pictures. Access to this app would only be possible by apps you have allowed, just like you can allow apps to access your pictures. Of course there is one already but you don't see it and you can't use it.

What pro features are you missing?

Vibration tweaks don't sound 'PRO'.
Apps to compile code is a huge security vulnerability, one of the primary features touted of iOS and one of the reason it's used in many Professional settings.
If you want to share large numbers of photos, create a shared photostream, or share a dropbox folder url. Much rather have a URL, then to have an inbox filled with large photos to be archived.

 

[RokkenRock]

Apple has to be careful with how many "feature" they add to ios. Adding too many and you will make the system as difficult to use for average users as android. Remember the chart that Jobs showed during original iphone keynote? There's no denying that there are some customizations Apple can add, and they've been doing so all along the way, but I suspect those craving for much more than Apple are willing to offer will eventually switch to Android, because that's likely the system that suit them best.

 

[Italianblend]

All I have wanted for some time now is the ability to control colors.

I get tired of blue and green messages.

All I want to do is change the text bubble color. That's all.

Surely, this cannot possibly tax the system?

And I would also like the ability to control menu colors. If not directly, then I would be okay with and would purchase color themes from apple that apply to my menus.

All I want is a little customizability.

 

[Armen]

Please don't turn this into another Android vs iOS vs W8 war.

I like iOS but I think the evolution has staggered a bit since iOS 4. What I am missing is versatility. A lot of apps that I see featured on the App store are either camera/social apps (how many can there be?) or games. The default camera is good enough for me and I don't play games.

Somethings that could make iOS much more interesting and productive is customization (can't even turn off vibration for alarm clock), file system, allow apps to compile code, send more than 1 pdf file at a time (not possible with Pages), send more than 5 pictures in one e-mail (when adding a 6th picture in the pictures app the e-mail options disappears like it would be some kind of trial version), record phone calls, and so on.

Most of these things are rather easy to implement. Even a "file system" could be just an app like the pictures app where you have documents instead of pictures. Access to this app would only be possible by apps you have allowed, just like you can allow apps to access your pictures. Of course there is one already but you don't see it and you can't use it.

What pro features are you missing?

Customization: You can heavily customize Android phones yet everyone I see with one have the same exact setup as the day they took it out of the box. (One co-worker didn't even know how to add widgets). Not everyone is a tech geek.

Compile Code: In what practical sense of things does one need to compile code on a phone? Even if they could it would eat through battery.

Attaching photos to e-mail: Shared photo streams takes care of this so you don't have to attach that many photos in 1 e-mail.

Record Calls: I'm pretty sure this is illegal.

Filesystem: we were throwing this idea around in another thread and it would be an interesting feature.

 

[old-wiz]

Recording phone calls is not always legal - it depends on what state you are in, and perhaps what state your caller is in. I can't see Apple providing the capability to do something illegal.

Never mind that the legality is a bit silly; it's just that some states don't allow it unless both parties consent.

 

[Jessica Lares]

People need to distinguish the meaning of "pro", vs "prosumer". All those ideas being neither of the two.

People also need to stop relying on Apple to fix these things for them. That is what the App Store is for.

I use a separate alarm clock to give me more control, better snoozing, better alerts, etc.

There are apps that give you access to the iOS home folder. Since I'm jailbroken right now, I just use iFile, but there's others on the App Store. To look through the device on my Mac, I use PhoneView.

There are apps that have the PHP/Python/etc libraries so you can run code within them (DraftCode). However you can't expect any mobile device to compile code efficiently at this point. I think Android apps take like 2 hours at the minimum?

Pretty sure there's another app that can send more PDF files at a time.

Most e-mail services limit file sizes, hence you can't add more than 5 pictures in the stock e-mail client.

Recording phone calls is illegal (like someone else said).

 

[takeshi74]

What I am missing is versatility.

Tried JB'ing?

Most of these things are rather easy to implement.

So you've worked on developing IOS for Apple?

Anything can seem easy without knowing the details.

People need to distinguish the meaning of "pro", vs "prosumer".

And stop assuming that "what I want" = "pro".

 

[C DM]

Seems like what is being asked for here is a jailbreak (with associated tweaks)...which essentially exists (just not officially).

 

[MisakixMikasa]

Apple has to be careful with how many "feature" they add to ios. Adding too many and you will make the system as difficult to use for average users as android. Remember the chart that Jobs showed during original iphone keynote? There's no denying that there are some customizations Apple can add, and they've been doing so all along the way, but I suspect those craving for much more than Apple are willing to offer will eventually switch to Android, because that's likely the system that suit them best.

I don't thinking adding new features will make iOS hard to use like Android if it impletemented right. Android itself is hardly hard to use, you see so many people (old, young, male, female) using Android.

Instead making people swtich to alternative system who offer much more capabilities, why not make iOS as capable as Android or Windows Phone? If Apple is serious about its post-pc thing, they should and must make iOS more capable and simpilfying way of doing stuff.

 

[Armen]

I don't thinking adding new features will make iOS hard to use like Android if it impletemented right. Android itself is hardly hard to use, you see so many people (old, young, male, female) using Android.

Instead making people swtich to alternative system who offer much more capabilities, why not make iOS as capable as Android or Windows Phone? If Apple is serious about its post-pc thing, they should and must make iOS more capable and simpilfying way of doing stuff.

If by using you mean making phone calls and texting, sure. Ask an average Android user how to add a widget to the desktop and they wouldn't know how.

 

[C DM]

If by using you mean making phone calls and texting, sure. Ask an average Android user how to add a widget to the desktop and they wouldn't know how.

Unfortunately probably like the average iOS user doesn't even really know how to really use notification center or that it's there to begin with (short of accidentally bringing it down here and there and still not knowing much or anything about it and using after that).

 

[batting1000]

Unfortunately probably like the average iOS user doesn't even really know how to really use notification center or that it's there to begin with (short of accidentally bringing it down here and there and still not knowing much or anything about it and using after that).

I'd say most know about Notification Center, whether they accidentally brought it down and learned it was there or something like that. It's a fairly major part of iOS.

 

[thegrants82]

Unfortunately probably like the average iOS user doesn't even really know how to really use notification center or that it's there to begin with (short of accidentally bringing it down here and there and still not knowing much or anything about it and using after that).

I just cant see how you can keep speaking for the masses. Notification center is one of the main features in IOS 7 and you are saying that the average user doesn't even know how to use it? CDM you need to climb down and visit the troops....they aren't as inept as you keep saying. Notification center is not rocket science.

 

[C DM]

I'd say most know about Notification Center, whether they accidentally brought it down and learned it was there or something like that. It's a fairly major part of iOS.

Sure, but there are plenty of those that might know about its existence and come across it here and there as they use their device, but still don't really realize what its full abilities or use cases are, and often end up not actually using it (not necessarily because they don't actually want to, but easily because they just don't know much about what it can do and don't really want to bother with it to figure it out and make use of it).

 

[jrswizzle]

I think the initial post is somewhat ridiculous....instead of adding what "pro" features I need (as if that word has any meaning), I'm going to suggest the features I feel should be added to the OS itself.

As for "pro" applications - those come through the app store. "Pro" is not being able to change the color of your text message bubbles. Pro is compiling video and doing skilled photo editing. Pro is something normal users wouldn't care about. Pro is better left to app developers.

As for iOS - I have a few things I'd love to see in iOS 8:

-Quick Reply
-Better Attachment support (docs and pdfs)
-Better use of the third tab in the notification center (I rarely see anything in the "missed" section - not sure what its for and feel something else could go there)

At this point, I don't have a lot of issues with the OS itself. I'd love to see AirDrop work between OSX and iOS, but I'd guess they'd change that on the OSX side given the iOS version just came out.

As for a file system - which I think is the number one thing asked for here (aside from perhaps Quick Reply), you won't see one - nor do we need one. The "file system" exists within the apps that open each file. In my mind this works well given it cuts out the "middle man" and you simply go to the "documents" app to open a document or the "pictures" app to open photos.

iOS is an OS that does the basic stuff and then takes a back seat to the apps. It is not an all encompassing OS, nor is it supposed to be. The strength of iOS lies within the app store and the quality of apps there. Its then incumbent upon developers to continue to develop apps that leverage the power of the SoCs being put into these devices.

 

[Armen]

Unfortunately probably like the average iOS user doesn't even really know how to really use notification center or that it's there to begin with (short of accidentally bringing it down here and there and still not knowing much or anything about it and using after that).

Exactly. The truth is the majority of users don't care about customizing their phones.

Apple is doing exactly what it needs to be doing. They are designing a larger screen iPhone 6 to bring back its customers that left for Android because of screen size and to also attract new customers.

 

[Stuke00]

Why do people constantly feel the need to have access to a file system?

Wouldn't you end up just opening up that app that is associated with that file type anyways?

Or this will happen...
"Oh crap where did that picture I just downloaded go?"

 

[Menneisyys2]

Why do people constantly feel the need to have access to a file system?

It'd be VERY good for, say, huge files. Currently, it's plain impossible to send files larger than 200Mbytes to other apps. This rules out transferring, say, a video between players if you find you need the feature of the target player (like seamless MKV AirPlay of Infuse or the great DSP's of nPlayer).

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Record Calls: I'm pretty sure this is illegal.

Wrong - it's absolutely legal in the majority of countries, incl. the vast majority of US states. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws

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The "file system" exists within the apps that open each file. In my mind this works well given it cuts out the "middle man" and you simply go to the "documents" app to open a document or the "pictures" app to open photos.

Too bad this doesn't at all work for large files - iOS refuses transferring files that are over 200 Mbytes. Docs, PDF's aren't generally affected; large movie files are.

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Or this will happen...
"Oh crap where did that picture I just downloaded go?"

You're in the same situation even today if you need to use a third-party Web browser to download / save files off the Net. Unless you specifically for example export images to the Camera Roll, those files remain local to the given app, meaning you'll always need to remember which 3rd party Web browser you used for downloading.

 

[cynics]

Why do people constantly feel the need to have access to a file system?



Wouldn't you end up just opening up that app that is associated with that file type anyways?



Or this will happen...

"Oh crap where did that picture I just downloaded go?"

You don't see a problem with the way it's done now?

If you have 2 file viewing apps having the same file saved 2 times on the phone is a good solution? Again the same identical file saved twice just wasting space.

How about if you delete an app. It's a good idea to lose all the external files contained in it? Or if the app fails losing all your files?

Here's the deal. Apple knows this is an archaic way of file management they currently have but worked themselves into it because it was fine in 2007-08. Now there is no good way to fix it.

Let me ask you, what do you think is easier. Opening a file from a folder like we've all been doing for years on computers OR opening a file in an app from another app that has the file?

It's kind of a trick question because the latter is sometime impossible depending on sharing.

 

[Armen]

It'd be VERY good for, say, huge files. Currently, it's plain impossible to send files larger than 200Mbytes to other apps. This rules out transferring, say, a video between players if you find you need the feature of the target player (like seamless MKV AirPlay of Infuse or the great DSP's of nPlayer).

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Wrong - it's absolutely legal in the majority of countries, incl. the vast majority of US states. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_recording_laws

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Too bad this doesn't at all work for large files - iOS refuses transferring files that are over 200 Mbytes. Docs, PDF's aren't generally affected; large movie files are.

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You're in the same situation even today if you need to use a third-party Web browser to download / save files off the Net. Unless you specifically for example export images to the Camera Roll, those files remain local to the given app, meaning you'll always need to remember which 3rd party Web browser you used for downloading.

It is illegal to record a phone conversation in California without the other party consenting. What would be a practical application of this practice on a private consumer's phone?

 

[Menneisyys2]

It is illegal to record a phone conversation in California without the other party consenting.

In California. But not in the vast majority of other US states (and countries). And a lot of people DO want call recording - no wonder my muted call recorder is so popular.

 

[Armen]

In California. But not in the vast majority of other US states (and countries). And a lot of people DO want call recording - no wonder my muted call recorder is so popular.

What possible reason would someone want to record a call other than for evidence against the other party?

And yes, it is illegal where I live. I don't care about other countries or states.

 

[C DM]

What possible reason would someone want to record a call other than for evidence against the other party?

And yes, it is illegal where I live. I don't care about other countries or states.

When dealing with companies and customer care, or some contractor or smaller business, it can be used as confirmation of what was promised and/or done to your account, for example.

When dealing with another person it could be to recall some sort of directions or a list of something.

All of those can be less important when someone can text or email you all that too, but not everyone by far does that.