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Why still no live widgets?

M

MBX

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Sep 14, 2006
2,030
817
One of the issues I still have with iOS7 is that it's still utilizing the icon grid layout. Basically the same just a different look.

We still have no live info widgets like Android or Win phones. The icons on iOS7 are still huge. IMO the icons should be smaller (or at least give us an option without jailbreaking) and leave more space for widgets.

I think it's a bit outdated to have to click on icons for every info. iOS7 is certainly lagging behind to appear and act as a more dynamic mobile os.

Can't just be the battery drainage excuse. Do we really have to wait for a more dynamic/ interactive mobile OS until iOS10?
 
MBX said:
One of the issues I still have with iOS7 is that it's still utilizing the icon grid layout. Basically the same just a different look.

We still have no live info widgets like Android or Win phones. The icons on iOS7 are still huge. IMO the icons should be smaller (or at least give us an option without jailbreaking) and leave more space for widgets.

I think it's a bit outdated to have to click on icons for every info. iOS7 is certainly lagging behind to appear and act as a more dynamic mobile os.

Can't just be the battery drainage excuse. Do we really have to wait for a more dynamic/ interactive mobile OS until iOS10?
Click to expand...

I think this topic comes up every couple of weeks.
 
mrapplegate said:
I think this topic comes up every couple of weeks.
Click to expand...

Because we're at OS version 7 and in hope that Apple finally listens. I really like most of iOS7 (except that the icons could have been more "classy flat" instead a generic vector look)... but miss a more dynamic icon screen.
 
MBX said:
Because we're at OS version 7 and in hope that Apple finally listens. I really like most of iOS7 (except that the icons could have been more "classy flat" instead a generic vector look)... but miss a more dynamic icon screen.
Click to expand...

There is Android for that, or like you said iOS 10. I don't see Apple providing them yet.
 
Notice how in iOS 7, when you launch an app, the app zooms in to full screen after you tap it? It's coming. My guess is iOS 8.
 
Seriously hate widgets and hope to never see them cluttering an iOS device. They're the equivalent of plastic toys from the grocery store.
 
I have both iOS and Android devices. It's cool at the beginning but I eventually removed all widgets except for weather on my S4. It's overrated. IOS 7 has everything I want live in the Today section.
 
MisterDisney said:
Seriously hate widgets and hope to never see them cluttering an iOS device. They're the equivalent of plastic toys from the grocery store.
Click to expand...

Steve Jobs loved widgets... at least on the Mac. He often talked about how many were available and how useful they are. This pic from one of his demos:

widgets_jobs.png

And of course, the original iPhone patent called some of the included apps "widgets" and included a "widget creator module":

widgets_patent.png
 
kdarling said:
Steve Jobs loved widgets... at least on the Mac. He often talked about how many were available and how useful they are. This pic from one of his demos:

View attachment 423180

And of course, the original iPhone patent called some of the included apps "widgets" and included a "widget creator module":

View attachment 423181
Click to expand...

I don't understand, what does Steve Jobs loving widgets have anything to do with the previous poster hating widgets? Is knowing that Steve Jobs loved it supposed to change his opinion? And just because he liked it on the Mac doesn't mean he wanted it on the iphone, and evidently he didn't because it wasn't ever implemented.

I still hate widgets.
 
Whenever I am on android I never use anything that kills battery unless its absolutely necessary. All widgets kill battery so I don't use them.
 
MBX said:
One of the issues I still have with iOS7 is that it's still utilizing the icon grid layout. Basically the same just a different look.

We still have no live info widgets like Android or Win phones. The icons on iOS7 are still huge. IMO the icons should be smaller (or at least give us an option without jailbreaking) and leave more space for widgets.

I think it's a bit outdated to have to click on icons for every info. iOS7 is certainly lagging behind to appear and act as a more dynamic mobile os.

Can't just be the battery drainage excuse. Do we really have to wait for a more dynamic/ interactive mobile OS until iOS10?
Click to expand...

Just give it up, man. Apple doesn't care what we want. They're going to do what they're going to do, regardless of our input. Might as well suck it up, admit defeat, and either deal with iOS for what it is or make the switch like I did.

I thought my move to Android for the HTC One would be a temporary one, but I'm probably never switching back. I like being able to do what I want with my own phone without having to wait for a jailbreak. :p
 
cocky jeremy said:
Just give it up, man. Apple doesn't care what we want. They're going to do what they're going to do, regardless of our input. Might as well suck it up, admit defeat, and either deal with iOS for what it is or make the switch like I did.

I thought my move to Android for the HTC One would be a temporary one, but I'm probably never switching back. I like being able to do what I want with my own phone without having to wait for a jailbreak. :p
Click to expand...
While others prefer stability, smoothness, and even simplicity (as far it satisfies whatever they need from their phone).

So yeah to each his/her own--no right or wrong there.
 
Doesn't the notification center provide this already?
What widgets do you want that isn't in Notification center? Because many widgets I see on people's phones is just access to current weather.
 
MisterDisney said:
Seriously hate widgets and hope to never see them cluttering an iOS device. They're the equivalent of plastic toys from the grocery store.
Click to expand...

You do know that even on Android no one is forced to use them? They are an option.
 
The widget haters are good for a laugh. So determined to bad mouth an optional feature that gets under their skin, it's just hilarious. No platform is perfect, to purposely choose widgets to hate is an amusing tactic.
 
MBX said:
Because we're at OS version 7 and in hope that Apple finally listens. I really like most of iOS7 (except that the icons could have been more "classy flat" instead a generic vector look)... but miss a more dynamic icon screen.
Click to expand...

Development takes time. Given the battery life issues I hear andoid owning friends whining about, I believe apple went the right way with slowly introducing multitasking as they tweaked the OS for it.

YMMV.

Live widgets are similar. Some people love them. Personally I'm "meh" - notify me of what's important via an alert, other unimportant stuff, don't waste time/battery/data cap updating when I'm not requesting the info.

I probably look at the screen of my phone for 2 hours per day. having live widgets updating in the background all day is a waste of time for 22 hours per day....
 
maxosx said:
The widget haters are good for a laugh. So determined to bad mouth an optional feature that gets under their skin, it's just hilarious. No platform is perfect, to purposely choose widgets to hate is an amusing tactic.
Click to expand...

Widget lovers are also good for laughing. If you're so invested in widgets then you should probably move to android. And no one is going out of their way randomly to insult widgets. It's perfectly reasonable for us to voice our dislike of widgets on a thread that's asking apple for them. And I don't really consider it a tactic. I'm not bashing android for them, just don't want them to come to ios. And it seems that us disliking widgets gets under your skin, or why are you here defending it?
 
MBX said:
One of the issues I still have with iOS7 is that it's still utilizing the icon grid layout. Basically the same just a different look.

We still have no live info widgets like Android or Win phones. The icons on iOS7 are still huge. IMO the icons should be smaller (or at least give us an option without jailbreaking) and leave more space for widgets.

I think it's a bit outdated to have to click on icons for every info. iOS7 is certainly lagging behind to appear and act as a more dynamic mobile os.

Can't just be the battery drainage excuse. Do we really have to wait for a more dynamic/ interactive mobile OS until iOS10?
Click to expand...

The only way Apple can pull off a widget (with a data window) is to take advantage of some kind of push technology. Polling for updates too often really does drain the battery too much and not enough polling forces you to look at outdated information which forces you to do a manual re-fresh.

You make it seem like Apple is late to the game when in fact Android hasn't even nailed this concept properly without hurting battery life.
 
maxosx said:
The widget haters are good for a laugh. So determined to bad mouth an optional feature that gets under their skin, it's just hilarious. No platform is perfect, to purposely choose widgets to hate is an amusing tactic.
Click to expand...
A notification center?!?! Notification centers suck and drain battery life! If you want a notification center just switch to Android!
 
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