Daniel Hruska When the first iPhone was launched, iOS, then iPhone OS, could do almost nothing. With pre-installed apps, it handled basic things like calling, texting, handling emails, writing notes, playing music, browsing the web and… that's pretty much it. Over time, the App Store, MMS, Compass, copy and paste, multitasking, Game Center, iCloud and more and more features.
Unfortunately, as it happens, man is an eternally dissatisfied creature, and therefore even iOS will never be a perfect system. What could move it an imaginary rung higher?
Fast access to WiFi, 3G…
A deficiency that has traditionally been talked about every year – the need to go to the settings and its items. I'd be very skeptical here, because if Apple hasn't changed its approach in the last five years, it won't now. And honestly, he has no reason to. Almost everyone has Wi-Fi switched on all the time. Next – bluetooth. Those who use it often have no reason to turn it off at all. On the other hand, users who rarely turn on the blue tooth will not lose their finger after three taps on the display. What Apple could do, however, is group WiFi, Bluetooth, turn on cellular, and 3G (or LTE) into one item in Settings. The question remains whether quick access to these items is really necessary. On the other hand, the notification bar is largely unused, it could certainly find a place here.
Widgets
Well, yes, we can't forget them. Everyone wants them, yet Apple continues to ignore these widgets. If we look at this issue from the point of view of the apple company, everything will be revealed by itself - inconsistency. It is simply not possible to allow anyone to create an element that will be part of the system and could disrupt its specific user interface. Similar atrocities could then arise as in the Android OS. Everyone simply does not have an artistic sense, so it is better for these people to prohibit graphic interventions in the system. Two clocks on one screen, inappropriate font or messy layout - do we really want something similar to the two following images?
The second direction, which appears to be more realistic, could be the creation of a new section in the App Store. Widgets would go through an approval process similar to apps, but there is one big catch but by. While apps can be rejected based on violating some of the terms, how do you reject an ugly widget? All that remains is to determine what form the widgets should have. If Apple would eventually allow them, it would probably create some kind of templates or API to make the integration of widgets into the system as little noticeable as possible. Or will Apple stick with its two Weather and Action widgets in the notification bar? Or is there another way?
Dynamic icons
The home screen hasn't changed much in its five years of existence. Yes, a few layers have been added in the form of folders, multitasking, notification center shutter and wallpaper under the icons, but that's all. The screen still consists of a matrix of static icons (and possibly red badges above them) that do nothing but wait for our finger to tap and then launch the given application. Couldn't icons be used more effectively than just as application shortcuts? Windows Phone 7 may be a bit further ahead than iOS in this aspect. The tiles display all kinds of information, so these tiles perform two tasks at once - icons and widgets. I'm not saying that iOS should look like Windows Phone 7, but to do something similar in an original "Apple" way. For example, why can't the Weather icon show the current status and temperature when the Calendar can show the date? There is certainly a way to improve the home screen, and the iPad's 9,7″ display in particular encourages it.
Central storage
Sharing files via iTunes just isn't "cool" anymore, especially if you need to manage multiple iDevices at once. Many would certainly solve this problem through mass storage, but we all know very well that Apple will never unlock the directory structure of iOS. On the contrary, Apple is slowly but surely deciding on a cloud solution. More and more apps are able to store their data and files in iCloud, which certainly makes sharing them between devices more convenient. Unfortunately, a kind of sandboxing works here too, and what one application has saved in the cloud, the other can no longer see. From the point of view of data protection, this is of course fine, but I would still like to open the same PDF or other document in multiple applications without duplicating or using another storage (Dropbox, Box.net,... ). The people of Cupertino could certainly work on this, and I believe they will. iCloud is still in its infancy and we will see its expansion and maximum use of potential only in the coming years. It all depends on the speed, reliability and stability of the data connection.
AirDrop
File transfer is also related to the AirDrop function, which made its debut with the arrival of OS X Lion. This is a very simple and intuitive way to copy files between Macs on a local network directly in the Finder. Couldn't something similar be invented for iDevices? At least for images, PDFs, MP4s, iWork documents, and other file types that are opened by Apple-made apps anyway on iOS. At the same time, it would be an alternative for users who do not like to entrust their data to remote servers.
multitasking
No, we're not going to talk about the functionality of a principles of multitasking in iOS. We will discuss the way users are allowed to manipulate running applications. We all know the routine of how to “launch” an app that doesn’t get stuck for any reason – press the home button twice, or on the iPad, drag 4-5 fingers upwards, hold your finger on the icon and then tap on the red minus badge. Tiring! Couldn't the application simply be closed by simply dragging it out of the multitasking bar? It certainly worked, but again, it has its advantages but by in the name of inconsistency. It is necessary to put yourself in the shoes of a less technically proficient user who is used to uninstalling applications using that shaking and tapping on minus. A different way of handling the icons could confuse him.
Likewise, it is difficult to implement a different way of managing running applications on the iPad. Users are used to a simple bar below the display from their iPhones and iPod touch, so any change could easily confuse them. While the iPad's large screen directly appeals to Mission Control, it's hard to say whether such a relatively advanced feature is needed on a consumer device. Apple keeps its iDevices as simple as possible.
Facebook integration
We live in an information age where social networks have become an integral part of a large percentage of the population. Of course, Apple is also aware of this, which is why it integrated Twitter into iOS 5. But there is one more, much bigger player in the world - Facebook. Current information suggests that Facebook could be part of iOS as early as version 5.1. Even Tim Cook himself, who created this network, raised expectations marked as "friend", with which Apple should cooperate more.
Automatic updates
Over time, each of us has collected dozens of applications, which logically implies that an update of one of them comes out almost every day. Not a day goes by that iOS doesn't notify me of available updates with a number (often two digits) in the badge above the App Store. It's certainly good to know that newer versions of installed apps have been released and that he should download them, but couldn't the system do it for me? It would certainly not hurt to have an item in the settings where the user would choose, here the updates will be downloaded automatically or manually.
What else could Apple improve?
- allow multiple icons to be moved at once
- add buttons Share in the App Store
- allow copying the link and description text in the App Store
- add sync of Safari panes via iCloud
- create an API for Siri
- fine-tune the Notification Center and its bar
- enable basic math calculations in Spotlight as in OS X
- allow changing default apps (unlikely)
What new features would you like? Write to us here under the article or in the comments on social networks.
Well, you can actually do half of the things with a jailbreak...
I miss sending files via Bluetooth, all other smartphones and my old 6-year-old nokia can send files via bluetooth without any tweak
Quick access to WiFi, 3G: SBSettings
Dynamic icons: If you can with Winterboard, then Winterboard or DreamBoard
Central storage: iCloud is sufficient
AirDrop: I know there is something like that in CYDII, but I don't use it because I only have an iDivice
Multitasking: Again SBSettings - Process, free up memory, it takes 5 seconds and it will blast everything running and using RAM for you
Facebook integration: It might be possible, but I don't know about it…
Automatic updates: I don't care, I always wait for jailbreak and then restore to a certain FW...
Isn't that enough? :)
Send it to apple developers :)
What a FAIL :D
http://imageshack.us/f/405/vstiekyu.png/
Mato: Sending files via BT is out of the question, these days I prefer to send it via mail and it will be faster than BT, there is a lot of opposition to this on iOS, there are not many things that can be sent this way, the music that most people share in this way would be sent anyway it doesn't work, the videos will be rejected if they are not shot with an iPhone. If you have an iPhone and you send files via iMessage and other reasons against BT... this is the least understandable argument I always hear, that the iPhone can't send anything via BT, so it's a useless phone. Even during BT and high school, I hardly used it, with a few exceptions, and we often shared one file for an entire hour, thank you.
Article: Some ideas are fine, I don't agree with MT, on the one hand it would be great like on a Mac with icons in the dock, but when I turn something off manually, in most cases I just go like a chicken to enter and turn off one application after another, if I should turn off 20 applications like this by pulling them out of the dock, so my finger would soon fall off. I think that this system, although it may not be the most perfect, works very well and there is no reason to change it.
Widgets could be interesting, and when they invented them in the notification center, it was definitely not just a cry in the dark, they definitely thought about it, so it is possible that we will see similar things, personally I would really appreciate the possibility to program my own widget and basically Apple could have done that just like they did with apps, and I wouldn't worry at all about Apple rejecting an ugly widget, but on the other hand, let's ask who is responsible for the mess in the images in the article. Certainly not the developer... the fact that he's left-handed at graphics doesn't matter, but who uploaded it there? Well? Well, after all, the user and if the user is satisfied with that abomination, then that's the user's problem. Of course, there should be a certain and significant control, because I don't even want to see such abomination in the AppStore, let alone have it on my phone. On the other hand, the AppStore is already full of downright disgusting applications. What to pay.
Facebook integration... I'm not sure if I want FB to be even closer to me, they already know too much about me and I think Apple is considering buying a large part of FB because it doesn't want to integrate it, it could have done it a long time ago and it can't even afford Facebook to get its ass off the chair and went to MSFT about integration. Over 800M active users is not a small amount.
I don't even want quick access to WiFi, rather I would like Siri to be able to "Siri turn on Wi-Fi" etc. ;) which I think is being prepared.
AirDrop is a great thing, I just don't know how it would fully work on iOS, but it's certainly not a bad idea, especially if they prepare an API for developers, I would probably find a way and a reason where and how to integrate it.
Dynamic icons are definitely a benefit, I'm just afraid that I would be confused if an application changed my icon to a different one every now and then, there would have to be some appearance management directly by Apple when checking the application. It's just that only part of the icon can be changed, when there is never such a change as to significantly change the original appearance of the icon clearly identifying the application, for example, Calendar changes only the number and name of the day, never changes the entire icon. It could certainly be interesting and hopefully it won't be a complete circus in the final because at that moment I delete all even the best applications that will change the icon in some way.
I definitely want an API for Siri!! This is the stumbling block of Siri as a whole, if third-party applications could register certain control schemes from Siri in much the same way as they do today with URL schemes, it would be very interesting and, above all, easy. Define the types of phrases that the user must say to invoke the application control, for example by turning on Siri, telling her "Find places nearby in Foursquare" and a list of places would come out directly from the application, which would be displayed in Siri and I would either tap to the one where I want to check in or I would say "Siri check me into third place from the top" and Siri would check me into the third place from the top. Absolutely perfect, it would only be necessary to say the name of the application in the initial command, when the application would be initialized in the background and communicate with Siri using the API.
Synchronizing tabs in Safari via iCloud could be interesting, I would probably also like to see that ;)
Sharing in the AppStore is, Tell A Friend, rather expand it. Overall, we will see what the acquisition of Chomp will bring to the AppStore.
Moving multiple icons is unlikely, and I've basically never had to do this in 4 years.
Automatic updates would probably be nice, but I can't really imagine that when I have a 16GB iPhone, it's 90% full and all of a sudden game updates start downloading, so I run out of space on my phone within minutes. The whole system of updates should be solved better, big 1,5GB games are sometimes difficult to update because you need to have free space for the whole installation and basically an update is always a new installation of a new version which is crazy for such big applications, it would like to allow updates as with the OS, when only the changed part of the application is simply downloaded OTA, this saves data transfers and, above all, significant time. This is what should change, if it doesn't automatically kill me anymore to go to the AppStore and click on update all.
And that's basically all I want to say/write about this issue.
– I personally do not need fast access to wifi or 3G. I don't go there often enough to appreciate it.
- I don't need to transfer the file via blue tooth either. I had a Nokia that could do this and in the 5 years I had it I never used it.
– multitasking in its current form suits me. simply dragging the application out of the sheet could lead to the unwanted termination of the application, when I close the application that I need in the middle of blocking the application. I tried it on webos and it seems impractical.
– widgets are not needed, they are not used on max os x and they will be the same on ios.
– an airdrop would do
– synchronization of windows with desktop safari is useless. I have about 20 windows open on my desktop computer. having it open on the ipad also drives me crazy. and the synchronization of pages for reading already works natively via iCloud. joke is not necessary.
– the icons are just fine on ios dynamic.
– just not facebook integration. I don't even use twitter. it would be another ignored extra button.
- automatic updates are nice, but I don't want them. when they updated Dayone once, they immediately wrote that we don't install it because there is no data and that the update repair is on the way. with an automatic update, the application and data would screw me up. so I could have avoided it. the same applies to the case when the update is much larger than the original version. so I wouldn't have a single one, I would just set up a voicemail that the original version has been deleted and there is no free space for the new one.
- central storage would be useful.
I don't understand the hate for Android. If you want to slander their widgets, at least find a screenshot of the current version and don't show the wrinkles with the old OS. Although I understand that this is a simple way of keeping your "sheep" who only follow one page and gobble up every picture you give them.
It's possible, but I avoid jailbreak like hell. I've seen an iPhone with jailbreaks and I probably wouldn't want to use it. Slowing down, falling, and the like don't bother me.
It's always best if it's natively made and not a knee jerk somewhere.
xenon: Not once did the app crash, and what's more, if you download the animation acceleration, it runs faster..
Neonik: I understand the hatred for Android, and I'll take the most common one for many reasons... Android people hate iOS, but they usually don't even have a similar device in their hand. So two camps throwing dirt at each other. But mainly it's a stolen system that uses Apple's ideas from iOS. That just means that you've never created anything yourself, because you would know very well what it's like when you create something great and then some trumbera comes along, copies it from you and even worse and passes it off as his own product and worse if it is his product is successful or more successful, but not because it is better, but it is cheaper and for the masses. Then you will be angry that even if people know that the original product is the BEST, they still prefer to go ahead and buy the stolen product. Well, you should sometimes think about what you write, otherwise than you write that I'm another sheep, I had Android in my hand and if I had to use it longer, I'd throw it out the window and I'd rather be without a mobile phone. It's scary. But if it suits someone, then OK.
For widgets, it would be enough if Apple created just a few useful widgets, and some of them would also feature your chosen notifications or previews of other apps. Most of the widgets are useless and become an impractical decoration when I chase them somewhere on the fifth screen. My experience with Android is that I have settled on a few useful widgets for which I sometimes change the appearance at most. I basically don't need SMS or iMessage, clock?, weather, calendar, Youtube, any notes or more. In the same way, I don't understand why the date is not enabled in the upper bar near the clock. Some preview and a quick jump, for example, to the fifth area wouldn't hurt either.
I would also agree with those updates of only changed parts.
Neonik: just so you know that there are also applists who don't hate Android, I'll tell you that it was definitely not intended to slander widgets and Android, but an example of how things can turn out when someone messes things up. Everyone knows that there are also nice pieces and useful ones for which they would like to have them. You just need to be really clean and don't mess around.
Brrr, I definitely don't miss any of the mentioned. For those who miss it, let them jailbreak their phone and they can have like 20 of those widgets on the start screen :) Jailbreak is also suitable for a lot of other things...
I would appreciate more helpful articles like why can I only have about 8 tabs open in Safari on iPad and if I open another one the first one gets deleted?
Why can't the Kiosk icon on the iPhone be moved to any folder?
etc.
I honestly don't know how useful such an article would be. Safari does not allow multiple bookmarks due to operating memory, and the kiosk cannot be placed in a folder because it is a folder in itself. I don't think there's any need to think about it. But you know how it is, you can't please everyone. Some people like to read such articles, others don't. Everyone likes something different…
I discourage reading exactly articles of this type, just like the annoying repost on your home page Jablicker. Where it changes every moment into something else. Bad taste.
I'm always amazed when I read it here. I really don't understand how anyone can mind having an extra option. Does the choice scare you so much? Then don't be surprised that they scold you sheep.
What annoys me a lot is that Facebook takes up an incredible amount of space on my iPod.. I download the application and it is a little over 30 MB, but when I use it every day, the size of this application (rather the data in it) jumps by about 30 MB.. I don't understand why... And when Facebook already takes up a lot of space (over 500MB happened to me!!) I simply reinstall the application..
If FB integrated, maybe it wouldn't do it..
But why does he do that?! I really don't know.. (I asked a friend with an iPhone 4S and she doesn't have a problem with it..)
Sound Profiles! This is something that really annoys me. I come home and want to mute the ringtone to a certain level and turn off the options at the same time. Simply the functionality that every stupid Nokia has and on Android there are applications with a widget on it.
I would appreciate, for example, closing the folder after starting the application (ideally getting straight to home). Furthermore, at least the display of the current application in MT (for example, closing with this is a spring). I know that both are possible, I even bought something that runs on JB, but I finished with JB some time ago and I would like it right away :-) I also dislike working with a magnifying glass and correcting text in general, especially in addresses in Safari. It also really bothers me that when I open an e-mail, then delete it on the PC/on the Internet and the e-mail on my iPhone is updated (the open message is deleted), then the last message is automatically opened for me (and it is marked as read and I forget about it ). And in general I'll appreciate any info I can get, but I won't have to and it won't mean destroying the system. It's nice to have a choice :-)
Unfortunately, I feel that if the iOS homescreen is to remain in the style it is in today, there is not much room to move.
I have been expecting a notification letter for a long time, this gesture from above was one of the few free ones. In addition, I think that the list has not been consulted so far. Also, multitasking via a double-click on the iPhone is an unusually Neapolitan way. Better on the iPad thanks to the guests.
One thing is whether we are sure not to get rid of the icon matrix and the entire layout of only icons right away. Why? Because OS X also adopts this style and more, it is nonsense to set the x-axis in the direction that ios goes and then dig through ios. Those two directions would never match.
As for the WP GUI, it's a long way off, Android without comments, even the WEB OS looks nice, but it's out of the question.
Apple is probably satisfied with its plain GUI and total coloring pages.
I still don't understand why there is no "silent mode" icon, I switch to silent mode, I forget about it during work, even though I look at the phone many times, ….. (I just don't look from the side that often) and then useless things happen.
I would prefer the notification bar from the bottom. The lower part is less active and the vic would be different. It often happens that I download it without wanting to, for example when copying the address from the browser. On the iPad, due to the space, there could be bars three two for other things. Preview of the second application (multitasking), shortcuts for wifi, BT, silent mode, etc.. Or anything more useful.
I would be happy to have functions that I used on the HTC desire and could not find on iOS:
Profiles and their automatic switching depending on the time (just turn off the sound in the evening and turn on by itself in the morning)
Easily insert contacts from the address book into calendar appointments (a matter of seconds on Android with DialerOne)
And go Fullscreen with Safari.
As I often use the built-in Google Maps (both on iPad and iPhone), I don't understand why it is not possible to rotate the map like in Google Earth. When I turn on the compass, the map rotates, but how many times is it more useful to manually rotate according to the location in the terrain with the map than with the entire iDevice.
I used android for about 3 years. I bought a 4s almost immediately after release and yes, I became a sheep. Personally, I understand it as a dependence on a really tuned, 99% of the time perfectly working system without extra nonsense. And android just can't do that. From the list above, I would definitely welcome dynamic icons. It works great on windows phone. A simple "kill all" button would be enough for me on multitasking. Even though I have never encountered anything holding my iPhone back, even though there are easily 20 applications at the bottom of the bar. It's more of a psychological problem. Well, Facebook will probably be there, and that's fine. The rest are either useless or things that disrupt the overall concept of ios. And the one who really wants them will somehow get them. Oh, and I would like to hide the kiosk! I don't use it and it disturbs my design :) But most importantly! Let them complete the certification bar. I don't know why it's there, but if it is, then let it be useful. The weather and stocks won't impress anyone today. Or let it be turned off. That would be the best…
Well, something along the lines of the Windows ctrl+fv safari would be useful quite often
Michal: if you mean the search function, then it is there via the search field right next to the url, you enter it and in addition to the offer from the net, the number of terms found on the page is at the bottom.
aha, you see :) thanks