Anybody else think the search page in iOS 9 will replace the need for widgets?

[nj-morris]

This probably sounds crazy and stupid, and I'm not really an expert on what people use widgets for, but I get the impression that the general reason people use widgets is to maybe check news articles, check their social feed, get to their recently used contacts, etc. The search page has all of that, and furthermore, they have an API, so other apps can put content there, whether useful or useless. And it seems much more organised than having Android style widgets.
Is there something that I'm missing? Feel free to give your own opinion, but this is just mine.

EDIT: Just in case there was any confusion, I meant would this feature shut people who want home screen widgets up. Still not a big fan of the notification centre widgets as they are too disorganised, but they do the trick.

 

[quackers82]

Last year i was thinking that screen to the left of the home screen that was in iOS 6 that they removed in iOS 7 would have been a great place to put widgets.

 

[profets]

I don't think it will replace notification centre widgets, but it is a fair question to ask.

I use notification centre widgets quite often throughout the day, mainly for very quick glances at information. And a lot of the time from the lock screen without unlocking the phone. First few things I check are temperatures (from sensors inside & outside the house), calendar items and reminders. I never really viewed them as Android style widgets, as they all blend into a list within notification centre.

Having said that, I do love the idea of the new search/spotlight page.

 

[nj-morris]

Last year i was thinking that screen to the left of the home screen that was in iOS 6 that they removed in iOS 7 would have been a great place to put widgets.

That's my point. They reintroduced that home screen, and as I said, I think the content that they put there is a better solution than widgets.

 

[ajiuo]

No. You can't access search from within an app and you have to take the extra step of typing to get info.

Also. Widgets such as launcher become even more powerful with ios9... Let's say you have safari opened. In ios9 if you pull down Notification Center and use it to launch another app... Instead of switching to that app it opens it on top of safari... Replaces the signal bar with a link to return to Safari... Very quickly. I've actually found open in place to be one of the most useful features of iOS nine.

 

[C DM]

That's my point. They reintroduced that home screen, and as I said, I think the content that they put there is a better solution than widgets.

But widgets can do much more as each developer can define what's part of them and you can choose whats included or not, whether or not it predictably matches what iOS thinks you would need or be interested in. They are also configured by the user as in being in a particular order that is always retained, and can be enabled or disabled as desired. Not sure how much of that applies to the various areas of that new proactive/search page.

However, the bigger thing is the accessibility of it all, as various others have pointed out--Notification Center and thus widgets are accessible from within apps and can also be accessible from the lock screen, so essentially almost universal access with one or two quick actions no matter where you are, which isn't really the case with the proactive/search page.

 

[naasrd]

This probably sounds crazy and stupid, and I'm not really an expert on what people use widgets for, but I get the impression that the general reason people use widgets is to maybe check news articles, check their social feed, get to their recently used contacts, etc. The search page has all of that, and furthermore, they have an API, so other apps can put content there, whether useful or useless. And it seems much more organised than having Android style widgets.
Is there something that I'm missing? Feel free to give your own opinion, but this is just mine.

No, I use widgets for none of the above. Mine embelish the interface.

 

[nj-morris]

But widgets can do much more as each developer can define what's part of them and you can choose whats included or not, whether or not it predictably matches what iOS thinks you would need or be interested in. They are also configured by the user as in being in a particular order that is always retained, and can be enabled or disabled as desired. Not sure how much of that applies to the various areas of that new proactive/search page.

However, the bigger thing is the accessibility of it all, as various others have pointed out--Notification Center and thus widgets are accessible from within apps and can also be accessible from the lock screen, so essentially almost universal access with one or two quick actions no matter where you are, which isn't really the case with the proactive/search page.

Check my edit to the original post.

No, I use widgets for none of the above. Mine embelish the interface.

What do you use them for then?