iOS 6 Homescreen Concept (OLD THREAD USE NEW ONE)

[Menel]

The thing is, weather should not be the only option because plenty of people would prefer something else. Personally, I have never used the default weather app/widget. I prefer a dedicated, local app because the Yahoo weather readings seem like spray&pray sometimes. Also, local apps give me more accurate readings for every hour and rain radar etc. Usually I just use a good ol' thermometer though, forecasts are always forecasts.

I think there should be an option for something else, e.g. latest tweets or FB status updates.

The iOS weather app pulls data from Yahoo, who pulls data from The Weather Channel.

Especially with the iOS5 hourly info, it handles 80% of my needs, I don't always need to see radar or 10day humidity details. For the other 20%, I can swipe and tap into the TWC MAX app.

I find it perfectly accurate, then again The Weather Channel is based in Atlanta where I'm located *shrug* so they may have more granular accurate results around here.

 

[Schtumple]

I thought of that, it was one of the first designs I mocked up. The issue with that is there wasn't a good way to implement it without removing homescreens for people to use.

For example, I think it would look ugly if all your apps were still stuck on the Springboard and the only way to "hide" them would be a folder. This way your apps aren't anywhere but launchpad, and shortcuts can be used to these apps via Springboard.

They wouldn't be permanent. The only thing that would be permanent would be the Launchpad icon in the dock. (It can be moved into any of the 4 spots, but not off the dock itself.) That was just my graphical lazyness that you see.

That's always the trouble with design mockups, that's all they are, designs, there's now ay to actually test this and see if it works faster than the current system. Still a good effort though

 

[Jare]

That's always the trouble with design mockups, that's all they are, designs, there's now ay to actually test this and see if it works faster than the current system. Still a good effort though

Thanks.

I'll be trying to get this implemented on my iPhone 4s and then get some more stuff up to get a better feel for it.

 

[AppleMaster9]

The time on the phone is 4:20...

 

[kolax]

I'm all for the concept of widgets, but I'm not convinced by your idea. Here's things I'd want instead:

1. 5 icon Dock (rumours of the larger iPhone 5 screen will make this possible without clutter). The home screen will be purely the Dock and widgets. Swipe to the right and you get all your applications as before.

2. Widgets will only appear on one page and will be scrollable.

3. There will be a notification icon on the menu bar, or the menu bar changing colour. Right now, if you have your phone unlocked and get a notification (by default settings for SMS for example) but don't notice, you have to check the notification screen. I'd rather the menu bar showed I have one instead of me having to check in such situations. Of course, ideally, the home button would glow to indicate a notification.

 

[netdog]

I am so sick of Apple's little program icons. It's really a world gone mad when Microsoft leads the way forward in homescreen design.

And yeah, Redmond is leading the way forward there.

As note above, good one on the 4:20.

 

[Arelunde]

I finally realized (a duh! moment) that I didn't have to fill the screen with icons. I could have anywhere from 1 to 16 per page. So, I loaded a lake-scenic wallpaper and have no more than two rows of icons across the top of the photo (where the sky is) and the dock literally sits on top of the lake photo's dock.

The first few screens have the apps I use the most. Later screens have folders (only two rows, though) of apps. Sure made a difference in how the screen looks - much less cluttered... and I can actually SEE the wallpaper.

 

[cainnovacaine]

I love the idea, but I don't think Apple will put widgets on the home screen because they have been so resistant to putting them on the desktop (they are still restricted to dashboard.

I do think they would be wonderful on the Spotlight page, though. If they implemented this feature I think it would be essential to create an OPTION to disable the auto launch of the keyboard. The iPad's Spotlight page would be especially useful for widgets.

I also think a carousel dock would be intuitive, perhaps using the SWIPE UP action to launch the centered app. I don't think you could fit more than six in the carousel dock because the applications should remain visible at all times to make it easier to navigate to the app you want.

3. There will be a notification icon on the menu bar, or the menu bar changing colour.

This is a great idea, perhaps a rolling shine to the black glass "menu bar" to let you know that notifications still reside here.

 

[Jare]

I love the idea, but I don't think Apple will put widgets on the home screen because they have been so resistant to putting them on the desktop (they are still restricted to dashboard.

I do think they would be wonderful on the Spotlight page, though. If they implemented this feature I think it would be essential to create an OPTION to disable the auto launch of the keyboard. The iPad's Spotlight page would be especially useful for widgets.

Thanks. Yeah they could add it to the spotlight page and turn it into "Dashboard", with the search only activating when you click on the search bar.

Sounds like I need to do a mock up of that, too.

 

[stevemiller]

here's how i'd like it to play out, personally:

1. app store submitted widgets for notification centre. a widget is essentially a persistent and dynamically updating notification (on osx they can also perform utilities, but i'd argue that on a phone, as soon as it starts processing user input, its better suited to be an app anyway).

anyway, the precedent has been set with weather and stocks, if options expand, this is where they'll be found. nice to have: since other notifications can live on the lock screen, hopefully they'll let widgets go here too. also: i agree they really should show some sort of 'unread notification' symbol in the status bar.

2. live icons for home screens. make it live in the tasteful space between the more robust information that should be communicated through a widget in notification centre, and the rather limiting numeric badge option that currently exists.

i don't see apple letting a bunch of "because we can" spinning and glimmering animating icons for the sake of it, but an icon should be able to update its appearance in a more flexible way while still retaining a consistent format so the app remains recognizable.

like so many other features that eventually get opened up, apple already has this framework in place for themselves, as evidenced by the calendar app. and the omission of a dynamic clock reinforces my belief that they won't allow anything that would be updating nonstop (i.e. the second hand, or even potentially the minute hand). there would probably be strict requirements that updates occur at reasonable minimum intervals for automated updates, or by push.

3. as for the launcher thing, i really think it adds an extra step and essentially yet another modal region just to give you some sort of wigit-ified start page. my feeling is that we're better served by widgets on the lock screen/notification shade for when you quickly want to *see* something (and is consistently accessible no matter where you are), and keep the unlocked home screen of apps for when you want to *do*.

 

[J.C]

Great concept. I can't understand the criticisms at all. Yes it's like Android. But it's only like Android in that it adds additional customisation. Customisation that I really want. If you like widgets you add them. If you don't then you don't. If you like your home screens to be full of all your apps (exactly like iOS has now) then you drag them all from launcher to the home screens. If you like your home screens half filled with apps or completely empty, then you set it up that way. Those who want everything exactly as it is now can keep it that way. Those who want something different can do so.

It's not embarrassing to do something the way another OS does if that's a positive thing. To not give users the ability to configure their device in a cool way purely because another OS has already done it would be absurd.

 

[Big Dawg 23]

OS X emulates the homescreen of iOS, we're emulating the desktop of OS X.

Why can't you people just enjoy something?

I like what you have done. I have had Android and to me this does not look like TouchWiz. Especially since Touchwiz doesn't all for the Docked ICONs to be changed.


As for a Change, I am on the fence if this needs to be done. One thing many people like about iOS is the continuous appearance and base operation.

 

[kicko]

I suppose this makes iOS closer to android having the ability to customize home screens, widgets and launchpad acting like a seperate app launcher.

ok so to recap: widgets, custom home screens, pull down notification center

Lets call the patent office this afternoon.

 

[kemo]

May I know how u came up on the idea to left there so much free space? There is always not enough space on the smart phone display and u just leave there so much of it... Id say its really a bad concept..

 

[APlotdevice]

Perhaps instead of occupying dock space the Launchpad could be accessed with a simple upward swipe?

 

[fabian9]

Whatever they do in iOS6, I hope they'll let us do this:

 

[Untaken]

I quite like this concept. In fact, it's how I've been using my phone for quite some time (jailbroken, of course). I use LockInfo to get the widgets on the homescreen, and FolderEnhancer to put all of my apps into folders that scroll like the normal pages do. There are other Cydia apps that emulate the other functionality you mentioned, such as positioning icons where you want them. If the OP could work all of these features into a single tweak that would be awesome, and I'd definitely fork over some dough for it.

 

[Arelunde]

I agree - ability to delete certain undeletable apps.

However, I really like Maps. It's just too bad Apple doesn't allow the turn by turn directions that Maps can offer on the "competition." Never quite understood why this is so. Maps can do pretty much everything that a Garmin can, and it's free.

 

[TonyC28]

I like it. The option to replace a row of icons with a widget would be nice. The option to place icons anywhere on the screen, like Gridlock, would be very nice too.

 

[Jare]

May I know how u came up on the idea to left there so much free space? There is always not enough space on the smart phone display and u just leave there so much of it... Id say its really a bad concept..

There doesn't "have" to be any free space at all. The homescreen is fully customizable. I just gave an example of how I'd set it up.

 

[white4s]

The time on the phone is 4:20...

best time of the day

 

[Jare]

I quite like this concept. In fact, it's how I've been using my phone for quite some time (jailbroken, of course). I use LockInfo to get the widgets on the homescreen, and FolderEnhancer to put all of my apps into folders that scroll like the normal pages do. There are other Cydia apps that emulate the other functionality you mentioned, such as positioning icons where you want them. If the OP could work all of these features into a single tweak that would be awesome, and I'd definitely fork over some dough for it.

Haha, thanks.

 

[J.C]

For people having trouble understanding the concept, here's an easy way.

"You can put your widgets, apps and folders where you want them."

That's it. There's no down side. A criticism like "so much free space" doesn't apply because the user is in control. Don't like free space, don't have space.

 

[zipster]

The icon grid layout has persevered so long because it's the most utilitarian way. The desktop hasn't radically changed over the years and neither will the home page of iOS, IMO.

 

[iStudentUK]

What?! Someone made a mock up that's actually quite good? That never happens!