If there’s one space the place our Android-toting brethren have a bonus, it’s within the a lot better customizability provided by the rival smartphone platform. Nonetheless, Apple could quickly slim that hole if the newest rumors about what’s coming in iOS 18 are true.
Whereas Android customers have loved issues like widgets and random app icon placement on their house screens for the reason that days of Android model 1.1 (aka “Cupcake”), the iPhone has all the time lagged far behind the curve on this one.
For instance, Android 1.0 supported folders when it debuted in 2008, however Apple didn’t add these till iOS 4 in 2010. In the meantime, whereas widgets have been an enormous new factor in 2009 for Android customers, it will take one other 11 years earlier than iPhone customers acquired an excellent marginally comparable expertise.
That’s to not say that the iPhone isn’t properly forward of Android in lots of different areas, however customizability has by no means been one among them. Each firms borrow concepts from one another, however Apple has caught with its extra opinionated designs in terms of the House Display. Nonetheless, for some of us, it feels prefer it’s simply very gradual at catching as much as what Android customers have been in a position to do for years.
Now, it seems that iOS 18 can be one other huge step in that route. In his newest Energy On e-newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman teased that Apple’s subsequent main iPhone software program launch will pack in a “extra customizable” House Display.
Gurman didn’t elaborate on exactly what he meant by that, however the of us at MacRumors checked with a few of their sources, who instructed them that Apple will lastly abandon the requirement that you just prepare all app icons in a sequential grid.
In different phrases, you’ll now be capable of simply create clean areas between app icons, letting you manage them in no matter approach makes probably the most sense for you. Whereas intelligent of us have found out find out how to accomplish this utilizing Shortcuts and third-party apps like Widgetsmith, these are kludgy workarounds for one thing that needs to be constructed into the working system — and one thing that’s been potential on Apple’s rival smartphone platform for about 16 years.
It’s unclear if iOS 18 will abandon the grid structure completely; app icons will seemingly nonetheless need to “snap” into particular positions on the display screen. Nonetheless, even when these 24 spots are fastened, the flexibility to drop them into any one among them is a welcome change for individuals who desire to house their apps out, group them into extra logical preparations, or simply maintain them out of the way in which of a background wallpaper picture.
Sources counsel there can be just a few different House Display customizations, constructing on the Lock Display modifications launched in iOS 16. They haven’t expanded on these but, apart from to say that this might be the largest House Display revamp we’ve seen since widgets got here alongside in iOS 14.
There’s motive to consider that iOS 18 will pack in much more goodies, with a powerful concentrate on generative AI — probably powered by Google’s Gemini if talks between the 2 firms work out. These AI modifications may embody all the pieces from Siri enhancements and auto-generated Apple Music playlists to an all-out ChatGPT-style chatbot. Gurman expects a slew of AI options particularly aimed toward serving to you “handle your every day life.”
With Apple’s June Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC) quick approaching, we’ll seemingly hear extra information slip out as the corporate prepares to unveil iOS 18 and the remainder of its main software program releases. Though particular dates for WWDC 2024 haven’t but been introduced, it’s usually held in early June, with the official announcement going out in late March or early April — in different phrases, any day now.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]