Steve Jobs on Lack of Custom Wallpapers in iOS 4 for iPhone 3G
As has been widely discussed, while the iPhone 3G and second-generation iPod touch are compatible with Apple's iOS 4 released yesterday, they do not support all of the features of the updating operating system. Multitasking has been the highest-profile feature unsupported by these older devices, but Apple has also noted (iPhone, iPod touch) three other unsupported features: Bluetooth keyboard support, home screen wallpapers, and data protection.
The inclusion of custom home screen wallpapers has been questioned by a number of users, as it does not initially appear that the feature should require particularly advanced hardware. Gizmodo reports that one user emailed Apple CEO Steve Jobs to ask about the issue, and received a response noting that unsatisfactory performance of icon animations on top of the custom wallpapers was the reason for the omission.
The icon animation with backgrounds didn't perform well enough.
Custom wallpapers have obviously been supported on jailbroken iPhones and iPod touches for quite some time, so it is not obvious just how Apple's implementation differs, but it seems clear that Apple's implementation of custom wallpapers simply didn't reach the company's standards for performance during the development and testing process.Top Rated Comments
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25 months ago
second. my first gen iPhone never had problem with custom icons animating on custom wallpapers, none of which Apple had seen before.
in fact, I'm pretty sure Steve just came up with that reason on the spot. He probably just wants you to buy a new iPhone.
in fact, I'm pretty sure Steve just came up with that reason on the spot. He probably just wants you to buy a new iPhone.
25 months ago
For anyone who has jailbroken their phone (4.0) for JUST wallpapers (I turned off multi-tasking) he's 100% right.
Go ahead and try it. Your phone is much, much slower with a wallpaper enabled.
Everyone bitches about how "slow their 3g is" yet they want something that will make it slower. :rolleyes:
Of course, they could have found a way to make it more efficient if they really wanted to...
Go ahead and try it. Your phone is much, much slower with a wallpaper enabled.
Everyone bitches about how "slow their 3g is" yet they want something that will make it slower. :rolleyes:
Of course, they could have found a way to make it more efficient if they really wanted to...
25 months ago
Why does he care about the performance of the 3G? Doesn't he want everyone to upgrade to the iPhone 4?
25 months ago
I was disappointed by the lack of custom background for my 3G but I'll get over it.
Everything else has got a bit slower with the new OS so I wouldn't be surprised if the icon animation did look shoddy.
Everything else has got a bit slower with the new OS so I wouldn't be surprised if the icon animation did look shoddy.
25 months ago
iOS 4 (as well as 3.1 on the iPad) don't just drop a wallpaper behind, there's a large shadow that is drawn bottom to top over the wallpaper, as well as each icon has it's own dropshadow. In addition the wallpaper reflects into the dock.
In addition there are completely new animations for the homescreen.
Jailbroken wallpapers do not do it the same way. Obviously Apple could have just disabled the dropshadow + effects for the 3G but they chose to either enable or disable features that didn't work as intended rather than strip it down.
In addition there are completely new animations for the homescreen.
Jailbroken wallpapers do not do it the same way. Obviously Apple could have just disabled the dropshadow + effects for the 3G but they chose to either enable or disable features that didn't work as intended rather than strip it down.
25 months ago
I actually noticed this a second ago when I realized that enabling the custom wallpaper is an option in the redsn0w beta that I'm using to jailbreak iOS4.0
(Dev Team outdid themselves. I thought I'd have to wait a while for the jailbreak but it's out within hours of the release of the OS)
But yeah, c'mon. really? The complex wallpaper and skin designs on winterboard run fine on the 3G. No way a jpeg in the background would strain the hardware. I bet it's just another "incentive" Apple is providing for 3G users to switch to iPhone 4.
(Dev Team outdid themselves. I thought I'd have to wait a while for the jailbreak but it's out within hours of the release of the OS)
But yeah, c'mon. really? The complex wallpaper and skin designs on winterboard run fine on the 3G. No way a jpeg in the background would strain the hardware. I bet it's just another "incentive" Apple is providing for 3G users to switch to iPhone 4.
25 months ago
Eh, I have a 3GS but still backgrounds aren't a major selling point for me. My 2G and 3G never had wallpapers.
Think of it this way: your 3G hasn't ever had wallpapers, and when you purchased it you were never told you would get wallpapers. Your device does no less now than it did the day you got it.
Think of it this way: your 3G hasn't ever had wallpapers, and when you purchased it you were never told you would get wallpapers. Your device does no less now than it did the day you got it.
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