Steve Jobs on Lack of Custom Wallpapers in iOS 4 for iPhone 3G

092006 ios 4 home screen

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.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...
android iphone airdrop quickshare

iPhone Users Can Now AirDrop Files to Android Devices

Thursday November 20, 2025 9:47 am PST by
Google today announced a new cross-platform feature that allows for file sharing between iPhone and Android users. With AirDrop on the iPhone and QuickShare on Pixel 10 devices, there is a new file transfer function available. The file sharing option works on Apple devices that include iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Fold....

Top Rated Comments

uberamd Avatar
201 months ago
Without a doubt, BS. It's called planned marketing obsolescence.
No... it isn't.


Apple, EASILY, could release IOS 4 for the original iPhone with at least some of its features.
It did. Folders for example. However there is only so much you can do software wise when the limitation is in the hardware. Unless you are talking about the 2G, but this thread is titled for 3G so I will assume thats what you are talking about. If you are saying 2G, then sorry but your device isn't any less without the new features.


Apple is starting to become a parody of comedy bits about itself.

Everyone has to have a new "MAPPLE" product, yet everyone hates how the company treats them afterwards. (Simpsons episode)
Seriously? Are you serious? What other company provides a constant stream of free software updates to a mobile device? Apple can't work miracles, they can't get certain parts of software to run on a device that CAN'T SUPPORT IT. Thats the same reason your original XBox can't play XBox 360 games, and why the PS2 can't play PS3 games. USE YOUR HEAD.


You would think Steve Jobs, after a liver transplant, would grow up and start treating his customers who spent over $500 on an original iPhone better, but nope.

Jobs is still the same spoiled brat who treats his customers like $HlT and disowns his own child.
How can you say this? Hm? Does Microsoft treat the customers who purchased the original XBox better still? Does Sony treat original PS2 buyers better still? Does World of Warcraft treat its 4 year straight @ $15/mo subscribers better? NO. Want new features? Buy a new XBox, buy a new PS3, buy the new WoW expansion, and keep PAYING. That's what companies do. You have gotten free updates to the OS for years now! What more do you want?! Why don't you actually try some programming and see if you can work miracles when hardware is the limitation...


Him and Warren Buffet are starting to look like a world leaders, yet Jobs hasn't changed one bit. That's a shame. Apple has more value now than Microsoft and Steve Jobs has a new liver and doesn't have a freaking care in the world. F the customers.
F the customers? By not providing wallpapers? How old are you? Honestly, I feel like I am reading something a uneducated 10 year old wrote.


Who cares? The lemmings will still buy more insanely great products and toss the old ones in the trash just to contribute to global pollution just because Steve Jobs tells them to, not because the device is outdated. Wonderful. Good way to save that billions of dollars in the bank Steve.

Thank you Apple.

[tosses original $500 iPhone in the landfill with everyone else]
Ugh, you are such a ignorant uneducated person I don't know how to even properly respond to you. I wish I could meet you in person and actually have a debate with you and see how long it takes before you just collapse due to a lack of knowledge on the topic at hand.

A few points for you, buddy:

* When you purchased the original iPhone, were you EVER promised Folders? Multiatasking? Wallpapers? Answer: NO! You were NEVER told you would get those things and you are NOT owed them
* Did you purchase your original iPhone with the thought that you would be able to use custom wallpapers? NO! Why? Because that was NEVER an option back when you decided to purchase your device.
* Does your iPhone perform the EXACT SAME TASKS it did back when you purchased it originally? YES!
* Has ANY functionality been REMOVED from the device that was there in the past? NO. You have the SAME phone you have always had


Conclusion: You purchased your iPhone because it was able to perform certain tasks. Through free software updates that Apple released (none of which you were owed or were entitled to) your phone started doing MORE than it could when you originally purchased it. Your phone was made BETTER through free software updates, that once again you were never owed in the first place. GROW UP.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rols Avatar
201 months ago
They aren't missing much, I find the screen a lot harder to read andd switched to the darkest wallpaper I could. Can't find an option for a plain black screen anywhere yet.

I put the phone on a table and took a picture of nothing, then used that. I wish it had a 'no background' button because unless it's smart enough to figure out my black background is really black, then it's probably rendering invisible shadows on the icons I don't need and slowing the phone down. Backgrounds under the icons was ugly, not providing a black background was stupid, not providing a no-background option was ridiculous.

Waiting for 4.1. :D
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bahooki Avatar
201 months ago
Disgusting.

How stupid does he think we are?

Are you new to these forums? It's full of people that actually think Apple cares about them.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wujonathan1994 Avatar
201 months ago
I know....I know the raging crappy multi-task doesn't fit my I touch 2 GEN... but is it too much to ask a damn friggin wall background??:mad:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
duncanapple Avatar
201 months ago
Everyone does know that you can barely even see the wallpaper through the icons, right? :rolleyes:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ouimetnick Avatar
201 months ago
Well on my Original iPhone who died several months ago, I could have it jailbroken, an have backrounder for multitasking, MMS to send photos, Video recording (was great in light, but was terrible in lower light locations) I had themes or I could stick with the default Apple springboard with a background. Being honest, multitasking was great. The phone took so log to open up iPod, Safari and messages, so I enabled them to run in the background, and they opened the millisecond I tapped on their icons.

Even with a background and backrounder for multitasking, tr battery still lasted a day and a half, and the animation wasn't anymore laggy as it had already need on stock firmware.

Apple should give 3G users things like BT keyboard and wallpaper. Fine with me, do add shadows to icons, but if I can get all the features from a 3GS on an Original iPhone, the hardware I capable enough.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)