TechCrunch reports on some of the discussion surrounding Apple's apparent efforts to encourage members of the international press to attend its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) early next month, disagreeing with the assessment that such encouragements suggest that an iPhone launch may indeed occur and instead arguing that iOS 5 and Mac OS X Lion alone will be a big deal. To that end, the company is seeking to make sure that media members do not skip the event simply because it seems that the next-generation iPhone will not make its debut there.
In addition, the report shares several tidbits that have been surfacing about iOS 5, most notably brief word that Apple is indeed planning to roll out a "completely revamped" notifications system and "widgets" that would presumably provide quick access to information without the need for launching dedicated apps, much the same as Dashboard widgets in Mac OS X.
The other big news for iOS5 - and yes, I've completely buried the lede here, thanks for reading! - two things: completely revamped notifications and widgets.
The iOS notification system has been one of the more highly criticized aspects of the platform, although optimism regarding a potential revamp rose earlier this year amid claims that Apple had acquired an unnamed development firm specifically to assist with the revamp.
As an example of how widgets might be employed, designer Jan-Michael Cart earlier this month released a concept video demonstrating his vision of widgets on iOS.
One other item of interest included in TechCrunch's report today is the claim that the Nuance technology rumored to be deeply integrated into iOS 5 will surprisingly not make its way into the Voice Control component of the platform, although things could change between now and the final release of iOS 5 later this year.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)I have five scrollable screens on my Android phone. Fully four of them are filled with widgets. No opening apps/settings just to toggle wifi or bluetooth. Or checking the weather. Or my world clock. Or Pandora. Having had the Iphone 3G thru 4 before switching over to Android I never realized how limited IOS. I still have my iPad which I love but again, it is such a joke to get around. Open app. Close app. Open settings. Close settings. Way too cumbersome.
So even if the next iPhone refresh is evolutionary, it sounds like iOS 5 is gonna be revolutionary. And because you spend most of your time on the OS, rather than the actual hardware, this would be a good move by Apple. Man, WWDC can't come soon enough :D
Caching up with Android does not sound like very revolutionary to me :p