Apple iOS 14 Home versus Windows 10 Start menu
Ever since the first iPhone came to the market, the cheery has always been the iOS. Regardless of the iPhone’s radical designs and top of the line specs, one thing that has regularly made the iPhone stand out from the rest is the iOS. Apple has always trusted iOS to make the iPhones usable and be used by billions of people.
Personally, for me, iOS continues to be the prime reason that forbids me to move to Android or any other brand for that matter. I believe this is the reason that most people are willing to pay the extra premium for their next iPhone. Globally people, who can afford, continues to move from Android to iPhone as the latest iOS still provide support for a 5-year-old iPhone.
On 22nd June, during WWDC20, Apple announced iOS 14 along with macOS 11 (the Big Sur), iPadOS, watchOS 7, and so on. The below picture summarizes the major, differentiative features that are part of the iOS 14.
All these features are available to all the devices that have launched post-iPhone 6s (post 25th September 2015).
iOS 14 Home clues from the Windows Start menu
Probably for the first time, iPhone’s home screen is getting such a desirable makeover. It has always been a useful user interface, and now Apple is planning to give some more usability improvements. Out of all the features and improvements, let’s talk about the widget on the home screen and app library.
At first glance, I felt that even after such delayed effort, Apple has yet attempted to stole away something that belongs to Microsoft (or maybe Google) for years. I could easily resemble it with the Windows 10 Start menu. Perhaps also with the Android Home if you customize it.
I preferred Windows 10 for comparison as such a view comes well-organized, out-of-the-box. Honestly, I believe that Windows 10 Start is still far ahead in the overall comparison when it comes to design and experience. I have put my thoughts and findings in the following.
Some of the novel features of the Windows Start menu:
- Fixed-size, tile-based widget representation.
- Mixing of application icons and widgets.
- Informative, Live tile (animated) box for a quick reference.
- Long press/hold for changing the position of tiles.
- Online suggestions based on the installed apps and preferences.
- Option to customize the size of the tiles.
- Organize similar apps in a Group with just drag on the screen.
- Change the name of the group after opening it.
- Scroll the application titles in alphabetical order.
- Uninstall any application right from the start menu.
- Pin any application to the start menu.
- Recently Added section to quickly find the new apps.
- And so on.
Apart from this, there are several areas where Windows 10 start would beat iOS 14, all hands down.
- Adjust the size of the Start menu as you like.
- Live tiles and the list of all apps are available together.
- Windows Explorer (Folders), Settings, Photos & Videos, and Shutdown options are right there.
- Right-click on the Start menu to get advanced, superuser options.
- Right-click on the tiles to open any application as system Administrator.
- Right-click on the profile picture and sign out from the session with a click.
Opinion
We have always appreciated the well-thought designs and user experiences designed by Apple for iOS or macOS or others.
Yet, Apple was never that quick as its peers when it comes, especially, to this software interface design, as well as the latest hardware technology adaptions. The slow and reluctant moves towards better usability and failure to adapt to the changes quickly are evidence. Its peers like Google, Microsoft, and other smartphone makers are ahead in many such areas; Type-C cables adoption is such an example.
Well, I am glad that at least Apple is now (re)focusing on such an area that was left untouched since the inception of iOS. But I still wish that Apple also focuses on the latest hardware-based features and the relevant next-gen offerings, soon. A quick summary is as below:
- Type-C cables,
- 5G network chipsets,
- Wi-Fi 6 out of the box,
- Better music codecs than AAC (AptX or something similar),
- Bluetooth version 5x, etc.
Having said this, I would say that I love the fact that even the latest iOS 14 supports the devices which have launched about five years ago! That is a remarkable achievement for their core hardware and software teams.
Give this article a few claps if you find the above information to be well-articulated and useful. Have a creative and productive day ahead! :)
