Recent leaks suggest that iOS 18 may introduce a significant breakthrough in the layout of home screen apps, offering Apple enthusiasts the chance to bid farewell to the traditional "grid lock" mode and usher in a new era of freely arranging app icons and various widgets.
This implies that iPhone users can flexibly organize their home screen interface according to personal preferences and practical needs, breaking away from the constraints of strict alignment and providing unprecedented personalized space on their phone interfaces.
For loyal Apple fans, this change might seem significant, but for Android users, it's already an old hat feature. Now, iOS 18 is gearing up to catch up, with Apple aiming to further align and compete with the Android camp in the realm of customizable home screens.
If the rumors are true, iOS 18 will grant users unprecedented control, allowing them to customize their iPhone home screens as they please. While Android users are already accustomed to this, I don't want my iPhone to end up looking like an Android device.
This topic presents a bit of a paradox: giving users more freedom to create unique home screens can make iOS more akin to the personalized experience of Android, but it might also dilute the distinctive charm iOS has always had.
When it comes to iOS 18 and the iPhone home screen, Apple's meticulous grid layout of apps indeed offers efficient functionality. Frequently used apps are always within easy reach in fixed positions, while infrequently used ones can be hidden away in the App Library or various folders, maintaining a clean and tidy home screen. Of course, you can also add widgets to add some flair, cleverly utilizing areas that aren't intended to be cluttered with app icons.
It's said that on iOS 18, users will be able to break free from the grid and place app icons more freely on the home screen, resulting in some blank spaces. This mirrors a common practice on Android systems, where you can place apps anywhere on the home screen at will. Although these blanks don't serve any substantial purpose other than allowing your wallpaper to be more prominently displayed.
Personally, I quite enjoy neatly arranging frequently used apps at the bottom of my Android phone's home screen. I prefer sticking to a fixed layout pattern and appreciate admiring my chosen wallpaper every time I unlock my phone, which is part of the charm of Android. However, when it comes to iOS, I sincerely hope it doesn't absorb too many elements from Android.
The Androidification of iOS
In recent years, to give iOS a sense of innovation, Apple has borrowed quite a few ideas from Android. For instance, widgets were originally a hallmark feature of Android, first appearing in iOS's Today view and later integrated into the home screen in iOS 14. During the same period, Apple also introduced the App Library, which functions similarly to the app drawer on Android phones, making it convenient to store less frequently used apps without uninstalling them.
In iOS 16, the lock screen interface has undergone significant optimization, allowing the addition of widgets, adjustment of clock font styles, and the creation of multiple lock screen styles based on different contexts. With these improvements and other subtle adjustments over the years, the software interface of the iPhone has indeed become more personalized, but it still retains the distinctive features of iOS.
There's a mutual influence between platforms, with Android phones also adopting some design elements from iOS. Recently, manufacturers like Xiaomi, OPPO, and Huawei are striving to integrate Apple's dynamic island into their own Android interfaces. Previously, many Android phones defaulted to a multiple home screen layout similar to iOS, rather than a single app drawer, clearly inspired by iOS design.
Going too far?
Despite the many similarities between the two major systems, they still have distinct differences. Concerningly, there are rumors that the iOS 18 update might overly mimic Android. Even though users shouldn't and shouldn't be forced to create gaps or large blank areas on the home screen, if iOS devices eventually perfectly replicate the layout and style of my Android phone apps, it's not a change I look forward to.
In theory, users could replicate the iOS home screen layout on an Android phone, but most people never do this. I expect different phones to have different looks and feels, after all, they are equipped with different hardware and software. A phone shouldn't look like a replica of another, but should maintain its unique personality.
Many Android phones tend to mimic the interface design of iOS, much like some smartwatches blindly emulate the style of watchOS. When I see manufacturers copying the camera module design of the iPhone, I get the same feeling. Simply put, if I want an iPhone and to use iOS, I'll just go buy one; if I want an Android phone, I'll buy an Android.
Currently, although criticisms of homogenized smartphone appearances persist, there have been significant improvements. I don't want us to start feeling similarly dissatisfied with smartphone software in the near future, especially inadvertently stifling individuality in the pursuit of personalization. Overly pursuing cross-platform consistency will only make things feel dull rather than genuinely personalized.
Each mobile operating system should maintain its own characteristics, even if there are subtle differences, they shouldn't be easily confused with each other.
In conclusion The boundary between iOS and Android is gradually blurring, and while mutual inspiration has to some extent propelled industry progress, maintaining the core features and unique experiences of operating systems is still crucial. The shift with iOS 18 is like a delicate dance between personalization and brand recognition, meeting users' desires for flexibility on the home screen while adhering to the order, simplicity, and elegance that iOS has always represented. In the future of mobile operating systems, only by finding the right balance between inclusivity and self-preservation can one maintain a leading position in the market competition and win user loyalty and love for the brand, which ultimately depends on how manufacturers handle it.
