Apple introduces Folders with intelligent naming for iPhone OS 4
Apple today introduced Folders for the iPhone OS 4 (iPhone 4.0) Home Screen/app launcher interface.
To use Folders, you start by tapping and holding an icon until it jiggled (like you would to move or delete it). You then drag one icon on top of another and they combine to form a Folder -- a bordered icon with small versions of the contained icons. Folders will name themselves based on the category of the apps you drag into them, or you can edit the name yourself.
Folders behave like any other app -- you can move them around and even place them in the dock for any-screen access. When you tap one, the screen splits open and slides vertically apart to reveal a grid of the apps inside.
This increases the number of apps you can store on your iPhone's 11 Home Screen pages from 180 to over 2000.
But it's still an app launcher at its core, of course. Though, when asked about Widgets Steve Jobs did say Apple implemented them early on in Mac OS X as Dashboard, and simply hadn't had time to do anything with them on the iPhone. (Yet?)
So, does this solve your app managements issues? Or did you need more power? More eye-candy?
Pics and video after the break, or read our complete iPhone OS 4 preview for more!
There are 11 comments. Add yours.
Finally this was what I wanted!
I can't wait to set this up, aww man.
This and Multitasking are the only two worth while announcements that I have seen today.
This is long overdue. Its not winter board, but it will do.
no lockscreen update !?!?!?!?!
No general UI overhaul? Shame. Starting to look stale. Homescreen backgrounds?? Great! Like I'm spending my life there. And anyway it's blocked by apps and folders.
FAIL
Folders! Yay!
I was hoping this was like the iPad letting me share files between apps... I can't believe they didn't add that.
Is this something to be proud of
While android has been doing this since when?
even windows mobile 5
@8. RaceccarBMW
It's not about who does it first. It's about who does it best.
Then Apple simply copies other people and calls it "revolutionary". So much for the argument of how apple < microsoft bc microsoft can only copy and make it better
Rofl
When people compare different hardware or software it inevitably devolves into a feature by feature checklist, including who copied who's feature. You don't get it. It's the same reason people think the iPad is useless because it can be somewhat accurately be described as a big iPod Touch.
Apple understands what the trolls don't: Implementation and the sum of its parts is everything.