news 
Four Months In, iPhone 16’s Customization Features Still Lack Polish
In June 2024, Apple previewed iOS 18 at WWDC as the operating system that would make the iPhone experience more personal, capable, and intelligent than ever. As a beta tester, I had the opportunity to install it on my iPhone 15 Pro in July, and have now been using the stable version on the iPhone 16 Pro for four months. While iOS 18 has brought about a fresh, modern look to the iPhone, its customization features still require significant refinement.
One of the major improvements is the ability to personalize the Control Center. With iOS 18, users can adjust the size and position of controls, creating a tailored experience that suits their needs. However, this feature falls short in landscape orientation. As soon as I switch to a horizontal layout, my carefully curated design is disrupted, leaving me with a cluttered and overwhelming display that defeats the purpose of customization.
Furthermore, even simple actions like adding an app icon to a folder are not seamless. When attempting to add an icon to a folder in the bottom right corner of my home screen, I am forced to push the folder to the next page, drop the app icon, move it to the folder on the subsequent page, and then drag the folder back to its original position – a multi-step process that should ideally be achieved through a single drag-and-drop gesture.
Additionally, an issue that persisted from iOS 17 continues to frustrate me. If I remove all but one app from a folder, it fails to transform into a single app icon. Instead, it remains a one-app folder, which is not only inconvenient but also unnecessary.
My experience with the new Photos app has also been underwhelming. While I have managed to customize the menus to my liking, there are still issues that hinder an intuitive user experience. Specifically, when opening an album that stores important documents such as IDs and invoices, I am consistently tricked into tapping on a large auto-generated video that takes up half the screen, thinking it’s a photo. This has become a source of daily frustration.
It is imperative for Apple to recognize that AI can be used to improve the Photos app’s functionality. For instance, in an era where AI plays a crucial role in simplifying tasks, it should be able to understand context better when generating movies within albums. If an album contains only text-based images, such as receipts or invoices, there is little need for a slideshow with background music.
These minor issues may seem insignificant to some, but they have become daily annoyances that detract from my overall iPhone experience. While I appreciate the new tinting effects and the ability to place icons freely on my home screen, these bugs must be addressed to bring the iPhone’s interface in line with Apple’s renowned standards of stability.
As a result, I believe it is essential for Apple to focus on refining its customization features to provide users with an intuitive and seamless experience. Until then, the potential offered by iOS 18 remains unrealized.
Source: http://www.forbes.com
