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Apple’s New iOS Customization Options Are Long Overdue
And also not that great
I usually wait a few days — okay, maybe a week or two — before I update the operating system on my iPhone. But when I heard that, for the first time, Apple allowed for customization so thrilling that it became a TikTok sensation, I downloaded the new iOS the day after it came out.
What should have been a joyous occasion, though, ended up being a subpar disappointment. iOS 14’s customizations are laborious and minor; for those willing to put in the work, these new customizations can transform the iPhone experience, but the rest of us, who are impatient or simply cannot dedicate literal hours to customizing our home screen, it’s a minimally impactful development. Even so, these minuscule customizations are a significant diversion from what the dictatorial Apple typically allows.
Since Steve Jobs started the company in 1976, Apple has not been amenable to allowing users to assert control over their own experience. “Historically, Apple has taken the same approach as McDonald’s — that everybody on Earth should consume the same product, with a few localizations,” says Torkil Clemmensen, PhD, a professor of human-computer interaction at the Copenhagen Business School. “Which is okay, very American, but in my opinion kills off innovation and diversity of technology use.”
