Concept

Lock Screen Drawer is another iOS 7 toggle concept

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 13, 2018

One of the annoying quirks of iOS is there's no way to quickly toggle battery-draining and data-thirsty features and services we like to use selectively. Of course, that's without jailbreaking. Considering BossPrefs (the precursor to SBSettings) was released in 2007, it's about time Apple caught up with the demand for an official quick toggle panel. But how would Apple approach the problem?

Jean-Marc Denis posted one possibility to Dribbble. It's a concept called 'Lock Screen Drawer', which would allow users to access toggles by pulling on a tab under the lock screen clock. Pull the tab, and a small tray slides out. In the concept, the tray is equipped with toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, airplane mode, and hotspot. We'd like to see GPS on the list too, so hopefully there would be a way to customize the toggles...

iOS 7 Quick Settings concept for the iPhone 5

Mike Schnier ∙ January 17, 2013

Remember the iOS concept video we saw earlier this week from André Luis Moreira? It turns out that Moreira had just posted an updated version of the concept on The Verge's forums. The updated concept is similar to what we've already seen, but features essential refinements to the original design, in addition to being resized to fit the iPhone 5's 4-inch screen.

Read on to see what's new, and what has changed in Moreira's new concept video...

Auxo designer creates concept video for silent Do Not Disturb alerts

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

On Monday, we reported on Sentry's Do Not Disturb concept. The original concept makes use of a "pull to refresh" gesture in Notification Center to toggle iOS 6's Do Not Disturb mode, instead of relying on a timer. The DND concept looked elegant and intuitive, and in many ways, Sentry outdid Apple's implementation of Do Not Disturb. In fact, Sentry even has one more thing up his sleeve to show us.

Early this morning Sentry posted another video to YouTube which expands on the original concept, this time focusing on Alerts in Do Not Disturb mode. Normally, in iOS 6, Do Not Disturb mode applies only when the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is locked, but Sentry has found a way to deliver silent, unobtrusive alerts while the device is still in use...

iOS concept video shows off Quick Settings, App Flow multitasking and more

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated December 20, 2017

André Luis Moreira, an animator who shares a name with a football player from Brazil, posted a video of a concept for an iOS overhaul back in September, which contains a few surprising features. Keep in mind this isn't a tweak, just a video concept produced with Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, and Premiere.

The animation focuses on three main concepts for improving iOS. Quick Settings, a pane that collects the most used options from the settings page; App Flow Multitask, which adds a full screen preview to the app switcher panel; and Dynamic Settings, which provides shortcuts that allows users to quickly jump to a specific app's settings...

Here’s a budget iPhone concept with a 3.5-inch display

Cody Lee ∙ January 16, 2013

Apple is expected to make a few changes to its mobile lineup this year. For the iPad, it's expected to revamp the 9.7-inch model making it thinner and lighter, with smaller bezels. On the iPhone side, it's expected to release a new budget model.

As with all new product rumors, artists are using their skills and creativity to create mockups of what these things could possibly look like. We showed you some earlier today of the next-gen iPad, and now we have some of the rumored 'iPhone mini.'

New Game Center concept looks sharp without the textures

Cody Lee ∙ January 15, 2013

During its big executive shuffle last fall, Apple put expert designer Jony Ive in charge of all HI (Human Interface). And since then, there has been non-stop speculation regarding what kind of changes might be made to the ever-aging iOS.

And a lot of folks are wondering what the operating system would look like without all of the skeuomorphism — the leather, etc. textures. Well designer Adrian Maciburko might be on the right track with his “Crystal Interface” concept...

A new concept from the designer of Auxo improves Do Not Disturb

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 14, 2013

I think it's safe to say that the Auxo jailbreak tweak was a resounding success. As you may remember, it initially started out as a concept posted on The Verge forums. Its designer, Sentry, hooked up with a more than capable developer, and eventually the pair made the concept into a successfully reality.

Well it appears that Sentry is back, this time with a new concept aimed around improving the functionality of Apple's built in Do Not Disturb feature. While Apple may not think that it needs improvement, judging from the advertisement spot it just released showcasing the feature, Sentry believes that he can improve Do Not Disturb by meshing it with Notification Center.

Gorgeous iPhone 6 concept based on new iPod nano design

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 29, 2016

Though Apple is believed to have sold in upwards of 50 million iPhones last quarter, there are still many critics out there that believe both the handset, and the software it runs, are getting a bit long in the tooth.

This is why we continue to see concepts for new iPhones and iOS features with refreshed designs. In fact, a new one popped up yesterday that gives the smartphone an all new look à la the 7th gen iPod nano...

Upcoming tweak puts customizable app shortcuts to your iOS lock screen

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 31, 2017

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9MuVquYUUA

The iPhone's lock screen has got to be the source of endless inspiration for jailbreak developers and conceptual artists who are constantly coming up with new ways to broaden functionality of your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. UI designer @Sentry_NC of the Auxo fame thought long and hard about juicing up the iPhone's lock screen and came up with this concept showing how the iOS lock screen pulley grabber could be for more than just the camera app.

What's best, we heard that jailbreak developer Rudolf Lichtner is already working on turning his idea into a reality. As always, our own Jeff Benjamin will be monitoring the progress of this tweak and sharing his hands-on impressions as soon as the finished code hits Cydia...

This is inevitable: the iPhone, 5 years into the future

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 26, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zhEuFwoVns

I love my iPhone for what it does and even more so for what it might be capable of doing the next year and the year after - and beyond. Heck, a whole cottage industry of mockups and concept renders has sprung up around forthcoming iPhones.

If you ask Aatma Studios, a future iPhone will have a holographic keyboard (Fox News shamefully thought the concept was real!). Another guy, a student, dreamt up a Vibrative Virtual Keyboard that lets you “type” on flat surfaces. Taking their design cues, YouTube user "FranSnk3d" last week posted this nice clip.

I know it is too easily admissible, but so would had been the original iPhone if someone had laid out the concept for you years prior to the January 2007 introduction. Let's also not forget pico projection is here and that holographs have come quite a long way.

Indeed, who's to say this won't be a future iPhone five or so years from today?

Conceivable concept tidies up the Notification Center mess

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 10, 2012

Notification Center, a feature Apple borrowed from the jailbreak community, continues to be artists' favorite playground, if numerous concepts are anything to go by. I'm especially liking a new concept by Alex Saretzky, a designer who is proposing a better use of the screen real estate in Apple's implementation of the Notification Center.

The redesigned feature helps convey more information compared to Apple's version of the Notification Center. Specifically, Alex says Apple should drop the linen background (we're looking at you, Jony Ive) and re-think some of the design decision that clash with its own Human Interface Guidelines...

Check out this cool Lockscreen concept

Cody Lee ∙ December 5, 2012

As successful as iOS has been, and continues to be, for Apple, there's no question that it's getting a bit long in the tooth. After all, a majority of the operating system looks just like it did when the iPhone first debuted back in 2007.

And that's why we see so many concepts for iOS. Because there's several ways Apple could improve its mobile platform, from smarter notifications, to broader widgets. And that's proven once again with this new Lockscreen design...