[roin]

I remember when someone writing for TechCrunch published a takedown of the iOS 4 beta for ruining the iPhone experience with distracting features such as folders and wallpaper.

The unlikely day that Apple takes the approach that "you don't fix what ain't broke" would be a sad sad day indeed.

[bztzt]

I would still question the value of folders. It makes the homescreen customization experience more confusing and frustrating for everyone in exchange for functionality that's only really useful for a small % of enthusiasts.

[r00fus]

Almost everyone I talked to uses folders - especially in iOS where you can dynamically create folders by drag/drop. The alternative if you have 3 dozen or more apps is pretty daunting.

Where I do agree with you is that Springboard needs a major update - I want to see a grid of apps I've recently launched for example (the recents tray on double-tap home is way too small). Or ones that have updates/badges so I don't have to hunt over my 5-6 screens for updates. Perhaps the notifications enhancements (and the "today overview" a la Google Now) might alleviate this.