Re: @Lost all faith...
These are the widgets on my phone.
Google Keep. Very convenient as a widget.
Google Play Music. When I start playing it, it also goes on my lockscreen and notification shade.
Google Now.
Weather and Calendar. When I click on the time, it opens the timer/stopwatch app. When I click on the weather, it opens the detailed weather for the next 7 days
Time widget for the UK office.
Google Search widget
Agenda widget which shows me appointments for the month. With an option to add meetings and to go to settings to change it's look and behavior.
Direct dial widgets for my wife and kids and friends.
Direct contact widgets so I can select the mode of communication (phone, email, text)
So no. iOS doesn't have widgets. And iOS 8 will not have widgets either. After not having a notification shade for many versions, now everything has been shoved down into one area. Simply because they don't want to admit that they are copying yet another feature from Android.