Ingenious! How did they come up with such a unique idea! They need to patent it right now before everyone else implents into their own designs.
No wait...
Sharp-eyed Twitter chap @ebin_5 has spotted something interesting: a reference to folders in future versions of Windows Phone. Ebin published a link to a Microsoft page categorised as having something to do with Windows Phone 8 and the title “Create folders on my Start screen”. That page has since disappeared from Windowsphone …
Despite risking trying to reason with a crazy person (folders are about as inventive as rounded corners on icons) but Windows Mobile 6.5 had folders. About a year before iOS. Probably at the same time Android got them.
While it's nice that you're trying to join in with the patenting jokes, the cargo culting approach to humour does mean that you miss the fact that Apple are the ones who've done the most public and hilarious patent enforcement in recent years.
It means he's heard of Jokes, and knows that good Jokes bring the mythical Upvote, but hasn't really understood how they work, so is building his own imitation Joke based on what he's seen used before in the hope of getting some sympathetic Upvotes.
aka ... the Cargo Cult, where primitive tribes built fake wooden airstrips after WWII to try and attract back the military aircraft bearing Cargo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult
Nokia released an App back when they released the Black update for Lumia devices, which allows folders to be created on the home screen.
I assume, as part of the Nokia takeover that the app might be released for non-Nokia devices in the future?
That said, I haven't used it in anger. I tried it out, then deleted it again. It works, but doesn't fit with my style of working - I don't use folders on my Android or iOS devices eithr.
All the phone UIs but WP use a Windows 3.x Program Manager design. It was the same used by PalmOS, and blindly copied by iOS and Android. Neither of them tried a new approach. Probably because that design has the psychological effect to induce users to fill the gaps with new candy icons.
Only MS tried different designs, and understood the home screen must display useful informations, not justy colorful candies (well, those who don't use a phone for business just need the candies...).
Tiles are probably the only real innovation in phone UIs since multitouch.
To be honest I liked Windows phone as far as it went but it was just never far enough, so I waited and waited for the update from MS, I installed the developer edition and ........
WTF hardly anything has changed apart from a siri / google now wanabe that we all know will be like bing almost pointless outside the US of A..... and WOW I CAN HAVE MY OWN BACKGROUND ON HOME SCREEN WITH TRANSPARENT TILES..... gasp how ever did they come up with home screen setup ?
I have now sold my Nokia even though I loved the phone itself and bought an LG G2 instead, boy what a relief, back to the world of being able to set up a phone how I want.....