The widgets you add to the home screen aren't the same as this Today View. Know how you side left from the first page, and it has a widgets view? The iPad had the option to keep that view permanently on the screen and bunch the icons to the right. The option was called "Keep Today View on Home Screen":
https://www.macobserver.com/tips/quick-tip/today-view-iphone-ipad/
https://youtu.be/Y6YY06bLEEo?si=w1MHfiw1GJD6yjSg
IMHO, it was a much better implementation of home screen widgets than what we have now.
Feels like the Apple of today forgets this part of Steve's return.