Every company will say the same, regardless of what you are getting with these updates. What is not wise is to update without any careful consideration of what you are getting. We need to stop thinking we always need the latest ones. No, we don't.
Our devices will continue to work fine without them.
And this isn't restricted to iOS. Even apps can lure you into updates that will get rid of some good feature, such as a video player removing support for a now licensed codec or some app that used to download Youtube videos and now had that feature stripped after a complaint.
Or some small change that you hated (and makes all the difference).
The thing with Apple products is that the company wants absolute control over everything.
- You are forced to update iOS even if you don't want. The update is downloaded regardless of any consent and you will accidentally hit OK when asked. You delete the download and later it's there again. The only way to prevent this is installing a tvOS profile, something not even 0.1% of users are aware it can be done.
- You can't remove any iOS version and replace for another you think it's better. As far as I know this is impossible once it has been changed.
- Also, you can't do the same with apps. After the 12.7 iTunes version they removed the App Store, so backup of apps currently available (as .IPA) was not an option anymore. After much complaints they reintroduced, in a not so announced version, in their words, "necessary for some businesses performing internal app deployments" (12.6.3 and later).
- You can't do a backup (a physical one that will enable you to restore the content regardless of what happens) of everything you purchase from Apple. What does that mean? Everything stored online and again you are in their hands.
- After iOS 11 Apple hinted that didn't like the idea of users turning wi-fi/bluetooth off for good. I know the option is still there (internal settings is where you do this), however that tells me in the future they might think no one wants to use these devices offline so leaving them on all the time is a "good idea". What for? More control over what their products can do.
Bulls.hit.
They always give that excuse! There's always something that needs to be fixed, a 1000 years from now these devices will need a new version to patch these security flaws.
Which, of course, rarely affect enough users or represent any serious risk. In most cases I would say it's a scare tactic, something they say it happens and it's not proven or the chances of happening slim, and I doubt it can justify an update.
My iOS 10.3.2 have not given me any problems after almost a year using, in the IPP 10.5. I skipped all iOS 11 versions and will do the same with 12, since nothing changed in terms of battery.
I could, then again that would be quickly noticed, I am positive about this. In case you don't remember iOS tells what apps are wasting more of your battery in the last day or week.
I don't think even losing 30 minutes in a single charge justifies a new iOS version. Perhaps the day I see any improvements in terms of battery I'll change my mind in that regard.
I expect 10 hours of watching a video in a single charge. After 1 year and 10% degradation this is reduced to 8-9 hours. Or 10 to 15 hours of reading ebooks / using Safari. Apps that measure battery degradation and how much time is left can tell you how much you can use for video, browsing, etc.
This is a scenario that will ALWAYS happen regardless of what device or iOS version you are using, provided your iPhone/iPAD is subjected to ideal conditions, and if it's using the iOS version that Apple installed.
Not new ones you decided at your risk to replace.
Meaning that if you heat these batteries (and do other things like wasting the battery down to 0% every single time) they will deplete quickly, try leaving your iPhone everyday exposed to the Sun, I bet the degradation will be 2-3% every month.
There are also other factors like increasing brightness, which we all know can waste the battery a lot more faster. In my case I always use 25-30% and no more than 40 while watching movies.
Theft is still theft whether you notice the thief has stolen from you or not.
Apple is reducing the lifespan of all devices to force users to replace the batteries and/or buy new products. The fact they don't admit this in the open doesn't mean they aren't doing.
This is what planned obsolescence is, and if you think this isn't the case then explain the thousands of complaints about battery issues (even newspapers have mentioned) and why no changelog from iOS versions are saying "
fixed: battery issues".
It's not saying because it does not interest to Apple that you can use the same product for 5 or more years without giving them more money. I intend to use mine for decades if possible.
PCs with new Windows versions can be formatted, and you can use an old Windows that is more suitable for that old hardware. For Apple products iOS (12) may work with many devices, but that doesn't mean the battery will not suffer. I bet it will in every one of them.
Why?
Any device that wasn't created with iOS 12 in mind it's simply not powerful to handle it without depleting faster your battery.
That's why I think Apple will never fix anything.
My iPAD Pro 10.5 was released in 2017 when iOS 10.3.2 was available. If I replace with iOS 12, which is designed for the upcoming iPAD Pro, then I am taking a risk that it will continue to work fine and my battery won't be affected.
Based on all commnents I read so far and my own experience with the IPP 9.7 I won't do that.
No one is saying iOS 12 is bad.
All I am saying is that unless there is scientific proof that all I explained is not being done by Apple deliberately then no one should trust this company, which has already acknowledged a similar conduct:
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/30/...department-of-justice-sec-investigation-probe
The burden of proof is not mine. This is Apple we are talking about, which has a history of overcharging for everything and... megalomania. Not that they don't create good stuff, or the competitors aren't just as bad.
It's simply that I now refuse to support any company that doesn't care about me as a customer and only wants to profit no matter what.
They will continue to lose over time even if you don't touch them (in standby). That's how these batteries work.
What is not OK is to be robbed from the years you could be using this same device or the less hours you would be using during the day if you had not updated in the first place.
Or the money you'll be forced to spend in a new battery, or a new device that can last these same hours or require a battery replacement in (for example) 5 instead of 3 years.
When I buy a lamp that is predicted to last at least 2-3 years I don't expect it to surpasse that one that is burning since 1901.
But if it stops working after 6 months or a year then I'll investigate what could be reducing its lifespan.
It's one thing when it's your own fault and another when several users report the same issues after doing the same thing, which is updating iOS.
They are not complaining about faulty devices.