Is iOS getting too fragile?

[Paco II]

Once upon an iOS time, if an app had a problem, just delete it, reinstall, and things were fine again. Not as much lately.

Case in point: installed an app. Opened it, and selected to restore an in-app purchase. Got restoring purchase spinner, but app hung at that. After about 5 minutes of waiting I forced quit the app. When I tried to reopen it, it immediately crashed. Deleted app and reinstalled. When opening app, it still immediately crashed every time. Deleted app, rebooted phone, reinstalled, crash every time when opening app. Deleted app, rebooted phone, installed previous version of app. No luck, crash every time at opening. No idea what to even try next.

iOS used to be a bit more resilient, no?

 

[I7guy]

It may very well be apples servers. I think things are very slow since iphone 6s and ios 9.

 

[C DM]

All kinds of people had issues with all kinds of iOS versions, down to when it wasn't even called iOS yet.

 

[QuarterSwede]

All kinds of people had issues with all kinds of iOS versions, down to when it wasn't even called iOS yet.

Oh how we forget.

 

[dk001]

I wouldn't say fragile.
Let's say it has "chaotically complicated complexity".

aka: beta.

 

[scjr]

 

[Qbnkelt]

Once upon an iOS time, if an app had a problem, just delete it, reinstall, and things were fine again. Not as much lately.

Case in point: installed an app. Opened it, and selected to restore an in-app purchase. Got restoring purchase spinner, but app hung at that. After about 5 minutes of waiting I forced quit the app. When I tried to reopen it, it immediately crashed. Deleted app and reinstalled. When opening app, it still immediately crashed every time. Deleted app, rebooted phone, reinstalled, crash every time when opening app. Deleted app, rebooted phone, installed previous version of app. No luck, crash every time at opening. No idea what to even try next.

iOS used to be a bit more resilient, no?

Is that an issue with an app or with iOS? Did you contact the app developer or, alternatively, check with Apple?

 

[mariusignorello]

The more code you stuff into a binary, the more things break. iOS 6 to 7 was a rough transition because of parallax. I think they said they rewrote iOS 7 from the ground up to make it what it was.

 

[dk001]

The more code you stuff into a binary, the more things break. iOS 6 to 7 was a rough transition because of parallax. I think they said they rewrote iOS 7 from the ground up to make it what it was.

Did they not also do a fairly significant rewrite of 9 to allow easier exclusion of functions for legacy devices and implement app thinning ability?

 

[Aston441]

There was speculation and hope that 9 would be a pure stability and optimization release.

It was not.

 

[C DM]

There was speculation and hope that 9 would be a pure stability and optimization release.

It was not.

It hasn't been as much yet when it comes to the performance side of it perhaps for some. More updates to come. As for stability, it seems like it has been for the most part for many.

 

[kwokaaron]

Personally I think they're supporting too many devices now. Obviously continued support for older devices is a good thing for us customers, it ultimately bogs down the quality control of iOS with so many devices needing to be tested on. iOS 6 supported 10 iOS devices and with iOS 9 it's double that - 20 devices.

If they cut down the number of devices, such as moving to 64-bit only, it could allow them to trim out old legacy code from iOS and ultimately third-party apps.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

I've experienced the same thing with Shazam lately. Just waiting and hoping for an update.

 

[Benjamin Frost]

Here in the UK, iTunes is abominably slow and has been since Kingdom Come. When you compare it to Amazon, it's simply embarrassing for Apple.

Why Apple are happy with this, I can't say, but it must put a lot of people off from buying stuff.

 

[I7guy]

Personally I think they're supporting too many devices now. Obviously continued support for older devices is a good thing for us customers, it ultimately bogs down the quality control of iOS with so many devices needing to be tested on. iOS 6 supported 10 iOS devices and with iOS 9 it's double that - 20 devices.

If they cut down the number of devices, such as moving to 64-bit only, it could allow them to trim out old legacy code from iOS and ultimately third-party apps.

My guess is ios 9 is the last release for the iphone 5 and below, so going forward it will be 64 bit only.

 

[mariusignorello]

Personally I think they're supporting too many devices now. Obviously continued support for older devices is a good thing for us customers, it ultimately bogs down the quality control of iOS with so many devices needing to be tested on. iOS 6 supported 10 iOS devices and with iOS 9 it's double that - 20 devices.

If they cut down the number of devices, such as moving to 64-bit only, it could allow them to trim out old legacy code from iOS and ultimately third-party apps.

I laugh when in Xcode I see different frameworks labeled as "Requires iOS 2.0 or later."

 

[mariusignorello]

My guess is ios 9 is the last release for the iphone 5 and below, so going forward it will be 64 bit only.

I thought iOS 9 was going to be 64 bit only.

 

[I7guy]

I thought iOS 9 was going to be 64 bit only.

Was that the thought a year ago? I don't remember. But at some point they will cut out the 4s and the 5 and the equivalent ipads.

 

[mariusignorello]

Was that the thought a year ago? I don't remember. But at some point they will cut out the 4s and the 5 and the equivalent ipads.

There will be backlash but it will be completely worth it. They're giving a warning right now with content blockers requiring 64 bit, but the next version of iOS will require it.

 

[I7guy]

There will be backlash but it will be completely worth it. They're giving a warning right now with content blockers requiring 64 bit, but the next version of iOS will require it.

Honestly, I think people expect it. 4S/2011 and 5/2012. Phase out next year, means support for 4 years and 5 years. That's actually pretty good. My old blackberry Storm 2 stopped getting updates in under a year. The apps built for IOS 7 that doesn't require features of a newer operating system, will just live on.

So I think it's all good.

 

[mariusignorello]

Honestly, I think people expect it. 4S/2011 and 5/2012. Phase out next year, means support for 4 years and 5 years. That's actually pretty good. My old blackberry Storm 2 stopped getting updates in under a year. The apps built for IOS 7 that doesn't require features of a newer operating system, will just live on.

So I think it's all good.

That's funny, I think these forums will disagree. If developers wanted to, they'd restrict their apps to the next version of iOS to help Apple out.

 

[I7guy]

That's funny, I think these forums will disagree. If developers wanted to, they'd restrict their apps to the next version of iOS to help Apple out.

There would have to be a technical reason to restrict the apps, rather than a marketing reason. There are a lot of apps where the baseline is IOS 7. Unless your app is using for example: 3d touch, homekit, healthkit or other technologies specifically for 64 bit, there is no reason to restrict the app.

 

[mariusignorello]

There would have to be a technical reason to restrict the apps, rather than a marketing reason. There are a lot of apps where the baseline is IOS 7. Unless your app is using for example: 3d touch, homekit, healthkit or other technologies specifically for 64 bit, there is no reason to restrict the app.

That was a joke. You would have no users left if you actually did that.

 

[I7guy]

That was a joke. You would have no users left if you actually did that.

Lol, late at night...you need a little to alert my tired eyes.

 

[mariusignorello]

Lol, late at night...you need a little to alert my tired eyes.

What's funnier is there was a . Time for bed I think.