Yearly iOS release cycle not sustainable

[lagwagon]

I think it's getting more and more evident they are getting further and further behind.

Compare the amount of patches each version of iOS has gotten throughout the years. Now it to the point where at about the time most people are satisfied with a release (ie iOS 8.4.1) they are releasing another major update.

iOS 8 was the first version of iOS to make it to a X.4 update. iOS 4 had a ton of updates too but there was more of a disconnect between carrier specific phones back then.

iOS has turned into a monster and bringing it all together in a timely manor is getting more and more difficult. This is where you can see good management shine because adding more people can get to the point that it hurts more then it helps and requires ton notch supervisors to bring it all together.

Honestly I wouldn't mind to see more of an El Capitan or snow like approach. Add a couple superficial features and spend the rest of their effort streamlining what is already in place.

iOS 8 had 4 major updates for specific reasons. It had nothing to do with the "state" of the OS.

8.1 was sms continuity and Apple Pay in the US.

8.2 was adding Apple Watch app and support.

8.3 was updates to Unicode. (new emojis)

8.4 was redesigned Music app and Apple Music.

Just because it got to 8.4.1 does not mean it needed that many fixes. They were feature additions and product support.

 

[cynics]

iOS 8 had 4 major updates for specific reasons. It had nothing to do with the "state" of the OS.

8.1 was sms continuity and Apple Pay in the US.

8.2 was adding Apple Watch app and support.

8.3 was updates to Unicode. (new emojis)

8.4 was redesigned Music app and Apple Music.

Just because it got to 8.4.1 does not mean it needed that many fixes. They were feature additions and product support.

That's true! Hmm I have no explanation why iOS version keep dropping so buggy then. Hopefully we are past the days of 8.0.1.

 

[treichert]

At some point in August (every year), all development efforts will be focussed on adding new features to iOS specifically for the new iPhone models. This basicly means no bug fixing, optimizations or improvements will be made to iOS until the .1 release of iOS

This is simply not how software development works.

 

[Noble Actual]

From an Xbox guy, that's not the way to do it. They add one new feature and break 10 others this way and it's an endless cycle of bugs and nonsense which is why I'm on windows 7 and bought a PS4.

Not true if you actually have an Xbox One.

I do and I'm part of the preview program. Are there bugs in the preview program? Yes, but that's why its a preview. Come actual release everything is fixed.

 

[Gryfter]

Know what really grinds my gears?

Why didnt Apple stick with the iPhone 3-iOS 3, iPhone 4-iOS 4, iPhone 5-iOS 5, iPhone 6-iOS 6, so on and so forth.

 

[mazdamiata210]

Not true if you actually have an Xbox One.

I do and I'm part of the preview program. Are there bugs in the preview program? Yes, but that's why its a preview. Come actual release everything is fixed.

I had an Xbox One since release day, to say it's bug free is insane. You can't sit there and tell me that they added in features in their monthly updates that actually work 100% of the time. Hell I still can't join a large party chat and have everyone be able to hear or join. I can't even have my controller die without having to reboot the whole system for it to connect back. And no, it's not just me because it happened to my friends every single night we played from launch till I gave up and got PS4. So tell me again how it's bug free. I'll wait.

 

[lagwagon]

That's true! Hmm I have no explanation why iOS version keep dropping so buggy then. Hopefully we are past the days of 8.0.1.

x.0 versions are usually buggy because a lot more gets changed than people realize. 9.0 isn't just 8.4.1 (or 8.0 wasn't just 7.1.2) with a few new things added on top. People assume just because it looks the same that nothing is different. When so much gets rewriten to allow these new things to work or even for placing the foundation for a future feature of that version of iOS (say a 9.2 or a 9.3 if it ever gets that far) This introduces new bugs and issues.

Sometimes new bugs pop up between final beta and official release (This happens a lot in gaming as well.) Definitely a lot of 9.0 release issues weren't present in the betas. Finding causes of issues can many times be extremely tricky when you have a million+ lines of code, because it almost could be anything.

I know gaming is different, but I've seen errors in code in one place totally effected something else completely random and not even a related area. (An example is World of Warcraft many years back. A patch to change a max number of dungeon per hour timer or changed how that mechanic worked. It somehow totally bugged a class ability to be able to be cast on friendly targets (and easily kill low level players) while in a town or a city. Totally bizarre, but it happens. And the "beta" (for patches they call them PTR public test realms) didn't have this bug before it got released.

 

[Will22]

I understand that you will have bugs but at what point in iOS 8 did iOS 8 become bug free? The reason I ask is because I only came back to iOS last April and when I left iOS I was on something like 6.1 on my 4s

I now have a 6 that is jailbroken one 8.4 that is close to perfect and a 6s that is on 9.0.2 that is anything but perfect. The 6s is faster but it really is buggy. iOS 9 made my Air 2 as buggy as the 6s and the updates haven't helped either.

You would think with all the money and resources Apple have that they could get it right especially as the iPhone isn't exactly packed with features.

 

[lagwagon]

I understand that you will have bugs but at what point in iOS 8 did iOS 8 become bug free? The reason I ask is because I only came back to iOS last April and when I left iOS I was on something like 6.1 on my 4s

I now have a 6 that is jailbroken one 8.4 that is close to perfect and a 6s that is on 9.0.2 that is anything but perfect. The 6s is faster but it really is buggy. iOS 9 made my Air 2 as buggy as the 6s and the updates haven't helped either.

You would think with all the money and resources Apple have that they could get it right especially as the iPhone isn't exactly packed with features.

No version of iOS 8 is bug free. No version of any operating system by anyone is bug free. It's practically impossible.

9.0.2 is getting closer and closer to what people believe 8.4.1 was. It won't happen over night. With any total version change (7 to 8, 8 to 9 and so on) So much gets rewriten to accommodate new features. So it takes time for it to get to or even surpass final versions of previous OS's. Judging by 9.1 beta 3 it's another small step forward, final release of 9.1 should be better then what beta has shown us. 9.2 will improve once again.

It's not a matter of money or how packed the iPhone is of features (which the new 6s and 6s+ is quite packed with features.) OS's are massively complex to write, you can't just throw money and wave a wand at it and features pop up and bug free.

 

[Will22]

No version of iOS 8 is bug free. No version of any operating system by anyone is bug free. It's practically impossible.

9.0.2 is getting closer and closer to what people believe 8.4.1 was. It won't happen over night. With any total version change (7 to 8, 8 to 9 and so on) So much gets rewriten to accommodate new features. So it takes time for it to get to or even surpass final versions of previous OS's. Judging by 9.1 beta 3 it's another small step forward, final release of 9.1 should be better then what beta has shown us. 9.2 will improve once again.

It's not a matter of money or how packed the iPhone is of features (which the new 6s and 6s+ is quite packed with features.) OS's are massively complex to write, you can't just throw money and wave a wand at it and features pop up and bug free.

I should have asked when did iOS 8 become almost bug free, sorry.

The reason I'm asking is because at the minute iOS 9.0.2 is not great for me and I did a fresh install in iTunes. None of the iPhone 6s's I've had were good and the one I have now is no different. I don't mind waiting but it depends on how long I'm going to be waiting. I'm using my iP6 now because is is stutter free but mainly because it is jailbroken so I have doing stuff that my 6s could only dream of.

One other thing I'd like to know as well is if Apple can improve the camera on the 6s during iOS 9?

 

[cynics]

x.0 versions are usually buggy because a lot more gets changed than people realize. 9.0 isn't just 8.4.1 (or 8.0 wasn't just 7.1.2) with a few new things added on top. People assume just because it looks the same that nothing is different. When so much gets rewriten to allow these new things to work or even for placing the foundation for a future feature of that version of iOS (say a 9.2 or a 9.3 if it ever gets that far) This introduces new bugs and issues.

Sometimes new bugs pop up between final beta and official release (This happens a lot in gaming as well.) Definitely a lot of 9.0 release issues weren't present in the betas. Finding causes of issues can many times be extremely tricky when you have a million+ lines of code, because it almost could be anything.

I know gaming is different, but I've seen errors in code in one place totally effected something else completely random and not even a related area. (An example is World of Warcraft many years back. A patch to change a max number of dungeon per hour timer or changed how that mechanic worked. It somehow totally bugged a class ability to be able to be cast on friendly targets (and easily kill low level players) while in a town or a city. Totally bizarre, but it happens. And the "beta" (for patches they call them PTR public test realms) didn't have this bug before it got released.

Well 8.3 was mostly dedicated to performance updates (and new emojis lol). And it seems iOS 9 will be doing a similar thing. Don't you find it a touch bit annoying that they prioritize Apple Pencil function in 9.1 to sell products rather then address performance issues that were the main selling feature of iOS 9 for many?

 

[I7guy]

Well 8.3 was mostly dedicated to performance updates (and new emojis lol). And it seems iOS 9 will be doing a similar thing. Don't you find it a touch bit annoying that they prioritize Apple Pencil function in 9.1 to sell products rather then address performance issues that were the main selling feature of iOS 9 for many?

I think apple did very well with IOS 9 and met their goal and I'm one of the satisfied customers on my idevices. I have read the posts where are documenting their own experiences, but it's always YMMV.

 

[BenTrovato]

These updates are NOT major. Maybe 7 was major if you want to use that term. They're already using the next version of iOS internally. Apple made a very intelligent move by moving their desktop and mobile updates to be yearly. I think they stumbled upon it by accident and ran with it but it's a brilliant. It's not as difficult as some people make it out to be. The current roadmap is completely sustainable and complimentary to new hardware sales.

 

[cynics]

These updates are NOT major. Maybe 7 was major if you want to use that term. They're already using the next version of iOS internally. Apple made a very intelligent move by moving their desktop and mobile updates to be yearly. I think they stumbled upon it by accident and ran with it but it's a brilliant. It's not as difficult as some people make it out to be. The current roadmap is completely sustainable and complimentary to new hardware sales.

You're probably right.

I just think many of us remember a time when a softwares release was its final release. And subsequent updates were things that were totally missed. Currently iOS is being released with "Known Issues" that are in the dev release notes that aren't even corrected before the time of its public release.

I say your probably right because that seems to be the norm now. Game software devs are notorious for this just to make a dead line. And to a certain point I can understand that, if they are going to run out of money before the game is released they need to do something. Especially if not making a dead line means missing the holiday season or something.

So yearly updates being "sustainable" is now more of a subjective term. In a year they can in fact get a mostly functional piece of software in front of you.

 

[teknikal90]

if it's sustainable in OS X it's sustainable in iOS.

There was a period when OS X shifted to 2 year cycles when iOS first came into full force.

But now it's OS X and iOS every year.

I just would like it if they released less features and more polish every year. But i'm sure that will happen by itself.

 

[lagwagon]

Well 8.3 was mostly dedicated to performance updates (and new emojis lol). And it seems iOS 9 will be doing a similar thing. Don't you find it a touch bit annoying that they prioritize Apple Pencil function in 9.1 to sell products rather then address performance issues that were the main selling feature of iOS 9 for many?

It doesn't bother me at all.

1: They need to add pencil support into iOS so that the iPad Pro can function correctly with it. (Them adding the support after the fact, soon before the product releases gives them the opportunity to address bugs and performance in the update. Instead of just including Pencil support from the get go.)

2: Speed and performance will always be touched on in any update, regardless of what the main purpose of the update was. It's a never ending process, and something that always needs tweaking. It's not like Apple says "well this update is for the Pencil, let's just hold off on making the performance any better till next time."

I trust they will get things running amazingly, they aren't dumb. I don't see the point in stressing over how many fps a silly animation drops or doesn't drop, like some do in these forums. In the grand scheme of things, stressing over a phone OS is rather silly tbh (Not saying you are.) By looking at the reaction of some people in these forums, you would swear Apple was personally attacking them, with how they over react.

 

[DaveTheRave]

So you are saying they should drive the release via the Hardware but off er flexible launch date depnding on how "finished" the Hardware/Software is?

The stockholders would love that. Not.

Well in some cases the hardware might get released early. Nothing wrong with saying here's the new iPhone/iPod/iPad and later this fall it will get even better with the new OS, etc.

 

[lagwagon]

Well in some cases the hardware might get released early. Nothing wrong with saying here's the new iPhone/iPod/iPad and later this fall it will get even better with the new OS, etc.

There is quite a bit wrong with releasing hardware and then later releasing the software designed for it and it's features at a later date.

iOS is free and costs a lot of money to develope. New hardware sales pay for the cost. If new hardware released and you couldn't use (say in this case 3D Touch) sales of the phone would be lower and hurt the initial launch of the hardware. (A month down the road it's already old news and the hype is gone.)

The two work together. New features in the software drive sales of the hardware. If the hardware doesn't include the software to be fully functional, then the launch (when the hype is at its max) sales suffer.

 

[dk001]

There is quite a bit wrong with releasing hardware and then later releasing the software designed for it and it's features at a later date.

The two work together. New features in the software drive sales of the hardware. If the hardware doesn't include the software to be fully functional, then the launch (when the hype is at its max) sales suffer.

It's not just the hardware launch.

• release the 6S/6S Plus with iOS9 when the 6S is ready.
• release iOS for all of the remaining models / generations of iDevices when iOS9 is ready for them

This doesn't need to be the same launch cycle. Depending on the launch time frame, certain functions can be rolled out in updates. That makes business sense and if the hardware comes first it might even drive up sales.

 

[Max(IT)]

i think Apple knows better than you what is sustainable and what is not ...
I'm happy about the yearly release

 

[Max(IT)]

It's sustainable with the right teams.
What Apple needs to do is divorce the Software has to release with the Hardware cycle. Hardware always drives this and grants us buggier Software releases as the landscape becomes more complex.

because new hardware usually have new functionalities to be supported by the iOS ...

Well 8.3 was mostly dedicated to performance updates (and new emojis lol). And it seems iOS 9 will be doing a similar thing. Don't you find it a touch bit annoying that they prioritize Apple Pencil function in 9.1 to sell products rather then address performance issues that were the main selling feature of iOS 9 for many?

why all of you had to assume that apple use a single software team ?
They have virtually unlimited resources ... they could easily have a team working on iOS refinement while another team is working on iOS 10

 

[teknikal90]

It's sustainable with the right teams.
What Apple needs to do is divorce the Software has to release with the Hardware cycle. Hardware always drives this and grants us buggier Software releases as the landscape becomes more complex.

that makes no sense.

if youre REGULARLY releasing 1 hardware a year and 1 software a year, then why not release at the same time?

releasing at different times would mean you'd essentially have to have 1 hardware release per year, 1 software release per year and one '0.5' software release per year to accommodate the new hardware.

Macs can work this way because they dont release a new mac every year. they spec bump, but new macs are out every two to three years (IRREGULARLY), hence REGULAR software updates CANT be tied to the irregular hardware release.

Different to iOS. What they're doing is efficient.

 

[mikecwest]

I love how there are consumers who think they know better than one of the largest most successful companies in history. It's obvious that apple does not know what they are doing, right?

It's obvious that the upgrade cycle is market driven. Just look at this forum, the users are ready to explode in anticipation of the next release of iPhone or iOS. If the new phone comes without a new OS, many would wait to buy the new iPhone until the next iOS. Apple does not want you to wait, neither do the consumers want to wait.

 

[dk001]

I love how there are consumers who think they know better than one of the largest most successful companies in history. It's obvious that apple does not know what they are doing, right?

It's obvious that the upgrade cycle is market driven. Just look at this forum, the users are ready to explode in anticipation of the next release of iPhone or iOS. If the new phone comes without a new OS, many would wait to buy the new iPhone until the next iOS. Apple does not want you to wait, neither do the consumers want to wait.

I don't think it is "know better". Rather that many of us have seen this before or worked for companies that have run into this. Personally I worked for a company that ran into this. It is usually hangs around longer than is good for the company when there is a disconnect between what management wants and what the engineers can realistically deliver.

I think Apple is seeing this and looking for ways to address it. Look at the basic redesign of iOS9. You could leverage that as a possible solution direction.

 

[JT2002TJ]

Microsoft is the reason I'm an Apple user. I haven't trusted them since Windows 98.

Then you missed two of the greatest all time OS' ever. Windows XP, and Windows 7 were two of the most stable OS' ever created, that worked well with infante combinations of hardware configurations.