14 DAY TRIAL // It’s high time to start talking about iOS 9, the next-generation of Apple’s mobile operating system powering iPhones, iPad, and iPod touch players. Sources briefed on the development say the update is a “huge” effort on behalf of Apple’s engineering force.
iOS 9 is being likened to Snow Leopard, Apple’s longstanding desktop OS version that many have compared to Microsoft’s Windows XP in terms of longevity.
There was a reason why Snow Leopard - OS X version 10.6 - stayed on people’s desktops for so long: it was arguably the most stable version of an OS that people had already grown fond of. Apple seemingly feels that iOS - which got a huge visual overhaul in 2013 - deserves the same thing.
No more rushed updates
Instead of feeding the public all-new features at the risk of bloating the operating system with flaws, Apple this year wants to focus on under-the-hood improvements.
Sources tell 9to5mac that “iOS 9 engineers are putting a ‘huge’ focus on fixing bugs, maintaining stability, and boosting performance for the new operating system, rather than solely focusing on delivering major new feature additions.”
The engineering team is also tasked with keeping the size of the OS and subsequent updates on the low so that the millions of 16GB devices still in the wild can cope with the storage requirements.
New device discontinuation looms
Almost every new iOS version has its bits stained with the discontinuation of old-generation hardware, and the upcoming new version will probably be no different.
Most iDevices currently in circulation have 64-bit architectures, while the remaining few 32-bit iPhones and iPads are becoming a bit of a drag for the development team. Not to mention that this hardware is becoming too slow for the current state of affairs. In all likelihood, iOS 9 will mark the discontinuation of a number of old iPhones and iPads, perhaps giving the final blow to the iPod touch as well.