iOS 9 to Focus Heavily on Stability and Optimization

[MacRumors]

With iOS 7, Apple introduced a major design overhaul and with iOS 8, we gained features like Continuity, Apple Pay, and new app abilities like extensions and widgets. Following these two ambitious OS updates, it seems iOS 9 may be somewhat less flashy, focusing heavily on stability and optimization.

Sources who spoke to 9to5Mac have suggested that Apple will market iOS 9 similarly to OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, which was also a maintenance upgrade that resulted in improved performance and better efficiency.

For 2015, iOS 9 is going to include a collection of under-the-hood improvements. Sources tell us 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. Apple will also continue to make efforts to keep the size of the OS and updates manageable, especially for the many millions of iOS device owners with 16GB devices.

An operating system update that aims to optimize performance and fix lingering bugs will likely be welcome news to many iOS 8 users who have been unhappy with the state of the operating system. iOS 8 has suffered from an above average number of bugs since its September introduction, causing issues like slow Wi-Fi, battery drain, screen rotation problems, Bluetooth connectivity failures, and more. The last few minor iOS 8 updates, including 8.1.1, 8.1.2, and 8.1.3 have all been focused on fixing some of these problems.

Apple's goal of reducing the amount of space needed for an operating system update is also welcome news to users who have 16GB devices without much storage space left. iOS 8 has seen slower adoption rates than iOS 7, which many have attributed to its 2GB+ installation size.

Work on iOS 9 is well underway at Apple, and site visits to MacRumors from Apple IP addresses on devices running the new OS have increased over the course of the past month, following the holidays. We first started seeing an uptick in visits from iOS 9 users in December, which declined around Christmas and has picked up once again.

Visitors to MacRumors.com via Apple's networks from devices running iOS 9​

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An iOS 9 update that aims for bug fixes and performance improvements won't go entirely without new features -- there are still some rumored enhancements in the works that could be released in the next operating system update, including transit directions and indoor mapping abilities for Maps and split-screen multitasking for iPads. We'll get our first glimpse of iOS 9 at June's Worldwide Developers Conference, but a specific date is still forthcoming.

Article Link: iOS 9 to Focus Heavily on Stability and Optimization

 

[duffman9000]

About frigging time!!! Snow Leopard iOS here we come!

 

[odedia]

HALLELUYAH!

We need another Snow Leopard type of release, both on the Mac and on iOS.

 

[zedsdead]

THANK GOD....hopefully this is true. iOS 8 is as bad as iOS 2 was. Awful.

Same for OS X hopefully.

 

[afsnyder]

Yay!

But my main concern is they don't change much and people aren't going to upgrade...

 

[gadgetguy03]

Storage size wouldn't be an issue for me if I could delete the cached files under Documents and Data.

 

[viorelgn]

End of year would not be early enough to cut those three devices from iOS 9. Assuming Apple sticks to their pattern of supporting current products, they would have to be discontinued prior to the unveiling of iOS 9, presumably at WWDC 2015. You’ll recall Apple dropped the 4th gen iPod touch just prior to unveiling iOS 7, replacing it with a no-camera 5th gen model. Similar moves might happen for both the 5th gen iPod touch and 1st gen iPad mini, less likely for the iPhone 5c.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

I guess we'll have to wait for iOS9 to see some 3rd party keyboard fixes.

 

[AppleFan115]

I've been put in charge of making iOS 9 thinner...in file size.

 

[Rogifan]

Fix copy/paste in Safari please.

 

[Plutonius]

It sounds like it might run on the iPod Touch 5.

 

[levitynyc]

Here's a better idea. Instead of having programmers spending countless hours trimming the OS down 25%, do the common sense thing and make the lowest end unit come with 32, then 64, then 128.

I can't believe a 8/16 GB iPhones are still sold.

 

[Tankmaze]

Nice, while you are at it apple please make the ipad split screen multitasking capable.

Loving the idea of snow leopard ios!

 

[peteullo]

iOS Mountain 8?

 

[tattooedyuppie]

iOS 9 - doing in 2015 what we should've done in 2014, which Android did in 2012. C'mon guys... it's 2015 and we can't even watch a YouTube video and surf the internet unless we use two iPads. I've been a big Apple fan for a long time but this stuff is a joke.

 

[AngerDanger]

Here's to hoping for something like:

 

[tkermit]

Good. Now do the same for OS X 10.11.

 

[Rogifan]

Storage size wouldn't be an issue for me if I could delete the cached files under Documents and Data.

Yes! There should be a way to do this. Seems like an obvious no brainer.

 

[Blakjack]

I haven't been experiencing the issues I've been reading about.

 

[MacFather]

Deleted.

 

[thekeyring]

Woo-hoo! This is brilliant.

A fresh bug-free (as far as possible) OS on my current iPhone would be great, and on a brand new iPhone... perfect!

While they're fixing bugs, it seems like the whole OS has got a bit cluttered. Why do Notes & Voice memos need to be separate apps? Or Compass & Maps? Could they maybe include Reminders in Notes, too?

 

[sigmadog]

IOS8 slowed my iPad3 down so much I can't stand using it anymore, and I began to question why I even had one.

While I welcome any attempt by Apple to optimize and improve the user experience in IOS, but I think anything they do will be lost on my iPad because it's hampered by only 1GB RAM and a slow processor.

I've moved on to a MacBook Pro, which does most everything I want my iPad to do, with the additional benefit of being fully OSX and a great productivity enhancer when I'm away from my Mac Pro.

Edit to add: I absolutely welcome any IOS optimization improvements on my iPhone 6, which I plan on keeping for a long time.

 

[tevion5]

HALLELUYAH!

We need another Snow Leopard type of release, both on the Mac and on iOS.

Did you miss Mavericks?

 

[Eithanius]

We're going to make iOS 9 thinner...in file size. Image

Snow Leopard-type release...? By him...?

UH-OH...!!!

I prefer "Snow Leopard" by Scott Forstall...

By the way, has that QC Manager got fired yet...?

 

[moderngamenewb]

A Snow Leopard type iOS release? That will be awesome. Hopefully they'll improve the user experience for the iPod app. For the most part it works well, but definitely needs improvement. The iPod app for iOS 5 and 6 were the best.