iOS 12 and planned obsolescence

[_Refurbished_]

For years people have been claiming that “new APIs” and “new features” are causing old phones to slowdown, I’d like to say that that theory is looking less and less believable. After the announcement of iOS 12, it’s more than possible to support older devices using their full potential.

Now that Apple has its PR backs against the wall with the battery throttle scandal, they magically created software capable of faster performance on older phones. This is the first time they have ever done this. Coincidence? I think not.

Apple loves when people update their devices, but they love their brand even more. Now that the brand is under attack, they are doing everything in their power to win over the trust of their consumers. iOS 12 is proof of this.

 

[bill-p]

Too late. I waited a whole year for 4 revisions of iOS 11 but enough is enough. Swapped the sim card into my Android development phone and switched to using it full time last month.

Not gonna bother with a holy war on which device is better... my iPhone X or the Android device. But... just to say, it's already too late.

If not because I need the iPhone X for development, it would be gone already.

 

[d5aqoëp]

Not too late. I welcome this move to go all out in optimizations for older devices. But still no dark mode. The only last itch.

With this update, Apple has shut me up. Let’s see how the actual performance feels like once we get our hands on the beta. Can’t wait. Right now my iPhone 7’s hardware is failing on me and not the software.

 

[nviz22]

Too late. I waited a whole year for 4 revisions of iOS 11 but enough is enough. Swapped the sim card into my Android development phone and switched to using it full time last month.

Not gonna bother with a holy war on which device is better... my iPhone X or the Android device. But... just to say, it's already too late.

If not because I need the iPhone X for development, it would be gone already.

iOS 12 is the epitome of total junk. Only things good are group FaceTime, speeding up app opening, and grouped notifications.

 

[C DM]

iOS 12 is the epitome of total junk. Only things good are group FaceTime, speeding up app opening, and grouped notifications.

So what makes it the epitome of total junk? Simply that it's not filled with tons of new stuff and actually addresses some things that needed to be addressed (even though there are certainly quite a few more that still remain).

 

[Yun0]

iOS 12 is the epitome of total junk.

This time of year returns, here we go again..

 

[AppleFan91]

iOS 12 is the epitome of total junk. Only things good are group FaceTime, speeding up app opening, and grouped notifications.

Somewhat of an overreaction. Let's wait until the keynote is over and all the features are discovered via the developer previews.

Siri looks much smarter, Group Notifications, Faster performance, group FaceTime, etc are all things that needed to be corrected. Let's see how well they work.

 

[hobowankenobi]

Not the first time.

Although less common on recent iOS releases...they actually have a long history of making OSes faster. For those of us that have been users since before OS X, we are used to performance releases, and newer OSes getting faster on the same hardware.

Yes, there have been releases that leverage new hardware for new features, but I would estimate that more than 50% of the major OSes have included performance improvements, at least on desktop.

 

[nviz22]

So what makes it the epitome of total junk? Simply that it's not filled with tons of new stuff and actually addresses some things that needed to be addressed (even though there are certainly quite a few more that still remain).

It adds crap like Memoji, Anamoji, and new filters for photos/videos. That’s resources that could be used for more important things like a UI overhaul. Oh wow, I can finally get news in a Stock App? Apple created the crappy iOS 11 update and needed an update to fix all their issues.

 

[Radon87000]

Have they fixed the home button? Don't have my hopes up

 

[BigDO]

Google: Watch this demo of our AI assistant place a phone call to a human and make an appointment.

Apple: This year, we're taking Animoji to a whole new level with breakthrough new technology we call Tongue Detection.

 

[Radon87000]

For all the years people have been claiming “new APIs” and “new features” are causing old phones to slowdown, I’d like to say that that theory is looking less and less believable. After the announcement of iOS 12, it’s more than possible to fully support older devices in their full potential.

Now that Apple has its PR backs against bat the wall with the battery throttle scandal, they magically created software capable of faster performance on older phones. This is the first time they have ever done this. Coincidence? I think not.

Apple loves when people update their devices, but they love their brand even more. Now that the brand is under attack, they are doing everything in their power to win over the trust of their consumers.

With all these investigations and suits everywhere they were forced to take note of their older customers. This keynote is living proof planned obsolescence exists.

 

[Micool1]

Have they fixed the home button? Don't have my hopes up

It's not even available yet and you're already talking about the damn home button...

 

[C DM]

It adds crap like Memoji, Anamoji, and new filters for photos/videos. That’s resources that could be used for more important things like a UI overhaul. Oh wow, I can finally get news in a Stock App? Apple created the crappy iOS 11 update and needed an update to fix all their issues.

Sounds pretty far off from epitome of total junk.

 

[0007776]

iOS 12 is the epitome of total junk.

There's no groundbreaking new features, but it doesn't seem to be total junk. We will have to wait for betas and the actual release, but hopefully the lack of major new features means that they have focused more on bug fixes and stability instead.

 

[nviz22]

Sounds pretty far off from epitome of total junk.

Imagine the amount of wasted R&D, funding, etc just undo the mess that was iOS 11? iOS 13 probably will include more of the features originally planned for 12.

It’s like Apple was required to get a B or higher in a class, they got a D+. They need to repeat a class just to get another B or higher to continue on in their progression.

Then we have resources being wasted on Memoji and what not.

I am only happy that my iPad gets Group FaceTime, faster performance, and grouped notifications. I am already content with iOS on the iPad. Not on the iPhone though.

 

[C DM]

Imagine the amount of wasted R&D, funding, etc just undo the mess that was iOS 11? iOS 13 probably will include more of the features originally planned for 12.

It’s like Apple was required to get a B or higher in a class, they got a D+. They need to repeat a class just to get another B or higher to continue on in their progression.

Then we have resources being wasted on Memoji and what not.

I am only happy that my iPad gets Group FaceTime, faster performance, and grouped notifications. I am already content with iOS on the iPad. Not on the iPhone though.

Technical debt adds up. At the same time the general public still need something new and shiny to keep their interest up, so something has to be provided for the masses one way or another. But at least in this case instead of just more of that there are more practical things to address some other things that have been around and needed attention. Again, just because various things that aren't of interest to some are out, certainly doesn't make for total junk, let alone be the epitome of it, especially when there are actual needed things that are getting addressed (again, even if not all/most of them).

 

[Radon87000]

Technical debt adds up. At the same time the general public still need something new and shiny to keep their interest up, so something has to be provided for the masses one way or another. But at least in this case instead of just more of that there are more practical things to address some other things that have been around and needed attention. Again, just because various things that aren't of interest to some are out, certainly doesn't make for total junk, let alone be the epitome of it, especially when there are actual needed things that are getting addressed (again, even if not all/most of them).

Did you see the stats where they say app launch times were halved and 95% improvement and all? They had not even bothered to optimise iOS for older devices if they achieved such a staggering amount of optimisation

 

[nviz22]

Technical debt adds up. At the same time the general public still need something new and shiny to keep their interest up, so something has to be provided for the masses one way or another. But at least in this case instead of just more of that there are more practical things to address some other things that have been around and needed attention. Again, just because various things that aren't of interest to some are out, certainly doesn't make for total junk, let alone be the epitome of it, especially when there are actual needed things that are getting addressed (again, even if not all/most of them).

Complacency is what got Apple to this point though. The whole stuff to control times for kids and tech users is to satisfy legal annoyances. I consider it junk because it was one step forward two steps back with iOS 11 and iOS 12 would “hopefully rectify it” and Apple has little progression.

I just don’t like the idea of spending $1000 for the new form factor and the software iOS 12 provides.

I know my opinion won’t sit well with others. Apple didn’t address my wants and needs, so it’s time to move on when the time is right.

 

[C DM]

Did you see the stats where they say app launch times were halved and 95% improvement and all? They had not even bothered to optimise iOS for older devices if they achieved such a staggering amount of optimisation

While the improvements look good, who is to say nothing was done for older devices at all, and that if nothing was truly done then the implements would have been on the order 3x magnitude even more than these?

 

[Radon87000]

While the improvements look good, who is to say nothing was done for older devices at all

Its the reason they focused on older devices at all. Constant complaints about slowdowns and planned obsolescence flood the Internet. In addition to Touch Disease and Batterygate, the customers were starting to get a wind of what was happening.

and that if nothing was truly done then the implements would have been on the order 3x magnitude even more than these?

These improvements sound huge but in reality they are simply restoring the device to what it used to be when it was new. Half the launch times would mean my iPhone 6 would be nearly as good as it was on iOS 8

 

[C DM]

I know my opinion won’t sit well with others. Apple didn’t address my wants and needs, so it’s time to move on when the time is right.

Well, even going by what you said seems like there are a number of good things there, so just based on that it's not talk junk, and certainly not epitome of it.

However, if/when it just comes down to that, then it's all somewhat moot, and you just go with what you feel is better for you.
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Its the reason they focused on older devices at all. Constant complaints about slowdowns and planned obsolescence flood the Internet. In addition to Touch Disease and Batterygate, the customers were starting to get a wind of what was happening.



These improvements sound huge but in reality they are simply restoring the device to what it used to be when it was new. Half the launch times would mean my iPhone 6 would be nearly as good as it was on iOS 8

Yes, they are spending additional time and resources on improving performance across the board, and especially paying additional attention to older devices.

 

[Radon87000]

Yes, they are spending additional time and resources on improving performance across the board, and especially paying additional attention to older devices.

They hadn't optimised iOS 11 at all for any device except iPhone X. And those numbers show that. If those numbers were not that huge,it would mean they were indeed optimising for all devices all this time

 

[C DM]

They hadn't optimised iOS 11 at all for any device except iPhone X. And those numbers show that. If those numbers were not that huge,it would mean they were indeed optimising for all devices all this time

Seems like what I mentioned just a few posts ago at #20 comments on a very similar statement.

 

[nviz22]

They hadn't optimised iOS 11 at all for any device except iPhone X. And those numbers show that. If those numbers were not that huge,it would mean they were indeed optimising for all devices all this time

You cannot take Apple’s numbers objectively. They could cherry pick data or manipulate it to make a point. Nobody will say “our iOS 11 was pure buggy and disappointing.” Instead, “we made groundbreaking refinements you will sure to be proud and excited about. This is iOS 12!”