Based on Apple's previous software update schedule, iOS 9 should be announced next month followed by a public release in September. Now it is being reported that iOS 9 will have improved support for devices that are more than three years old, including the iPhone 4S and iPad mini.
Sources with 9to5Mac are reporting that iOS 9 will not be a major release because engineers are holding back on new features in favor of “under-the-hood” quality and stability improvements. “I wouldn’t say there’s nothing new for consumers, but the feature lists are more stripped down than the initial plans called for,” said one of 9to5Mac’s sources.
Every new version of iOS tends to support Apple devices that are a few generations before the current shipping model. However, the oldest supported devices tend to have major lags and stability issues. For example, the iPhone 4 becomes very slow after upgrading from iOS 6 to iOS 7. And the screen size and processor used in the iPhone 4S does not play nice with iOS 8. Optimizing iOS 9 for older devices would be especially beneficial for Apple customers in emerging markets where the upgrade cycles have wider gaps.
Apple developers would also have to adapt to iOS 9 supporting the iPhone 4S. For example, the iPhone 4S display has a 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen touch display and 512MB RAM so developers will have to ensure their apps look good on smaller screens and have efficient memory management. Apple switched to display sizes of 4 inches and above when the iPhone 5 was released.
What else is expected to change in iOS 9? There are rumors that Apple will change the default font, add a Home application for HomeKit devices, set up split-screen views for the iPad and upgrade Apple Maps with transit directions. When Apple launched iOS 7, the default font was set to Helvetica Neue — which is expected to be changed to the San Francisco font in iOS 9. The first batch of Apple-certified smart home devices will launch next month under the HomeKit program, according to a report by FORBES’ Aaron Tilley. A new app called Home may be added to iOS 9 as a control center for managing the HomeKit devices such as smart light bulbs, coffee pots and smoke alarms. 9to5Mac’s sources also said that Apple is building 12-inch iPads (code-named J98 and J99), which would support multi-user logins and split-screen applications after iOS 9 is released. And Apple Maps for iOS 9 is expected to have transit directions for subways, trains and buses.
Another iOS 9 feature that may be released is called “Rootless.” Rootless is a kernel-level feature for OS X and iOS that could prevent malware from spreading and increase extension safety. Rootless would be able to prevent administrative level users from accessing protected files on Apple devices. “Sources say that Rootless will be a heavy blow to the jailbreak community on iOS,” added 9to5Mac.
Apple announces upcoming versions of iOS during keynotes at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) every year. This year WWDC is taking place on June 8th. I am looking forward to hearing about the new features that will ship with iOS 9 when it arrives this in September.
What are your thoughts about Apple choosing to focus on under-the-hood improvements in iOS 9? Let us know in the comments section!
