The next major update to iOS could potentially defunct as much as 187,000 apps on the App Store, if reports are to be believed that iOS 11 will introduce Apple's 64-bit only app policies, which if put into place could kill about 8 percent of all App Store titles.
Hundreds Of Thousands Of Apps To Be Removed By Apple Thanks To New 64-Bit Policy
The actual number, however, could actually be much higher, according to a report by Apple Insider. The figures come from Sensor Tower, an app analytics firm, whose estimate only include apps that were submitted prior to the launch of the iPhone 5s in September 2013, which haven't been updated since.
The first iPhone to ever come with a 64-bit processor was the iPhone 5s, notes Apple Insider, but it was only fairly recently — February 2015, to be exact — that Apple made it a requirement for developers to support the 64-bit processor.
Sorry, 32-Bit iOS Apps
The first iOS 10.3 beta saw Apple include a cautionary note, informing users that 32-bit apps will no longer function on iDevices running future versions of iOS. The total pullback comes after a previously much milder sanction for 32-bit apps, where the only warning was that these apps might cause the device some slowdowns.
For the uninitiated, iPhone 5s's 64-bit chip made compatible apps perform as much as 25 percent faster, as it was twice as fast as the chip packed inside its predecessor, the iPhone 5. It made day-today tasks such as web browsing much more smoother and seamless. Apple also recompiled and upgraded all its proprietary apps, such as Safari, Mail, Maps, and more, to support the iPhone 5s's more powerful chip.
Apple is expected to reveal iOS 11 in June during its Worldwide Developers Conference. If reports are to be believed, owners still using 32-bit apps on potential iOS 11-compatible devices will soon be forced to part ways with them.
Apple App Store Clean-Ups
Cleaning up the App Store wouldn't be a first time thing for Apple, which removed as much as 47,300 apps, according to Digital Trends, for failing to comply with its policy rolled out in September that sought to notify developers of problematic apps, giving them a period of 30 days to make changes or face total removal from the digital store.
iOS 10.3's finished stable version is barely out, but Apple is seemingly already setting the terms on which apps make the cut and which ones don't. iOS 10.3 brings a lot of changes, including the switch to a new file system and the introduction of a new Find My AirPods app. It will also include an official Reviews API, which might lessen the frequency of apps asking for ratings and reviews.
iOs 10.3 beta six was released for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch on Tuesday, March 14.
Thoughts about Apple's potential halting of support for 32-bit apps? Do you have any apps installed which still doesn't have 64-bit support? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
