Apple is reportedly taking a road it has never taken and building the next iteration of iOS optimized for older devices.
9to5Mac cites multiple sources familiar with Apple's plans who claim that the Cupertino, California-based iPhone maker is focused on building iOS 9, codenamed Monarch, for devices running on its aging A5 processor. That includes the iPhone 4s and the first iPad mini, among other pieces of hardware that will also get a lot of iOS 9 love from Apple.
In previous iOS upgrades, Apple would simply develop a complete version of the operating system for older devices, and then remove specific features that slow down the devices' performance. This approach didn't work out well for owners of Apple's older devices, especially the long-running loyal customers who purchased the iPhone 4 back in 2010. When iOS 7 rolled out for the three-year-old device in 2013, users went up in virtual arms on the Internet complaining about the bugs and sluggishness that the software update caused in their iPhones.
This will not be the case for iOS 9, sources say. For the upcoming version of Apple's mobile OS, Cupertino's engineers are developing a "core version" optimized to run efficiently for devices as old as the iPhone 4s, which came out in 2011, and then enable each new feature one by one.
Not that there will be plenty of new features to be seen on iOS 9. 9to5Mac's sources say Apple's engineers have finally pressured company executives to focus on stability and quality instead of adding new features. Users can still expect a handful of features not introduced in iOS 8, but they will not be as many as Apple's leadership initially planned.
"I wouldn't say there's nothing new for consumers," said one of 9to5Mac's sources, "but the feature lists are more stripped down than the initial plans called for."
Among the most prominent features are three security upgrades that Apple plans to implement for iOS 9. Apple insiders are apparently all worked up over a feature called Rootless, a feature they say will cripple the jailbreaking community because of its ability to prevent users, even those with administrative-level access, from accessing certain protected files. Sources say this will also increase the system's ability to prevent malware and vastly increase the security of the user's private data.
Apple also plans on transitioning syncing apps to iCloud Drive, instead of moving content to the IMAP server that Apple currently uses for apps such as Notes, Reminders and Calendar. However, with security issues surrounding iCloud, it is unclear how Apple plans to convince users to switch over.
Lastly, rounding out the trio of security upgrades is Trusted Wi-fi, which Apple has already been testing to enable heavier encryption for devices connected to non-trusted Wi-Fi networks, while disabling the extra security features when connecting to a trusted router, such as the user's home router. However, sources say Apple could introduce this new feature next year.
We'll find out more when Apple holds it annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8 in San Francisco.
Photo: Matthew Pearce | Flickr
