Good news for iPhone users - Apple has released the Xcode version 7.0.1 for developers to fix bugs that were delaying support for iOS 9's much-wanted App Thinning feature.
The release of Xcode Version 7.0.1 from Apple suggests that the arrival of the App Thinning feature for iOS 9 users could be closer than we think.
The release notes for Xcode 7.0.1 reveal that it brings fixes for "bugs related to app thinning," fueling speculation that App Thinning could be making its way to iOS 9 users soon.
On Thursday, Sept. 24, Apple announced that App Slicing, which is an App Thinning feature, was not available for iOS 9 users presently because of bugs that affected backups on iCloud.
"App slicing is currently unavailable for iOS 9 apps due to an issue affecting iCloud backups created from iOS 9 where some apps from the App Store would only restore to the same model of iOS device," notified Apple.
For the unfamiliar, App Thinning for iOS 9 is basically an app-trimming feature that will enable the iPhone to only identify application assets that can run smoothly on the handset, without occupying too much space.
To illustrate, with App Thinning on board, an iOS 9-powered iPhone 5 will only download app assets that are designed with the iPhone 5 in mind. The smartphone will not require the bigger images an iPhone 6 Plus uses. The 64-bit code will also be bypassed as the iPhone 5's SoC will only recognize the 32-bit ones. The graphics which are supported by the handset will be the only ones downloaded, skipping the Metal-built graphics which are not compatible with the older iPhone 5.
The advantage of App Thinning will be that the size of the apps on iPhones will be reduced considerably, offering users more free space.
Until Apple locates a fix for the iCloud bug and App Thinning arrives, iOS 9-powered iPhones will need to make do by downloading the universal variant of the apps.
Apple is yet to reveal the time frame for the launch of App Thinning.
