iOS 9 to Focus on Faster Performance (Report)

News
By published

According to a new report, Apple's iOS 9 will focus on boosting performance in order to avoid iOS 8's rocky launch.

When Apple's iOS 9 inevitably lands on our iPhones and iPads, its biggest new feature might not be a new app or service, but rather how well it performs under the hood. According to a new report, Apple's engineers are hard at work making sure that iOS 9 is the fastest and most stable version yet of the company's mobile operating system.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple's software team is putting a major focus on squashing iOS bugs and boosting performance instead of just adding new features and applications. Apple will also reportedly keep iOS 9 and its subsequent updates at a manageable download size, so that those with minimal storage on their iPhone or iPad won't be locked out of receiving the latest software.

MORE: Best Smartphones on the Market

This performance-first approach could be in response to iOS 8's notably rocky launch last fall. When the software first arrived alongside the iPhone 6, users reported camera inaccuracies, software glitches and app crashes, particularly on older iOS devices. The iOS 8.0.1 update meant to fix these issues actually caused even more problems, and was pulled about an hour after release.

There's no word on what device generations iOS 9 will support, but 9to5Mac suggested that limiting the software to any device with an A7 processor or newer could help limit performance issues. 

While we don't know if iOS 9 will herald any major new features, recent Apple patents point to future improvements such as public transit directions and a Google Maps-esque street view function for Maps. As with every year, we'll likely get a clearer look at what iOS 9 has in store when Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicks off over the summer.

TOPICS
Michael Andronico
Michael Andronico

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.

5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • everlast66
    Faster performance is a good idea!

    Also to make a version of one of the models with double thickness, but 3x battery capacity. Why they insist to making the device thinner and lighter when it is light and thin enough.
    Reply
  • ethanolson
    3 months after this is out, I'm all in.
    Reply
  • slyu9213
    Sounds awesome. Still the lack of stylus support is still keeping me away from an iPhone 6/6 Plus.
    Reply
  • BobM0000
    I purchased my last iPhone... unless they make Safari pop-up message free! You can't use the internet anymore on Ipads or iPhones due to the constant ads popping up or websites sending you to stupid game Apps.... it's a miserable experience!
    Reply
  • everlast66
    @BobM
    "I purchased my last iPhone... unless they make Safari pop-up message free! You can't use the internet anymore on Ipads or iPhones due to the constant ads popping up or websites sending you to stupid game Apps.... it's a miserable experience!"

    Don't know if this would help, but did you try
    Settings>Safari>Block Pop-ups>ON
    Reply