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Why Apple Might Have Delayed Big iPhone Software Updates to 2019

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
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By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
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January 30, 2018, 9:08 AM ET

Apple had some big plans for this year’s iOS 12 update, but has decided to shelve some of them to 2019 to focus on its mobile operating system’s performance, according to a new report.

The company’s software chief Craig Federighi told his team this month that he wants them to focus on improving security, reliability, and performance in iOS 12 and delay plans for other, bigger updates to 2019, Axios is reporting, citing sources. Those bigger updates reportedly included a new home screen design, revised interfaces for Apple’s CarPlay in-car software, and a variety of tweaks to built-in apps, like Mail, the report said.

Apple each year releases software updates to its many operating systems, including macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Some years, those updates offer major design overhauls and dramatic changes to built-in applications. In other years, Apple delivers only minor tweaks to improve performance.

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The tech giant’s reported decision to focus more on reliability this year comes after the company has faced months of backlash over a variety of problems in iOS. Chief among them is a software update that attempted to improve battery performance in iPhones but also caused the handset’s processor performance to degrade, resulting in poor app responsiveness.

Apple has said that the feature is necessary to ensure iPhones won’t shut down spontaneously when batteries start to degrade, but users have continued to speak out. Apple ultimately decided to allow users to turn off the “processor throttling” feature on their iPhones.

Despite planning to delay some of the bigger updates to 2019, Apple’s iOS 12 won’t offer only under-the-hood improvements, according to the report. Apple is still planning to deliver new parental controls and health-tracking features, according to the Axios sources. The company might also offer some new augmented reality features that improve the iPhone’s interaction with real-world objects.

Apple did not immediately respond to a Fortune request for comment on the Axios report.

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By Don Reisinger
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