Apple Bomb Dropped iOS 14 Without Notice
The Time Flies event got a whole new meaning for the iOS developer community
Apple’s much-talked-about Time Flies event is finally over. Analysts that were busy deciphering the thought process behind calling the event as “Time Flies” can finally take a sigh as the one-hour long keynote was dominated by the new Apple Watch Series and the powerful next-gen iPad Air.
While these product releases could be seen coming from a distance, yet there were a few pleasant announcements.
Besides the Watch Series 6 which gets a silicon chip and brings forth the capability to measure blood oxygen levels, Apple is also releasing a new Watch SE that’s available at a budget price of $279.
The new iPad Air on the other hand brings an A14 Bionic chip built on 5nm process technology to bolster ML-based applications. Moving the touch ID button to the wake/lock button is certainly a brilliant design move by Apple.
I absolutely loved the demo of an application where the user played a DJ in the air without even touching the iPad.
Amongst the subscription services, there’s a new Apple Fitness+ made to boost workout from home. It’s built specifically for watchOS and syncs well with other Apple devices. Also, Apple One bundles together all subscription services with a limited free trial option.
Yet until the penultimate minute of the presentation, nothing jaw-dropping was announced. Hopes of the few optimists who were looking forward to seeing a glimpse of the iPhone 12 or silicon chip pro powered Macbook were shattered.
But as history showed us, the Cupertino tech giant always has a few tricks up its sleeve which even the best analysts fail to guess.
As the keynote came to an end, Tim Cook dropped the bomb which no developer would have liked. iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 14, and tvOS 14 are set for public rollout worldwide within the next twenty-four hours(at the time of writing).
Developers are shocked and there’s certainly some bigger reason behind this bold decision. But first, let’s see why the whole iOS developer community is fuming and pissed.
Apple’s iOS 14 Rollout Was Announced When The Developer Tools Were Still In Beta
Over the years, Apple’s release cycle always drops a GM version of iOS and Xcode(the developer tool) at least a week prior to the public rollout.
A golden master build (GM) is the final build of a piece of software in the beta stages and is used developer testing. More often than not, GM is the exact build that goes on to the customers(unless there are some bugs).
Now, with GM versions being released just 24 hours ahead of iOS 14 public release, developers have very little time to upgrade their apps for the latest OS.
It’s important to note that the iOS 14 update is no small feat and there’s a slew of major changes that could either break the current apps(perhaps if they rely on incompatible third-party frameworks) or lead to a subpar performance on the new operating system. From the new clipboard API to approximate location access to a new in-app purchase flow, App Clips, picture in picture, and widgets, the number of breakthrough features in iOS 14 is far too many.
Moreover, most developers use continuous deployment build systems that need to be upgraded as well. Bitrise is just one popular CI/CD platform that is already flooded with requests to get their build systems pumped up to Xcode 12 GM.
Passing the Apple review is not a cakewalk by any means and takes a considerable number of hours — unarguably more than it’ll take for iOS 14 to reach millions of devices.
Apple’s Shocking Move Is A Way To Keep The Buzz High For iPhone 12
Previously, Apple has always overlapped its iPhone launch events with the big OS update. So, moving away from the tried and tested move might come off as a surprise to many.
A set of people might view this as a terrible move since it can now repel older iPhone users from upgrading their devices to the iPhone 12.
But given the circumstances we are in, with products announced and released online, Apple’s move is a shrewd way of ensuring that iOS 14 updates don’t hog the limelight from the rumored LiDAR powered iPhone 12 launch event.
From what I see, Apple has bought itself time to get their now delayed iPhone ready while people are busy admiring the latest iOS features. Also, one can assume that most third-party apps won’t be optimized for iOS 14 at least in the initial few weeks. This might just lure some customers into buying the superfast and performant iPhone 12 when it arrives.
Apple’s move is certainly great from a marketing perspective but it isn’t developer-friendly. Not giving prior notice or any communication about the biggest OS release of the year will certainly strain developer relations. But then Apple of today is more focused on establishing their monopoly, promoting their own apps, and influencing an ecosystem that rightfully is theirs.
Conclusion
In hindsight, decoding the meaning of “Time Flies” wasn’t that tricky.
Through its event tag line, Apple had subtly indicated that time will literally fly as developers try to put final touches, bug fixes, submit their apps for review, and hope for it to get released before iOS 14 notifications drop on devices worldwide.
That’s it for this one. Thanks for reading.
