These last few years are being one of the ones that we are having the most iOS updates on our iPhone. There are those who have not even realized it or barely give it importance, while others are already bored with so much updating and even wonder if this is positive or negative. How should we take this? We analyze it.
Reasons why so many have been launched these years
Up to 26 updates have been of iOS 12 counting from its initial version, 16 of iOS 13 and, for now, 13 for iOS 14. They are really striking data and more if we look back and see that there were versions like iOS 8 with only 7 updates behind your back in a year.
To understand it, we must start from the basis that Apple can release updates to its operating system for three fundamental reasons, which are not mutually exclusive:
- Introduce visual and / or functional novelties.
- Fix bugs and improve device performance.
- Add security patches to cover possible vulnerabilities.
Considering that the big news arrive in the first versions of each year , it is clear that this reason is not the one that has probably motivated Apple to launch so many updates in recent years. Although it must be said that some of the most outstanding novelties in these years have come a long time after the first versions; See for example the privacy features for the iPhone introduced in iOS 14.5.
However, it must be recognized that in these years the company has had to alleviate several errors that, in some cases, are repeated very often, such as high battery consumption. More and more malware is also being developed to infect iPhones, for which the company has to add patches to cover the vulnerabilities.
So should you or shouldn’t you upgrade?
Following the thread of what we commented previously, an excess of updates, at least as a general rule, is not bad at all . In fact, it is appreciated that a company cares about keeping its devices safe and error-free, being the best way for the user to enjoy a better experience. That is why it is always advisable to update, although it is understandable that it is also tedious because it implies having the device unusable for a few minutes while the new version is installed.
Now, knowing that Apple always tries to keep their phones protected and that they are not the ones who design the malware, we can save them from blame when they add security patches , which is again something to be appreciated. However, we cannot (or at least a humble server considers it that way) to turn a blind eye to problems that are a constant in the operating system . It can be understood that there are errors in first-time versions even though they should have been covered in the beta period, but that when versions are already very advanced, errors continue to exist is at least reprehensible.
We understand (or I understand, I insist on taking it personally) that the company is increasingly diversified in software development by having new variants that there were not years ago, as is the case of watchOS or the iPadOS that separated from iOS in 2019. However, it should not be an excuse in a company on the level of Apple, which is credited with a team of engineers that is in the ranking of the best in the world.