Refocused iOS update cycle is just the cure Apple needed

Delayed gratification

With a more measured approach, there’s the potential for Apple to reimagine iOS along the way. The stale home screen, for example, will finally get a redesign, according to reports. And developers will get the time needed to complete these updates.

We’ve already seen Apple unofficially adopt this new approach with iOS 11. Apple Pay Cash, AirPlay 2, and iCloud Messages were all delayed past iOS 11’s September launch; only Apple Pay Cash has been released.

If it means new features aren’t riddled with bugs when they launch, then iOS is better off for it. Again, it’s easy to draw a parallel to video game development. Rockstar has delayed the launch of Red Dead Redemption 2 two times already, citing the need to add more polish. Apple is doing the same thing with iOS, with a focus on the next two years.

“Craig Federighi’s team will have more time to work on new features and focus on under-the-hood refinements without being tied to a list of new features annually simply so the company can tout a massive year-over-year leap,” Bloomberg said in its report. “The renewed focus on quality is designed to make sure the company can fulfill promises made each summer at the annual developers conference and that new features work reliably and as advertised.”