Apple may postpone some major new iOS features until 2019

By Christian de Looper Published January 30, 2018

Apple is always working hard on its next iteration of iOS, its mobile operating system, but recent reports suggest that some of the biggest features originally planned may be pushed to next year’s iOS 13, instead of being launched in this year’s iOS 12. Why? Apple reportedly wants to focus a little more on stability this time around.

The report comes from Axios, which notes that Apple is pushing back some pretty major updates — like a refresh of the home screen, updates to CarPlay, and refreshes to some of its core apps. Instead, the company wants to make sure that iOS 12 is as polished as possible.

Recommended Videos

The news makes sense. iOS 11 had its fair share of bugs, and it’s likely Apple wants to ensure the next iteration of the operating system does away with those. Apple is also playing with a new form-factor in the iPhone X, so it’s possible that some of the bugs that Apple wants to iron out have to do with that.

It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean that Apple won’t add any new and exciting features to iOS 12, but it does mean that they might be a little less dramatic. The report notes that Apple may add new features in areas like augmented reality, parental controls, and health tracking.

Apple has done this in the past, too. As noted in a report from Engadget, Apple focused on under-the-hood improvements in iOS 9, and Apple generally alternates between big upgrades and small refinements each year on MacOS, Apple’s computer operating system. Other developers do the same. Google’s newest version of Android, Android 8.0 Oreo, was mostly an incremental upgrade.

We’ll likely see the first few features of iOS 12 at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which will take place in June, though it won’t be until September or October that the software will first make it to the public in Apple’s new slate of iPhones. The company is rumored to be launching a total of three new phones featuring the new iPhone X form-factor, though at least one of those phones may be a so-called “budget” option without 3D Touch or an OLED display.

Christian de Looper

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…

Topics

Phones

The Minimal Phone 2 looks dramatically better than the original, and I’m genuinely here for it

Plastic is out, metal is in, and Minimal Phone 2's renders suggest the digital detox phone concept finally has the hardware to match its ambition.

Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

I've been following the Minimal Phone since its initial crowdfunding days. The first iteration had the right idea trapped inside the wrong body, I’d say. Plastic build, no 5G, an underwhelming camera, and e-paper ghosting that frustrated early adopters; all these issues kept the phone from reaching a wider audience.

Now, founder Armen Youssefian has posted what appears to be a 360-degree render of the Minimal Phone 2 on X, and from what I can see, the team has done its homework.

Phones

The EU says TikTok still isn’t doing enough to protect kids

Regulators say the platform's privacy settings don't go far enough under the Digital Services Act.

TikTok Creative Featured

The European Commission has accused TikTok of falling short on protecting minors, saying the platform's current account settings don't meet the child safety standards required under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The findings are preliminary, but if upheld, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual revenue.

Why the EU thinks TikTok isn't doing enough

Computing

Qualcomm is set to ratchet up chip prices in September, and your next gadget upgrade could bear the brunt

The price hike could touch every Snapdragon-powered device category.

The new Qualcomm Snadragon 8 Elite Gen 5

I want you to sit with this for a second. Qualcomm, the company whose Snapdragon chips sit inside your Android phone and tablet, your Windows laptop, your Meta smart glasses, your Galaxy Watch, and your wireless earbuds, reportedly sent a letter to every major customer telling them prices are going up by double digits.

The price hike will be in effect from September 1, 2026, a recent Bloomberg report claims. Essentially, all the companies placing their chip orders after that will pay a higher price.