LA Times: Apple's problems with iOS mirror Microsoft's issues with Windows

posted by Alan F.

Feb 09, 2016, 11:21 AM

LA Times: Apple's problems with iOS mirror Microsoft's issues with Windows

L.A. Times columnist Michael Hiltzik wrote a piece that was published in Monday's paper, discussing what he believes is the "disappearing integration" between Apple's hardware and software. He also has spotted an "explosion of discontent" among iOS users in regards to the quality of the core apps found on the iPhone and iPad. This "discontent" spreads to Apple's non-mobile devices as well.

To illustrate the unusual position that iOS users find themselves in, the Times' columnist points out a comment made by former Wall Street Journal Tech writer and Re/code co-founder Walt Mossberg. It was just last week when Mossberg wrote that there has been "a gradual degradation in the quality and reliability of Apple’s core apps."

Hiltzik writes that Apple could be suffering from the same problem as Microsoft is with Windows. He states that both companies are adding new functions to an "outdated core" instead of starting from scratch. Just yesterday, we told you about a security update that Apple pushed out for iOS that fixed over 100 issues.

The iPhone remains the most important product in Apple's line-up

Most have placed the blame on Apple's new product release schedule, which has the company designing and manufacturing a new iPhone every year. Even "S" year models have some new features. And after all of the work that is done trying to stay one step ahead in an incredibly competitive business, Apple has to come up with new ways to market the iPhone every year.

While it was amazing that the company topped the 2014 holiday quarter's 74.5 million in iPhone sales by ringing up a record 74.8 million in 2015's holiday season, the current quarter is not expected to do as well. In fact, even Apple CEO Tim Cook expects the company to report its first year-over-year decline in iPhone sales in April. What happens in the next two quarters will determine where Apple goes from here.

Considering that more than 30% of iPhone users are still rocking an iPhone with a 4-inch screen, there is no reason to believe that the iPhone won't regain its footing in the second half of this year. And don't forget that the Apple iPhone 7 is due to be unveiled this September. Apple is reportedly making the iPhone 7 waterproof, adding a dual camera system to the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, and will remove the 3.5mm earphone jack which could add some room for a higher capacity battery.

"Conjectures about why Apple can't get its software act together abound. The most common is that the company has become so trapped in its cycle of annual hardware upgrades -- a new iPhone had better appear every September, or else -- that it's simply incapable of keeping its software maintained."-Michael Hiltzik, L.A. Times

"The rapid decline of Apple’s software is a sign that marketing is too high a priority at Apple today: having major new releases every year is clearly impossible for the engineering teams to keep up with while maintaining quality. ... They’re doing too much, with unrealistic deadlines."-Marco Arment, programmer

But the issue Apple has doesn't seem to be hardware related. If Hiltzik is right, the solution for Apple is to focus a little less on hardware and focus more on taking iOS where it needs to be for the next five years or more.

source: LATimes via BGR

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42 Comments

43. snowgator

Posts: 3630; Member since: Jan 19, 2011

Sometimes, I think people confuse these companies and their money streams. Google is not a hardware or productivity company: They are a ad revenue first, with specialized services a distant second. They are amazing at getting you to "unsecure" your life to them, and they way you watch videos, stream music, surf the net, buy plane tickets/hotels and everything else you do helps them make money. Neither Apple or MS play in that league. MS uses Bing in that way, but it is pennies on the dollar compared to the G-Men. Microsoft is and seems like it always will be a productivity and services company. Professionals still use their products nearly to a fault, and Azure, cloud, and Windows are still the bread and butter of MS. Their games, music, video, search engine, and web browser businesses are all icing on their profit cake. Apple is a mobility giant, and their hardware and mobile store apps drive them to being among the top traded and valued company in the history of ever. Sure, Google makes a nice penny off of Android (see the court documents in some of their current court cases), but Apple has the "value" market cornered. MS has done some nice things on the mobility front with tablets and software on iOS and Android, but this is not in Apples league, and that is why this report is important. Apple NEEDS mobility, period. They cannot afford to drop at all. Their success depends on it. These three monsters are actually NOT in direct competition, at least not in the traditional sense. It is an amazing thing to see these three fighting for position in this new economic world.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 9:40 PM 1

22. oozz009

Posts: 520; Member since: Jun 22, 2015

Hope they name it OS X and then OS X 2 and so on!! Got tired of the usual digits:D

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 1:33 PM 0

19. oozz009

Posts: 520; Member since: Jun 22, 2015

After iOS 10 (or iOS X) comes out, I'm hoping that Apple just stops creating major updates altogether. Instead of going right over to iOS 11 the year after they could simply focus on the quality of the updates and do 0.5 updates every year. For example, after iOS 10 they could start releasing 10.1, several months after 10.2 and 10.3 some time after. Then for Apple's WWDC event they could release a .2 update which would bring the version to 10.5 and then so on every year. It would a smaller update without doubt but .2 update would still be big enough to bring forth a good amount of changes in the OS. They could even name it iOS 10 2 just to satisfy the investor and to make it appear as more of a major update. From there it would go on to 10.1 2 and later 10.2 2 and 10.3 2 until the next WWDC for iOS 11. Then the cycle would repeat itself. This way, it would take two years to see a whole "1.0" update on the OS but the number of updates per year would not be reduced. However, the quality of the updates would be with no doubt be improved!!

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 1:31 PM 0

29. magnanimus

Posts: 566; Member since: Mar 29, 2013

They already do this but with a lot less confusing numbering scheme...

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 3:31 PM 0

30. oozz009

Posts: 520; Member since: Jun 22, 2015

Huh?? No they don't! Explain because every year they go to a new major iOS version (e.g. From iOS 8 to 9). I'm saying that they should do this every two years (with the method outlined above).

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 3:44 PM 0

31. magnanimus

Posts: 566; Member since: Mar 29, 2013

iOS 9.3 came out last month... And why do you think major updates should be every 2 years?

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 3:58 PM 0

35. tedkord

Posts: 17544; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

To avoid the issues this article talks about. As iOS had gotten more complex to compete with other mobile OSes, it's gotten much buggier. That's natural It's a tricky situation, and I'm not sure what that answer is. Keep up the pace, keep getting buggier. Slow down and look like you're behind the competition.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 5:19 PM 0

37. oozz009

Posts: 520; Member since: Jun 22, 2015

Well I already explained in my earlier post but basicly it's because that will allow a higher quality of updates and improved stability. Apple developers will be able to focus on the details and they will have ample time to make interesting 0.1 updates (just like 9.3 is). Besides after iOS 10 I'm sure that there will be no point for Apple to make major updates each year since the majority of features that people want will most likely be included in iOS 10 to begin with. It's time for them to take a small brake and think about how to make the future OS updates with care just as Apple was know to do back on the days of iOS 6.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 7:29 PM 0

10. Unordinary unregistered

On the bright side, 12,000,000 Apple Watches shipped, leading the smart watch industry

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 12:55 PM 0

11. Podrick

Posts: 1285; Member since: Aug 19, 2015

Power of the logo, quite extraordinary.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 1:02 PM 6

21. Unordinary unregistered

Excuses excuses

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 1:32 PM 3

23. Podrick

Posts: 1285; Member since: Aug 19, 2015

Logo.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 1:39 PM 3

45. Inotamira

Posts: 173; Member since: Feb 06, 2016

Oh, oh no, "insults mean you don't have an argument" right? So that means your argument will be thrown out! Too bad, these sheep might actually learn something when applying critical thinking skills and less logical fallacies!

posted on Feb 10, 2016, 1:51 AM 0

15. tedkord

Posts: 17544; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Significantly below expectations, not surprisingly since so many watches look better, and specifically the Gear S2 Classic blows it away in looks and functionality.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 1:22 PM 3

18. Unordinary unregistered

Functionality???! Lmao I'm sorry man, but that watch is the slowest laggiest piece of junk on the market. Only thing it has going for it is it's decent looks. And regardless, it's still the top. Which means Samsungs sales are waaaay below what they even aim to sell.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 1:31 PM 3

24. tedkord

Posts: 17544; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Funny, every single review states it's fluid, smooth and fast. Which matches my experience with it at the store. In fact, I've seen more complaints about lag from the Apple Watch. Again, you're basing that on what? Apple refuses to release even a hint of sales I the watch. That from a company that reports sales of every other piece of hardware they sell. Hmmmmm.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 2:07 PM 5

17. tedkord

Posts: 17544; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

And, of course, those are estimates of devices shipped by third party analysts because Apple are embarrassed by the actual sold numbers, and won't announce anything.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 1:24 PM 5

20. Unordinary unregistered

Cook announced sales at that town hall event the other day.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 1:32 PM 0

25. tedkord

Posts: 17544; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

No, he announced shipped.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 2:07 PM 5

26. Unordinary unregistered

Which brings us back to comment #10. What were Samsungs sales? Have they said?

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 2:13 PM 0

27. tedkord

Posts: 17544; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

No. Neither has. Which is why your claims mean nothing. But the major difference is Samsung has never announced sales numbers, while Apple always did - until the iWatch. That tells you something.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 2:26 PM 4

28. tedkord

Posts: 17544; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Don't get me wrong, I don't think ANY smartwatch is a device that serves any real function that anyone needs. But the Gear S2 at least looks good and the UI isn't a hot mess like Apple's.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 2:28 PM 4

36. NoToFanboys

Posts: 3231; Member since: Oct 03, 2015

You two are very funny, two dogs at different sides barking at each other, aren't you two sick of your fanboyism?

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 7:19 PM 0

41. tedkord

Posts: 17544; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

People can argue, even if you don't like it.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 8:54 PM 2

2. IAMBLCKJ3ZUS

Posts: 432; Member since: Sep 29, 2015

Meant to say if Apple and Microsoft ditch Google services like YouTube and docs.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 11:29 AM 0

3. tedkord

Posts: 17544; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

If Apple and Microsoft ditch Google services, they'll have to answer to their users for the second tier quality services they get, while Android will have to fall back on the 85% of mobile users who own an Android. I think they'll survive.

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 11:39 AM 15

7. IAMBLCKJ3ZUS

Posts: 432; Member since: Sep 29, 2015

Not if they made their own app that competes with Youtube and other Google services. Do you know how many people complain about Youtube policies?

posted on Feb 09, 2016, 12:24 PM 1

8. willard12 unregistered

Their mobile operating system isn't exactly competing with Google's. But, somehow, you think people will ditch YouTube for MS Tube? The second part of that is, if MS blocked Google services, what happens when Google returns the favor and blocks MS access to 85% of the world's mobile users?