In-depth iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 review: many quality-of-life updates, especially to core apps, but few bold new features and no big iPad productivity leaps
incremental releases! Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi : 4/ At the same time, Jobs (and much of the Mac team, particularly people like Scott Forstall and years later Craig Federighi) delivered releases of this new OS on more of a schedule than most anyone else in the OS biz. All while Apple was struggling with System 7.x and later. Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi : 9/ Power users and people that look to features struggle with this because they want a “big bang” every year. But that turns out to not be a good way to run a long-term software project or even what customers want. Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi : PS/ It is easy to say “yeah but what about the power users or fans” and just remember a) those aren't the largest base of customers and b) the biggest feature they get is a yearly release!! Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi : 7/ THEN (by the way!) they took the OS and scaled it back and ported it to ARM to build...a phone. And they still released updates to the Mac. Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi : 14/ So to review products using terms like incremental misses the huge leaps that happen right under our collective noses. And true to the reality, the number of “upgrade the hardware every year” customers isn't the goal. Economically it can't be. Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi : 11/ Features like Face ID, Wallet, even iCloud itself, or maybe that little thing called the M1. all had “just a toy” or “incremental” or “not sure” reviews. The problem is s/w projects that try to solve for the long term all at once can (and do) often fail to even launch. Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi : 15/ @jensenharris send me this video last night reminding us both of the incredible amount of cumulative change that “little incremental” updates bring. It is worth a watch. This only goes to 15. https://www.youtube.com/... Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi : 13/ What matters more than anything to software is shipping AND having a long term view. You can't just ship. You can't just have a big vision. You have to know how to break your long term goals down and ship reliable “incremental” steps. Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi : 16/ I too love features. But what I love more than features is when a company executes at the scale of 1 billion devices over more than 20 years. That's learning by shipping. I wrote about this whole topic once before. More here. ♻️ // END https://medium.learningbyshipping.com/ ... Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi : 3/ This goes back to Apple history and failure to delivery the OS releases reliably. Of course everyone was failing to release software on time back then (even on mainframes). But Apple, much like Microsoft, teetered between betting too big and scrambling something out the door. Steven Sinofsky / @stevesi : 5/ Once NeXT joined Apple and OS “merger” happened, not only did Apple have a modern OS, but release cadence was put in place. Key point: the cadence was set by a calendar (a conference!) not by a feature list. Whole process oriented around gaining and maintaining momentum. https://twitter.com/...
The contrast is sharpest on iPad. iOS 11 had been framed as a major productivity step for the device; the related coverage now finds no comparable advance in iPadOS 15, even as Focus, Weather, and Safari changes improve everyday use.
First-order effects
Apple gives iPhone and iPad users more polished daily workflows in core apps, with Focus and the redesigned Weather app among the immediately visible changes.
iPad users seeking a larger shift toward full-fledged productivity software receive iteration rather than a new capability leap.
Second-order effects
Apple’s iPad product narrative remains tied to accumulating software refinements, rather than regaining the step-change productivity framing associated with iOS 11.
Safari’s redesigned interface asks users to adapt to Apple’s new interaction model, while the mixed reception in related coverage makes usability—not feature count—the near-term test.
Third-order effects
If this release pattern persists, Apple’s mobile OS strategy will be defined more by annual polish to widely used workflows than by large, device-redefining launches.
The iPad’s path toward a broader productivity role appears to depend on future platform changes that go beyond incremental core-app improvements.
The trend: Apple’s iOS and iPadOS releases are trending toward steady quality-of-life refinement, with iPad productivity advances arriving less consistently than early platform momentum suggested.
Hundreds of features. 23 pages. 9 chapters. Two OSes. One review. Here we go 🚀 iOS and iPadOS 15: The MacStories Review https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter.com/...
iOS and iPadOS 15: MacStories Review // Worthwhile read for a lot of details about releases. If you've been looking at Apple software releases for any time then you know “major”, “minor”, or “incremental” are all the wrong descriptors and upset me! 🙀 1/ https://www.macstories.net…
6/ Look at that timeline from 2001. Even if all they ever did was Mac, then that would be an insane accomplishment. The fact that they also replumbed the OS for Intel along the way and built the hardware was a bonus.
10/ The benefit of “incremental” innovation COMBINED with a long-term view means that some features get added that sort of sneak up on customers. What looks small and weird early on can compound over time with more “incremental” and become big.
12/ There are plenty of projects that do ongoing small adjustments. And of course there have been products that have fits and starts (or perhaps “odd/even") approaches. But looking at those reviews you see the same thing—incremental releases!
4/ At the same time, Jobs (and much of the Mac team, particularly people like Scott Forstall and years later Craig Federighi) delivered releases of this new OS on more of a schedule than most anyone else in the OS biz. All while Apple was struggling with System 7.x and later.
9/ Power users and people that look to features struggle with this because they want a “big bang” every year. But that turns out to not be a good way to run a long-term software project or even what customers want.
PS/ It is easy to say “yeah but what about the power users or fans” and just remember a) those aren't the largest base of customers and b) the biggest feature they get is a yearly release!!
I've gone in and pretty much bought all the Safari extensions I could find on the App Store. As I suspected, feels like day 1 of share extensions and widgets again. Read the section of my review, and stay tuned for a roundup on @macstoriesnet soon: https://www.macstories.net/... …
14/ So to review products using terms like incremental misses the huge leaps that happen right under our collective noses. And true to the reality, the number of “upgrade the hardware every year” customers isn't the goal. Economically it can't be.
2/ What Apple does is “relentless execution” coupled with a “long-term and focused point of view”. And they do that by releasing Every. Single. Year. At. The. Same. Time. I guess after all this time, this fact is so taken for granted that we sometimes fail to appreciate it.
11/ Features like Face ID, Wallet, even iCloud itself, or maybe that little thing called the M1. all had “just a toy” or “incremental” or “not sure” reviews. The problem is s/w projects that try to solve for the long term all at once can (and do) often fail to even launch.
15/ @jensenharris send me this video last night reminding us both of the incredible amount of cumulative change that “little incremental” updates bring. It is worth a watch. This only goes to 15. https://www.youtube.com/...
13/ What matters more than anything to software is shipping AND having a long term view. You can't just ship. You can't just have a big vision. You have to know how to break your long term goals down and ship reliable “incremental” steps.
Another major iOS version out and Universal Links are still terrible. I wonder why Apple is so reluctant to make it not suck? 1. Prompt on first launch of any universal link 2. Provide a system wide place to manage links 3. Allow any app to register links for any URL
16/ I too love features. But what I love more than features is when a company executes at the scale of 1 billion devices over more than 20 years. That's learning by shipping. I wrote about this whole topic once before. More here. ♻️ // END https://medium.learningbyshipping.com/ .…
3/ This goes back to Apple history and failure to delivery the OS releases reliably. Of course everyone was failing to release software on time back then (even on mainframes). But Apple, much like Microsoft, teetered between betting too big and scrambling something out the door.
Anyone having a weird ios 15 bug where alerts and system sounds are like 10x their normal volume? My text tone was deafening to the entire subway. My typing sounds raised heads It's like it's going louder than the speaker is supposed to be able to go😂
5/ Once NeXT joined Apple and OS “merger” happened, not only did Apple have a modern OS, but release cadence was put in place. Key point: the cadence was set by a calendar (a conference!) not by a feature list. Whole process oriented around gaining and maintaining momentum. https…
In the review, you'll also find a long chapter about iPadOS 15 and all its new features: - New multitasking menu - The Shelf (!) - Center windows - New keyboard commands + navigation And lots more. But is it enough....? Read it here: https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter…
The most challenging section for me this year was the Safari one. In the end, I *really* like what Apple has done on the iPhone. However, I consider the iPad UI a regression from iPadOS 14. And then we have Extensions. Read it here: https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter.…
My favorite iPadOS 15 feature? Quick Note. I love this feature, and I wrote about it in detail - including the many uses I've found for it. If you're an iPad and Apple Notes user, you have to look into this. https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter.com/...
My goal for the iOS review this year was simple: Make it shorter, more reader-friendly, and still packed with details. I hope you'll like the more ‘approachable’ style of the story. I'm also trying something else: new sections labeled ‘The Details’ throughout the review. https://…
I'm pleased to share @viticci's iOS and iPadOS 15 review. It's such a good read and excellent evaluation of updates that touch so many different aspects of iOS and iPadOS. Enjoy: iOS and iPadOS 15: The MacStories Review https://www.macstories.net/... https://twitter.com/...
This year, we have an even larger collection of @ClubMacStories perks for my review: - eBook - Second eBook - iOS 15: The Details - Shortcuts - Making Of For Plus members: - Three @obsdmd plugins (!!!) - A Safari extension - AppStories live, tonight! https://www.macstories.net/..…