iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 won’t fall far from Apple’s existing tree, as the iPhone, iPad and Mac software updates will reportedly skip flashiness for more stability.
It should come as no surprise that the iPhone’s newest operating system won’t boast a plethora of features as past releases have. Both iOS 7 and iOS 8 were plagued with performance and stability issues over multiple releases and Apple looks to beef up iOS 9’s stability, rather than its wow factor.
However, according to 9to5Mac, iOS 9 will add at least 3 major new features, in addition to the ones we’ve already heard about.
iOS 9 features
The first is a kernel-level feature called “Rootless” that Apple believes will deliver a “huge blow” to all the jailbreakers out there. The report says Rootless will “prevent even administrative-level users from being able to access certain protected files on Apple devices.”
Undoubtedly, Apple is still sweating from the heat it caught after the iCloud hack last year that left several celebrities’ private photos as public domain. Most likely in response, “iCloud Drive” will be a part of iOS 9 and will bump up the encryption strength and IMAP sync speed of the cirrostratus storage system.
The final iOS 9 feature detailed in the leak is something called “Trusted Wi-Fi” to increase encryption on wireless networks that may not be on the up-and-up.
Another interesting tidbit in the leak is Apple’s alleged plans to make a “core version” of iOS 9 for older devices, such as the iPhone 4S and the iPad Mini. This strategy would be a pleasant departure from the last few iOS releases, which have been buggy on old devices and ended up either aiming customers toward Apple’s next big thing, or pushing them to find a new handset.
OS X 10.11 add-ons
If these reports are true, the new OS X is getting some performance and stability support, as well as a couple of unique features.
The main add-on is an iPhone-esque “Control Center” that will move many menu bar functions to a pane that slides from the left side of your display. This will provide additional control of music and other iOS functions. Although the report says the testing of Control Center has been in flux and may get pushed back.
The new OS X will also feature some small interface tweaks that began with OS X 10.10 Yosemite.
Will we see a departure from recent Apple history with a focus on stability and, intriguingly, legacy compatibility? Owners of yesteryear’s Apple devices would like to think so.
