Bye Bye Bugs? Apple iOS 9 Aims for Much Needed Stability
In the wake of iOS 8's release in September 2014, Apple's user support forums were flooded with angry messages describing various technical glitches. One day after releasing iOS 8, Apple rushed out version 8.1 in an attempt to placate upset consumers, but embarrassingly, had to retract the "update" when it caused more problems than it solved.
Even today, after Apple has released several additional interim updates to squash bugs (the current iteration is 8.1.3), users are still reporting problems. While this article was being written, in fact, a couple of dozen new complaints were lodged in the "Using iPhone" forum in the Apple Support Communities, including one plaintively entitled "is it possible to downgrade to ios 7 from ios8?" (The answer, incidentally, is a firm "no.")
Focusing on More Modest Goals for iOS 9
The last two major iterations of Apple's mobile software, versions 7 and 8, represented two of the company's most expansive and feature-laden releases. The recent complaints, however, suggest that the company's ambitions had begun to outstrip its execution, and that the user experience was suffering.
In an article Monday, Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac reported that Apple's next major mobile release, iOS 9, will focus "on stabilizing and optimizing the operating system," rather than adding a host of new features.
Citing unnamed sources at Cupertino, Gurman said Apple iOS 9 engineers are concentrating their efforts almost entirely on "under the hood" improvements aimed at "fixing bugs, maintaining stability, and boosting performance."
Another key objective for Apple iOS 9 engineers will be to keep the size of the mobile operating system as small as is technically feasible, so as to preserve data 
storage space for users with 16 GB devices.
Not Entirely Boring
While it may be difficult to get consumers and developers excited about a mobile OS release that is primarily an engine tune-up, early reports suggest that attendees at this summer's Worldwide Developer's Conference will have some reason to cheer.
Among the few new features reported in the works for iOS 9 are indoor mapping capability, the addition of public transportation data to the native Maps app, and split-screen multitasking on the iPad.
In the super-competitive smartphone market, it represents something of a gamble for Apple to essentially take a break from feature enhancements and concentrate primarily on stability. However, some tech observers see potential long-term benefit for Apple in slowing things down a bit.
"The past two iOS updates have given [Apple] a decent feature and design lead," Darrell Etherington wrote in TechCrunch, "and Android’s fragmentation issue means that most of its users are still on old software anyway. Stabilization pays dividends in terms of customer satisfaction, too, which Apple continually reiterates is one of its most important success metrics."
It remains to be seen, however, whether a more stable iOS generates sufficient consumer appreciation to outweigh the PR effects of a much more muted and less exciting developer's conference.