

Apple will require all new apps to be optimized for iOS 7 from February 1 - Brajeshwar
http://thenextweb.com/apple/2013/12/18/apple-will-require-all-new-apps-to-be-optimized-for-ios-7-from-february-1/

======
yaeger
The question is, by "optimized", do they mean just the UI of the app? The
article mentions that the apps must be build with xcode5. But it doesn't
specify against which iOS version it must be _build_.

Do they force devs to not just make their apps looks like iOS7 but also force
them to use iOS7.x as a minimum build target? That would really suck
considering there still are devices out there that are ineligible to upgrade
to iOS7.

~~~
muzzamike
This just means apps will have to be built with Xcode 5. Older iOS versions
can still be supported.

~~~
interpol_p
More specifically, it means apps will have to be built with the iOS 7 base SDK
(you can modify Xcode 5 to build with the older SDKs as base).

This ensures things like the new style keyboard and status bar UI are used in
your app when running on iOS 7.

------
bnolsen
the big problem here is that apple gets to decide what hardware can and cant
be updated. The nice thing about linux and some not locked down android
devices is that someone in the community can generally back port to older
hardware if the device manufacturer didn't bother to do it themselves.

------
yeukhon
Apple doesn't have fragmentation to worry about. I think the requirement is
smart and necessary. Developers must keep up with new SDK and new iOS.

On the other hand, older devices, at least my iPad, doesn't work very well all
the new updates. I wonder if this has anything to do with the backward
compatibility, or the hardware, or just the fact iOS7 is new so updates are
not optimized yet.

~~~
SyneRyder
Maybe I'm cynical, but I think that's part of the Apple treadmill to keep
people buying new devices. iOS 7 is written for the new hardware (as it should
be), and not fully optimized for older devices because they want people to buy
new ones.

I have a 5 year-old laptop that works perfectly for my purposes, but I'll
probably have to buy a new one just so I can run Xcode 5, and the only reason
I can't run Xcode 5 is because it won't run Mountain Lion / Mavericks. Even
then, that's only because Apple won't optimize Mavericks for the GPU on my
machine - the same laptop can run Windows 8.1 just fine.

~~~
InTheSwiss
You are not being cynical, that is exactly what Apple is doing and always has
done. They set a limit on how far back they support older products regardless
of if they are technically able to do whatever is needed.

Whether doing so is right or wrong is up to the individual to decide. Apple do
not keep it a secret or advertise that whatever you buy today will be
supported by their newer software in a couple of years. You buy the product as
is today.

~~~
freeman478
In spite of this bad behavior, Apple is still the best at supporting old
devices with OS updates.

[http://www.fidlee.com/android-support-vs-ios-
support/](http://www.fidlee.com/android-support-vs-ios-support/)

So Apple is the best at this but they are still the bad guys or just the less
worse ?

~~~
makomk
Except that a lot of sensible people don't install the final updates for any
given Apple iDevice that's going out of support, because it's often so slow as
to make the device unusable and Apple have got strong anti-downgrade
protections that stop anyone from rolling back to the previous version. Nice
bit of forced obsolescence.

~~~
InTheSwiss
Running iOS 7 on my partners iPad 2 is fine. The biggest performance issues
with it are websites that are more and more complex than just a few years ago
when she got the iPad. They lag like hell.

I understand why Apple makes downgrading so difficult but I agree it is a real
pain in the ass and wish it was simple to do.

~~~
makomk
It'd be pretty terrible if it didn't run properly on there, since as far as I
can tell Apple are still making and selling the iPad 2. I'd be curious how the
iPad 3 is doing since that was discontinued a year or so ago.

