#Why upgrade mac operating system software#

Sure, Apple does get some benefit from its current cadence. Spaced out updates aren’t a new idea for Apple, either Apple spent almost a decade spacing out OS X releases every two years before it brought back annual releases with OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion in 2012.

#Why upgrade mac operating system software#

Spaced out software updates wouldn’t even be a new idea for Apple, at least on the macOS side of things. Did the FaceTime team come up with a great new feature that’ll make pandemic chatting easier? Release it when it’s ready! Second, it should start to space out its major software releases, waiting an extra year or two between iOS or macOS versions to ensure that when it does release a “new” operating system, there are actually big changes to be excited about. First, it should continue to build out point releases with additional features throughout the year or even unbundle app updates from its annual releases entirely.

To solve the issues of lackluster annual updates, Apple should do two things. Point releases have gotten more and more important, too, used to debut new emoji, critical Face ID updates for better mask support, or Apple’s high-profile App Tracking Transparency requirement. Major features for iOS and macOS like SharePlay or Universal Control have been delayed from the initial dot-zero builds for more development time.

Neither appears to be the kind of earth-shattering, OS-level feature that would require waiting for a new version of iOS, but Apple saved the updates to be part of iOS 15 anyway, despite the fact that they undoubtedly would have been more useful during the height of the pandemic when video chatting was more heavily in need.Īpple has, in fairness, already started to trend away from its one-and-done updates, if only because it’s missed its self-imposed deadlines multiple times. Take iOS 15, which added a grid view and the ability to blur a background in FaceTime, core features that have already been a key part of Zoom and Google Meet’s toolkits for making larger virtual conversations more organized. Second is the fact that - because Apple silos off virtually all its updates, big or small, to help pad out the “big” iOS release - smaller but useful quality of life improvements often get stuck waiting around months for the fall cycle to line up. Apple macOS 12 Monterey review: the best is yet to come iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 review: foundational fixes