Remember when new iOS releases often brought along significant redesigns? Looking back at iOS 7. Yet, despite the annual speculation of another major update, I’m quite certain those days are behind us. A recent app fiasco illustrates this point clearly.
The Sonos Redesign Fiasco: A Lesson Learned
If you haven’t been following the news, Sonos has been struggling immensely as of late.
After months of attempting to rectify its 2024 blunder—rolling out a new app redesign—the company was forced to change its CEO.
The revamped Sonos app launched in April, igniting a flood of customer dissatisfaction and negative media coverage that persisted for the entire year.
This situation serves as an ideal case study illustrating why significant iOS overhauls are no longer feasible.
Had the new Sonos app been released in the company’s earlier days, I believe it would have fared much better.
Even with the same issues, the more niche, tech-savvy user base would likely have adapted, or Sonos could have implemented fixes without it becoming such a scandal.
This narrative parallels what we’re seeing with iOS.
The iPhone’s Success Makes Major Changes Risky
In the past, as the iPhone was gaining popularity, Apple managed to implement significant redesigns without much pushback thanks to a smaller, more tech-oriented user group.
Now, however, the iPhone is integral to daily life for hundreds of millions of users who possess varying levels of technological expertise.
If Apple were to drastically alter the look and functionality of iOS, the backlash could be immense.
Even if such changes were deemed beneficial by many, given the vast user base, significant dissent would be almost guaranteed.
The answer isn’t to allow iOS to stagnate, and Apple understands this well.
Instead, the practice has shifted to making significant modifications on a more granular, app-by-app basis.
For instance, the changes made to the Photos app in iOS 18 sparked a considerable debate and necessitated updates to address various concerns. However, since it was only one app affected, the broader impact was limited.
In contrast, revamping the entire iOS ecosystem would pose a significant risk for Apple.
As appealing as the idea of a transformative redesign reminiscent of iOS 7 may be (for some of us), many iPhone users who are less enthusiastic about change could view it as disastrous.
The Sonos incident serves as a vital warning for Apple and other tech giants with large, established audiences.
This scenario also suggests we may have to embrace the reality of smaller, incremental updates to iOS’s design.
Do you think Apple should undertake a complete redesign of iOS? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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