iOS 4 has only been out for a couple weeks, and there are still a large number of apps on my phone which do not support any of the new features. I realize there’s a good chunk of work involved in implementing iOS 4 features. But the OS didn’t appear overnight, it’s been available in beta for months. From what I’ve read, many iPhone devs just haven’t made iOS 4 a high priority.
Several iPhone dev blogs I’ve read have recent posts mentioning “just getting around to checking out iOS 4″. I can understand why- it’s extra work they can’t charge for, the SDK has some frustrating quirks that make updating more difficult than expected. Most importantly, we’ve lived without these features for years, so another few months won’t hurt.
It will hurt. iOS 4 has already changed the way many of us use our iDevices. We’re getting used to features like fast app switching and backgrounding. Soon tens of millions of new iPhone 4 users will get so used to Retina Display as well. Apps that support iOS 4 features gain a significant competitive advantage over those that don’t.
Example- My Pandora usage has spiked since they implemented backgrounding in their iPhone app, while my Rhapsody usage has dropped. I even started listening to Pandora at work, and the thought has crossed my mind of whether I should just cancel Rhapsody and go with Pandora. None of this would have happened if Rhapsody included iOS 4 features early. Will I cancel Rhapsody? Not yet. But the lack of iOS 4 support actually got me to notice and consider competitors. Another example- I use Podcaster now for my podcast catcher, which is a horribly buggy mess of an app. But it does backgrounding and iPod control which Mediafly doesn’t, so cya Mediafly. In this case I paid for a (buggy) app that supports iOS 4 features instead of using a free (stable) one that does not.
Getting iOS 4 updates rolled out as soon as possible should be a top priority, before your user base moves on without you.
0 nhận xét:
Post a Comment