While an update for iOS 9, bringing it up to version 9.3.5, has been hot in the discussions among jailbreak users, some of the more regular iOS users have also been questioning their need for the patch, especially in light of reports that the last version of iOS 9 contains a bug that will never be fixed.
The bug may not be relevant to all users – it concerns the VoiceOver feature of the device – but there are still lots of critical comments about the situation, and many disappointed users. It looks like upgrading to the latest version of iOS 9 is definitely not a good option for those who rely on the feature, while at the same time don’t plan on moving on to iOS 10.
The problem is that skipping iOS 9.3.5 may not be enough for most, as the previous version of the system, 9.3.4, is apparently also affected by the issue. So at this point, the only ones who could avoid iOS 10 and use their phones’ dictation functionality correctly are those who’re still on previous versions of the system.
The only light in the end of the tunnel for those on iOS 9.3.4 is if the community comes up with a fix, but that would only apply to those running a jailbroken device. Other users who prefer to run vanilla software and don’t like messing with their operating systems will be out of luck, and they will be forced to either upgrade to iOS 10, or be stuck with the bug forever.
On the topic of jailbreaking, that’s another major reason for some to prefer iOS 9.3.4 over its immediate successor. There are reports that jailbreak teams will not focus their efforts on 9.3.5 and will skip it in favor of moving on to iOS 10, so there may never be a reliable jailbreak solution for that specific version.
This is an important note for those who still haven’t upgraded to 9.3.5, as it may be a good idea for them to skip the jump. Of course, there will be plenty of jailbreaking tools for iOS 10 eventually, but that version is not an option for some due to hardware limitations. Plus, it might still be more limited than iOS 9 even in a jailbroken format, due to Apple’s new protections.
The situation is a bit messy, but that’s part of the journey for some iOS users, and many have gotten used to this by now. Hopefully Apple are going to reevaluate their attitude towards jailbreaking during the lifecycle of iOS 10, as they could do a lot more to help out their users who want to have more customization.
But the company seems more concerned with security than anything else at the moment, so it’s understandable why they may not want to make it easy for users to unlock the full potential of the operating system. When we reach situations like the current one though – when Apple are leaving their users with an unfixed bug permanently – it’s clear why community support could be a useful thing in the long run.
It’s why Android has managed to survive for so long even in its older versions, with some people still using antique distributions on their devices and being happy with it. The operating system might have some more issues with security and attacks from hackers, but at least those who want access to their system internals know where they can go to get those features.