Why automatic app updates in iOS isn’t a good idea(sparsebundle.net)

8 pointsby jads13 anni fa2 comments

Why automatic app updates in iOS isn’t a good idea

http://www.sparsebundle.net/posts/why-automatic-app-updates-in-ios-isnt-a-good-idea

1 comments

Although I understand the concerns of the article, I do not agree. I think auto updates make for a much better experience for both users and developers. The web has had this model forever. With iOS you do have the review process delay, but major bug fixes can be expedited and released in under a day. This is probably faster than a lot of companies' web release process.

Also as a developer, I would rather have the burden of feature changes and processing feedback than the user have to sift through release notes to determine if they should update or not. Most users probably don't read the release notes in favor of just clicking "Update All" (speculation). All in all, I would rather have all my users always up to date so I can push bug fixes, features and improvements faster.

pohl13 anni fa

On the whole, I have been loving automatic updates while using the beta. It makes managing the device much easier, so that I can focus on just using it.

However, I have been bitten by one notable exception: I own a Samsung television and the Samsung-authored remote control app is an utter disaster. It always has been, but the bottom-feeding developers who make it have actually managed to make it worse. (Rather than fixing glaring usability issues [1] they have decided to update the user interface to a brushed-metal look...in 2013...and have taken away important 'buttons' like the one that allows you to select the input signal source - to switch from antennae to the Apple TV, for example).

I would have loved to 'pin' this app so that I could cautiously read app reviews prior to each upgrade.

[1] For example, this app is supposed to be able to control multiple devices, so that if you own a Samsung TV and a Samsung disc player, it can control either. I, however, only own a TV. It would be really great if, when it detects only one device, it goes straight to the controls for that device. Especially since switching over to the Apple TV remote app and back to this one starts the process all over again. It's truly terrible.