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Tim Cook Says Power Management Feature In Older iPhones Will Be Able To Be Turned Off In Future Update (macrumors.com)
In an interview with Rebecca Jarvis of ABC News, Apple CEO Tim Cook touched on the ongoing controversy over power management features in older iPhones. He says that a future update will allow customers to turn off the power management feature that has caused older iPhones to slow down. Mac Rumors reports: According to Cook, when the power management features were first introduced in iOS 10.2.1, Apple did explain what was going on, but following the controversy, he believes Apple should have been clearer. The company did indeed mention that the shutdown issue was caused by uneven power delivery and explained that its power management system had been tweaked, but there was no clear notice that it could cause devices to operate more slowly at times. Cook says Apple "deeply apologizes" to customers who thought the company had other motivations. Apple is introducing better battery monitoring features in a future iOS update, and Cook says Apple will also allow customers to turn off the power management feature, which is new information that the company has not previously shared. The majority of the interview was focused on the announcements that Apple made today. The company plans to contribute $350 billion in the U.S. economy over the next five years, as well as issue employees a bonus of $2,500 of restricted stock units following the introduction of the new U.S. tax law.
What Apple did is a very useful feature. I would rather have my iOS device slow down than crash because the battery is over taxed by surging processor power needs. Empowering the user is even better so that people who want their devices to crash can be satisfied too. All for that!
Wrong. 5S is not included in the cheap batteries, despite being still supported with IOS 11. Only 6 and newer are getting cheap batteries and there is already a 3 month wait time.
Naah, willful planned obsolescence. Battery replacement isn't rocket science, and any gadget that does not allow replacement of the first most likely to fail component will have a short service life. Making a device with a tough to replace battery ? Thanks guys !
Not what I needed. What I needed to know was you were doing it in the first place before I replace two iPhones due to performance issues instead of buying new batteries.
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
Naah, willful planned obsolescence. Battery replacement isn't rocket science, and any gadget that does not allow replacement of the first most likely to fail component will have a short service life. Making a device with a tough to replace battery ? Thanks guys !
If you say lemmings slow enough, it sounds like gullible.
The mind conceives, the body achieves, the spirit manifests.
An example may be I'm in an office with chargers, and I find the snow down irritating. I can keep it in high performance mode (also called performance I thought I'd have when I tried it in the store and purchased it, except maybe it feels less snappy as the newer apps want even more), but also, if I'm out all day, I can put it in low performance mode.
Why would your personal preference of battery over performance only apply to a degraded battery?
Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
Yep. And if Tim Cook wants to make an impression, he'd let users make their own decisions about what version of iOS they want to run, and give them the ability to side-load apps. This is just simple pandering in an attempt to avoid regulation.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
An example may be I'm in an office with chargers, and I find the snow down irritating.
Then why would you not have it plugged in - at which point there would be no slowdown...
Why would your personal preference of battery over performance only apply to a degraded battery?
It doesn't - but there's already a low power mode switch for exactly that scenario.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
That sounds like a "My IBM" comment from 1987.
Does Apple REALLY still need a well-formed psuedo-opponent to pose themselves against?
Apple has been forgetting to pay their taxes in Europe... yet, they seem happy to pay taxes in the US... It's time to pay up !
The issue isn't about how long the battery lasts. It's about how much power the battery can supply at a given moment. There's a huge variance in how much power the phone needs depending on what you're doing at the moment. Accessing flash memory, enabling GPS/camera/bluetooth, downloading data, stressing the CPU, are all things that will make the power draw go up. You need to make sure the battery can handle the power spikes. If the battery can't handle the load, the phone just shuts off with no warning.
The update slows the phone down any time the battery can't output enough power. Most of the attention is focused on old batteries, but cold weather can trigger it too. The original reason for the change was to deal with new phones with plenty of battery power remaining abruptly shutting off in winter weather. The phones wouldn't turn on again until you got them indoors in warmer air, at which point they'd realize they had plenty of power remaining.
They didn't make it configurable because their main concern was making sure people outdoors with ice & snow on the ground had functional phones.
I went in and said I wanted a replacement battery. This lousy hipster tried to guilt trip me by saying I should "consider the ecological impact" of taking advantage of the offer. I said okay...I still want the replacement.
I didn't cause this problem; Apple did. I don't need some tree hugger trying to guilt trip me. Apple can recycle my old battery. Just replace the battery and fix the problem YOUR company caused without the Greenpeace pitch.
Then he asked for my passcode so they could run diagnostics. I said no, you're not getting my passcode.
Needless to say he and I didn't get along.
This is fantastic news!
Everyone who is upset about the phone shutting down when it's in danger of simply shutting of on over-current, and destroying their filesystem, rather than showing down, can turn it off.
And then their iPhones, instead of slowing down, will shut off and destroy their filesystems.
And then they won't be able to call anyone to bitch about it, because they will have bricked their iPhones.
Genius!
It's more like Apple trying to elude the many lawsuits worldwide. If it wasn't for the researchers who unleashed that slowdown "feature", Apple would never have done and talked a thing about it. Apple should have made this public and optional, from the start.
Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
appler: It's just that we'll make sure that the update will be in the future, long future.
I actually had my 6Plus battery replaced at the Apple store shortly before this situation blew up (out of proportion).
I missed my phone less than 2 hours, meanwhile I did some household shopping nearby.
2 hours in 4 years use, that is not too bad, even very acceptable for having a thinner device, and in the case of more recent iphones than mine also having decent water resistance.
Hence I don't miss the user replaceability.
So, the decision to make the phone virtually impossible for the average user to open, to make the battery as difficult as possible to replace, cannot be seen as anything but an attempt to force users to upgrade
It's almost impossible for the average person to maintain a modern car. That doesn't mean you throw them away at the 10k mile service and buy another one. iPhone battery replacement services are dime a dozen even if you don't want to pay Apple to do it the official way. Your argument makes no sense.
If Apple and other smartphone manufacturers were truly sincere about doing the right thing, they would make models with user replaceable batteries.
Why? The cost of getting the battery replaced is tiny compared to the cost of the battery itself. Same for your car: Cost of battery $100, cost of labour to install $25. And no I won't do it myself because I don't have the extension bit on my wrench to reach the bracket holding it down and I don't want to deal with the cost of disposal of the old one.
Service industries exist for a reason.
Because the 5S is not affected by this. Only the 6 and above have the power management feature and can scale back the processor speed to lower battery consumption and are thus affected by bad batteries.
But really, cheap 5S battery replacements are available quite easily - all those mobile repair shops can trivially change the battery for about $30 or so. And I think iFixit and other online stores can sell you DIY kits for around the same price.
Here’s the problem I have with this whole story. If the reason Apple provided explained the situation 100%, then we should have been hearing reports of older iPhones suddenly crashing at ~30% battery charge for years. But we didn’t... the issue only started rearing it’s head after iOS 10.x came around.
So why didn’t older iPhones have this problem with iOS 9, or 8, or earlier?
#DeleteChrome
This entire problem pretty much boils down to the obsessive need to make the next slimmest phone on the marked, while still being more powerful then the last model. And while mobile processing technology is improving, we are still using and demanding more and more from the the same decades old Lithium battery technology.
I partly agree, but what is so importat in 'user replaceable'?
I just give my iPhone 4S to a shop, pay $12 and get it back 20 minutes (max!) later.
Buying the battery for $5 and $2 stamp, getting it from the post office - because I'm most certainly not at home when the delievery is (probably going there by tram, paying another $2), finding time at the weekend or afternoon to change it ... it simply not worth the efford, to save 3 or 4 bucks. (The money example above is in Thailand, I mean the $12 for replacing it in Paris it would probably $20)
Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
Yep. And if Tim Cook wants to make an impression, he'd let users make their own decisions about what version of iOS they want to run, and give them the ability to side-load apps. This is just simple pandering in an attempt to avoid regulation.
1. You are free to run whatever version of iOS you want to LEAVE on your Device (there actually are NO "Forced Upgrades"). But, I will CERTAINLY agree that you SHOULD be allowed to "Downgrade" to an earlier version of iOS, if you Upgrade and then decide it doesn't suit you or your Device. But, that's why I never Upgrade an older Device until I let a few months go by to see what the performance issues, if any, affect those who do Upgrade. For example, I am "avoiding" Upgrading my iPhone 6 Plus to iOS 11, because of reports of performance issues with iPhone 6 and iOS 11.
2. You have been able to Side-Load ANY App you want on an non-jailbroken iOS Device running iOS 8 or later, using a couple of different methods:
a. If you have a Mac, you can use XCode to Compile and Install any number of "Open Source" iOS Apps written in Swift and Obj-C (and possibly other languages) sprayed all over the intarwebs (or, uh, you can WRITE your Own!). XCode is a Free Download (again, if you already have a Mac), and you only need to be a Registered Developer if you are going to submit your Glorious App to the App Store.
Slashdotters should be familiar with this distribution method, because it is PRECISELY how thousands of Open Source packages are distributed for Linux and other platforms.
Here's a list on Github:
https://github.com/dkhamsing/o...
And while you MUST use XCode, due to Code-Signing Requirements to submit to the App Store, (and also because it is probably still the best overall IDE for iOS Development), there ARE a few non-XCode iOS Development toolchains available. Caveat: I know NOTHING about these, what platforms they run on/support, etc. But here they are:
https://www.jetbrains.com/objc...
https://www.xojo.com/
https://www.visualstudio.com/v...
https://coderunnerapp.com/
b. Using the Freeware Cydia Impactor utility, you can use a Mac or Windows (and maybe Linux?) PC to Install pre-compiled ".ipa" Files, WITHOUT needing to Jailbreak the iPhone... Then, all the User has to do is "Trust This Publisher" ONE TIME, and VOILA! The onus is on the USER (just like any good Slashdotter would want, right?) to decide whether they want to do this...
http://www.cydiaimpactor.com/
Here's a list of some sites that host free iOS .ipa Files:
https://www.gocydia.com/free-i...
BOTH of these methods have been available and officially-supported since iOS 8 was released in September, 2014.
But by all means, do keep up your mindless Apple-Hatred.
Oh, and you Apple Haters and other Slashtards can ALL STFU about "Walled Garden", FOREVER, got it?
In defense of Apple, they did show a warning in the battery settings screen when they noticed that the battery capacity was diminished and that you might "experience issues" (I don't remember the exact wording) until the battery is replaced. I saw it on my iPhone 6 when the battery went bad on it.
They didn't say that they were going to throttle the device to keep the device from crashing, though, or give you a way of turning that feature off. I think that's why everyone is so pissed off about this.
Except they didn't do that. Even before the newer discounts the cost of a complete battery replacement including labour was $79 from an apple store, or about $40 from your local phone shop. The new battery complete with install costs 8%-15% of the cost of a new phone. If that pushes you towards new then you are either biased towards a new phone anyway and wouldn't buy a replacement battery in the first place, or you're incredibly stupid.
You can fix the iPhone battery yourself. It's actually incredibly easy and few people screw it up on apple devices even first go. If you buy an aftermarket battery you'll likely also get a complete kit with tools and instructions.
The issue isn't about how long the battery lasts. It's about how much power the battery can supply at a given moment. There's a huge variance in how much power the phone needs depending on what you're doing at the moment. Accessing flash memory, enabling GPS/camera/bluetooth, downloading data, stressing the CPU, are all things that will make the power draw go up. You need to make sure the battery can handle the power spikes. If the battery can't handle the load, the phone just shuts off with no warning.
The update slows the phone down any time the battery can't output enough power. Most of the attention is focused on old batteries, but cold weather can trigger it too. The original reason for the change was to deal with new phones with plenty of battery power remaining abruptly shutting off in winter weather. The phones wouldn't turn on again until you got them indoors in warmer air, at which point they'd realize they had plenty of power remaining.
They didn't make it configurable because their main concern was making sure people outdoors with ice & snow on the ground had functional phones.
EXACTLY!!!
Mod Parent Up.
Here’s the problem I have with this whole story. If the reason Apple provided explained the situation 100%, then we should have been hearing reports of older iPhones suddenly crashing at ~30% battery charge for years. But we didn’t... the issue only started rearing it’s head after iOS 10.x came around.
So why didn’t older iPhones have this problem with iOS 9, or 8, or earlier?
Because, as the CPU/GPU speed/number of cores, etc. went up in models that happened to be released at the same time as those versions of iOS, the ability for those systems to MOMENTARILY draw enough power to cause a dip in battery-voltage deliverable to the system (and thus a power-management panic) increased to the point where it wasn't as rare of an occurence as it once was.
An example may be I'm in an office with chargers, and I find the snow down irritating.
Isn't this what happens right now? My Android, if it's in power saving mode and I connect it to the charger it automatically changes to performance (you can see it on the screen brightness, for instance). Doesn't iPhone, such an innovative device, have the same?
Actually, it does.
You paid $75 to replace a $10 part. My girlfriend lives about 2.5 hours from the nearest Apple Store. Samsung phones have replaceable batteries (and headphone jacks) and yet are still fully submersible.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Last time I checked modern cars still used internal combustion engines. Other than programming the ECU all the mechanical parts are serviceable. You think only the flunkees at the stealership are capable of changing brake rotors or an mass air flow sensor? Your car battery comment is equally dumb. Car batteries have a core charge, they pay YOU for the old one.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
I would like to personally thank Tim Cook for allowing me to control power management on my own phone. It saves me the bother of downloading and running Open Source software.
"1. You are free to run whatever version of iOS you want to LEAVE on your Device (there actually are NO "Forced Upgrades")."
Until your bank says, "We long longer support your iOS. You have a month to update or else we're cutting you off."
Which is the only reason why I updated my 5c from 8.xx to 10.3.3. And have continually regretted it.
Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
I think you need to vent your frustration at your bank for them developing an app that can't be supported on older OS'.
I'm with the sibling poster (who was either down-modded or just has low karma). This is like blaming Dell because some particular game doesn't run on Linux. For the overwhelming majority of people (Probably 99%+), keeping them on the latest and greatest is the right choice. I have no idea why anybody would *not* want to apply the latest security updates in almost all situations. And if Apple didn't push updates so hard, the same people would complain that Apple "left their users vulnerable."
And the OP knew (or should have known) at the time of purchase that the battery wasn't replaceable and that it would cost $75 if needed. Apple collects a high margin on battery replacements. So what? I guess some people feel like they are violated if they buy something and the vendor actually gets to make a decent margin.
I didn't mean to imply Apple was at fault. Merely stating that there are instances where you're more or less forced to update. I'm one of those people who think if it's not broke, don't fix it. So I rarely update any OS unless it's absolutely necessary.
Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
The power management features being quietly turned on/off is really missing the mark here. Even when relatively new, iPhone 6/6s tend to shut down randomly, presumably due to voltage, even if the battery is sufficiently charged. This is especially true in cold weather. The battery simply isn't sufficiently paired for the hardware. These devices need batteries that can handle a higher maximum load. Replacing the battery with a newer one of the same specification only solves half the problem.
I don't think anybody would argue with that. But with the state of software security today, it's pretty much always absolutely necessary.
That's actually pretty funny. They tout how much faster their phones are than other companies', but after months of use they suddenly slow down. Has anyone done tests on just how much this was slowing phones down?
"They're not your friends."
Exactly. This Android vs Apple debate thing is nothing but unwarranted fanboi loyalty run amok. These are companies that simply want your money. The more the merrier. They make choices to maximize the amount of revenue and profit they can make off of you. A lot of people didn't even choose their brand after trying both and selecting their preferred device. They did so because it was trendy. (or the anti-trend)
Then, once people have the company's phone in hand, they defend the company's business practices no matter how shady. It's silly. Apple pulled a fast one on iPhone owners. Get over it.
What this shows is that user pressure works (sometimes at least). A relatively minor problem (IMO) turned huge and then was all over the media. It even got Apple, a company with a known attitude of "We know what's best for you" to add an option to disable the controversial feature.
The sad part (IMO) is that this hasn't happened for some basic freedoms and features that one would've taken for granted of computers only a few years ago like being able to install software not approved by nanny Apple, or having administrator rights over a device you supposedly own.
In an era in which software and hardware companies are adding more and more anti user features this proves that we can force them to change
Well, just to add to this, we had a cellular industry in the US that was pushing for 2 year upgrades; claiming they were either free or very cheap, but then they were subsidizing the phone cost through the expensive cellular plans. In that case, people didn't need to give much consideration to battery life. They could get screwed over in total, blissful, ignorance.
Now that cell plans are moving to a non-subsidized model; it makes holding on to a phone for more than 2 years more attractive. In doing so, battery life is absolutely critical; for both retaining a phone for longer, and in re-sale value. During the subsidized model, you would return your phone, they would cheaply refurbish it, and then re-sell it for a good chunk of change. That was lost value to the owner and more profits for the network providers / phone companies.
"1. You are free to run whatever version of iOS you want to LEAVE on your Device (there actually are NO "Forced Upgrades")."
Until your bank says, "We long longer support your iOS. You have a month to update or else we're cutting you off."
Which is the only reason why I updated my 5c from 8.xx to 10.3.3. And have continually regretted it.
So, let me get this straight:
It's APPLE's fault that your BANK "forced you" to Upgrade?
And your BANK Held your Money HOSTAGE, PREVENTING you from going BANK-SHOPPING?
See the flaw in your logic?
(BTW, I am typing this on my iPad 2, which CANNOT be Upgraded past iOS 9.xx, and MY Bank lets me use both its older App and its web portal just fine).
Perhaps it IS time to switch Banks... AND STOP BLAMING APPLE!
I've been reporting issues of my phones crashing in cold temperatures for the last 3 years to Apple. They tried replacing the phone, but it still crashed.
To reproduce, take a phone at 50% or less charge to a location that is below freezing, and then go take a bunch of pictures. Make sure the phone is outside and not put back against your warm skin. The phone will shut off, and won't turn back on again until it's warm. Once you warm it up, it'll power on and say it has 30-50% battery remaining, and so long as you don't do anything taxing, it'll still last a long time.
You mean Aron?
It's been an issue for several years. It was definitely an issue with the 6S running iOS 9. It took Apple a while to pinpoint the problem. At first they found a batch of batteries with manufacturing flaws and thought that was the problem and did a recall. Then they realized it was a bigger issue and came up with the software fix.
Also remember that each year phones get more features added. More CPU cores, another camera, additional sensors, newer wireless standards, etc. As they add more components, the difference between average and peak power draw gets bigger. The issue didn't become obvious until the phones got more complex. Nobody is going to think much of it if an old phone suddenly shutoffs off with 10-15% battery remaining, because the battery meter tends not to be that accurate anymore.
I don't remember the numbers, but there are tools you can download off the app store to find out the CPU clockspeed. You have to wear the battery down a lot for the slowdown to kick in. I've got a 6S that's over two years old and the battery is still fine. The phone is still running the CPU at full speed.
The previous two winters I had a bunch of unexpected shutdowns when walking in cold weather, but so far it hasn't happened this winter. The feature seems to be working as designed.
> If Apple and other smartphone manufacturers were truly sincere about doing the right thing, they would make models with user replaceable batteries. Rather than shaving off another 0.5 mm from an already thin device
But that's the problem. You're conflating what YOU want with what the majority of consumers have proven they want. The frank matter is that probably 90+% of the market doesn't care about replacing batteries. Probably 80-90% of the market WANTS to replace their phone each year and why is that? The phone has become a status symbol. The general public WANTS to be the guy with the latest and greatest phone with all of the latest snapinstagramvr-cool feature. Personally I don't mind paying, what, $80 for a new battery from Apple. Why? Because I don't have to deal with it AND I get a thinner device. But hell I paid for the extended Apple Care plan and that makes it possible for me to NOT care and by the time the phone comes out of warranty in 2 years, it'll be time for an upgrade (for me) anyways. And with the Apple upgrade plan I can upgrade next year if I want. I (and really anyone else) has a ton of options - user replaceable batteries just don't serve me/us.
It's not just about the battery life being shorter in full power mode on an old battery. It's that during high drain situations, the battery couldn't provide the amperage necessary and it would cause instability and the phone to crash.
If this is the case how they providing an option to turn this feature off? Is this switch called please randomly crash my phone? If this truly is an issue just display a warning saying your phone battery is old please replace.
Do other phones experience the same thing?
That's better than 4 days before. You're bitter you missed the window. Hehe
Are you really that ignorant? Apple's cost on a battery is $2-$6 depending on capacity. What you buy for $25 (with tools) already went through at least two markups.
You can already find reports of people with iPhones that do this... or other smartphones...
You just need to look. Most people on Slashdot either get phones often enough or replace batteries in a few years, which means they would not encounter this. But there are a world of people with old phones and old batteries that have this happen - Apple was trying to help them and paid the usual price for good deeds.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Many places (in the US) do a free install if you buy a car battery from them.
Same with most places where you buy a phone battery. Also you forgot the "" around "free".
Also, there is a core charge on car batteries (they give you money when you return the old one)
Not everywhere.
Ratchet extensions are super cheap
A pentalobe screwdriver is $1 off ebay, the rest of the equipment you have in your home already.
If this is the case how they providing an option to turn this feature off? Is this switch called please randomly crash my phone?
It should be; or possibly, the "Ok, you asked for it!" Switch.
If this truly is an issue just display a warning saying your phone battery is old please replace.
Yeahrightsure. You mean the "Please Contact the Class-Action Lawyer For Frivolous Lawsuit" Notification?
Do other phones experience the same thing?
Yes. THIS is why ALL the Class-Action Bullshit-Suits are DOOMED...
Samsung:
https://www.google.com/search?...
HTC:
https://www.google.com/search?...
LG:
https://www.google.com/search?...
Even Older iPhones (that the meme says "Never used to shut off!") :
https://www.google.com/search?...
Get the Picture?
Yeah you're entirely free to leave the insecure version of iOS on your phone, unless you want to take all the other shit they force on you.
So, let me get this straight, Hater:
1 Apple is teh Evilz if they strongly urge you to Upgrade.
2. Apple is teh Evilz if they DON'T strongly urge you to Upgrade.
Is that about it?
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For example: iOS now automatically turns wireless services back on after you turn them off, without your permission. I work near medical devices. This is an issue. So I can choose to take that, OR, I can choose to have spectre on my phone.
See the fucking problem?
It only does that if you use the "Control Panel". If you go to Settings and turn it off, it stays off.
And they did it the other way to keep people from being annoyed when they forget to turn their WiFi back on, which I'm sure their testing showed happened a LOT.
I agree it should probably have a dialog asking if you want to re-enable the WiFi; but you DON'T "have to take it". Just turn it off in "Settings" and you'll be good to go!
See, wasn't that simple?
So no, I DON'T see the fucking problem. Or rather I do: People will complain no matter what, and are too ignorant to spend 1 second Googling a solution.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Who gives a shit if it does that 'only from control panel', firstly, and secondly the wifi button _DOESNT TURN OFF WIFI_. So, let's say you have some non-tech savvy surgeon do this? Should that person have to know how to test that Apple chose to lie to them? If so, why?
More to the point, it shouldn't fucking do that at all -- and passively discouraging people by burying shit in 5 clicks versus one is basically the same thing.
Who gives a shit when people get annoyed? We're talking about peoples fucking lives vs phone security. It's not even a choice. You have to accept Apple's decision to make that WIFI auto choice.
The only thing simple in this thread is your fucking head.
Actually, I think that they actually did introduce some dialogs and changed the button appearances that more clearly explain what happens with the Control Panel settings vs. the "Settings" App.
http://www.idownloadblog.com/2...
Besides, I believe that "Airplane Mode" from the Control Panel actually DOES turn off all radios WITHOUT having to go to the Settings App.
And it's like two clicks. One to open the Settings App, and another to Open "WLAN" Settings.
Also, if someone is a surgeon, they are used to having to deal with DOZENS of pieces of equipment with control panels and menus and whatnot, with consequences for "hitting the wrong button" that are FAR more dangerous; so, I'm not worried that they won't be able to absorb this new piece of knowledge. If so, I sure as HELL don't want them operating on ME!!!
Give it a rest, Hater.
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Yeah, dealing with medical equipment isn't the same as dealing with a phone. You should see some of the people who are 50+ in the office who literally cannot even write an email. It's kind of astonishing. Also, the base premise remains -- "wireless off?" should mean "wireless off." Not "yeah, mostly off... we're just going to leave on a little wireless, so you can use location services/be tracked. ok?". Off means off, particularly when radio signals can be blamed for interfering with equipment (whether they can or not is a whole other story. I've yet to see one airline crash due to some dude leaving his cellphone on, or whatever, but the liability is there).
You obviously love Apple, so I'll give you a bone -- they've got a better security model than Android. That's really their only upshot at the moment.
I never use the Wifi Off (nor Airplane Mode); but I would imagine the reason they made the Control Panel "sort of" disable WiFi is that Apple's Support line glowed red-hot with people calling in mad as hornets because they turned their WiFi off in the Control Panel, and then couldn't use this or that feature (like AirDrop), or simply forgot to switch it back on the next day, and then thought their "WiFi was broken".
As you said, "old people" (and some not-so-old) are tech-averse, and simply REFUSE to dig-in for even 5 minutes to discover how something REALLY works.
Bottom line: It is literally impossible to make something truly "idiot proof"; because idiots are a maddeningly-determined bunch! Determined to NEVER LEARN,that is!!!
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No disagreement there, but I literally cannot use my phone at work now because of said idiots. I also cannot choose to not receive this type of update/change, which was to the earlier point. You go all or nothing with Apple. Don't want the forced reset of your entire icloud master key via your pin pad that came with iOS 10.3 or whatever? Well, too bad you don't get your security updates for Spectre/Meltdown. It's hard to separate security updates and user-content, for sure, but there should be an advanced mode or something -- like, you have to manually restart the phone by holding power and home, restart, hold home while it boots and select 'advanced'. Something mildly technically challenging to get away from the anti-security-but-more-user-friendly-mode they seem to default to now. Also, forced integration of Facebook/Twitter et al needs to die.
So tell me: Exactly WHICH Mobile OS allows you to do "granular updates"? In any practical sense, be it iOS or Android, unless you go to extreme measures, you take the good with the bad when you install an OS upgrade on a mobile device.
I'll wait...
You can do a fair bit of post-update tweaking of iOS if you want to spend some time in the Settings App.
And just like the utterly untrue "Forced Upgrades" meme, there is ABSOLUTELY NO "Forced Integration" of Facebook/Twitter, or really ANYTHING. I don't even HAVE a FaceBook nor a Twitter account, and I have NEVER been pestered, cajoled, or tricked in ANY way into "integrating" with those "services" by iOS, period!
So, you are either an utter idiot, or a liar. Or possibly both.
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