iOS 8: to upgrade or Not to Upgrade?

As seems to be the talk with any “.0 release” with an operating system, the matter of whether or not to upgrade always takes center stage in the blindness community. Certainly iOS 8, Apple’s latest version of the iDevice operating system, is no exception.

Let me first start off by pointing folks to a pretty comprehensive resource if one is interested in reading about what known bugs exist in iOS 8 from an accessibility standpoint. This might be the best place to start in regard to making your decision. You can
go here
to read about all of the known bugs and issues.

In my opinion, it is personal choice. From my experience with both an iPhone 5S and an iPhone 6, I have not encountered any bugs that I’d say are definite show stoppers. Some of the bugs Applevis has listed have not shown up at all for me. However, I do not discount them, and, thus, it is up to you as the user to make that all important decision.

What I am advising my clients is simply this. You should take the time to read about the bugs and speak to a variety of users who have upgraded to iOS 8 first. Educate oneself and just don’t rely on a single source. Also, keep in mind that we do have those in the blindness community who seem to have a way of magnifying problems and blowing them out of regular proportion by the way they write about their experiences. In other words, some folks simply make a heck of a lot more than is necessary and probably accurate out of their experiences for one reason or another.

Nevertheless, once one has done the research, then making that all important choice is up to them. Maybe, 8.1 will be best for you to install when it is released. However, I think most users can deal with the bugs that do exist and take advantage of what iOS 8 has to offer. In the end, however, only you as the user can choose for him or herself.

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