Apple to restrict CloudKit services to latest iOS 8, OS X Yosemite betas ahead of launch
In an email sent out on Monday, Apple informed developers that upcoming iCloud-based features like iCloud Drive, Mail Drop and more will require iOS 8 beta 5 or OS X Yosemite Developer Preview 5 or later to operate.
Starting tomorrow, app makers building apps that tap into the CloudKit features and services will have to move over to the latest iOS and OS X betas to continue development. Specifically, the company notes the latest iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite betas are needed to continue CloudKit, iCloud Drive, iCloud Photo Library, Mail Drop, Safari History, and Call History services.
Apple last wiped CloudKit database in July as part of ongoing preparations toward the release of new services like Mail Drop and iCloud Drive.
With iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, Apple is allowing developers to hook their apps into various CloudKit services for a deeper cross-platform functionality.
The new features will make iCloud a much more powerful, and integral, tool in Apple's software services arsenal. For example, Mail Drop gets around the usual email data cap by embedding links to files stored in the cloud, allowing users to send messages with attachments up to 5GB in size. iCloud Photo Library is a photo sharing and collection app capable of moving image edits and tweaks across devices, while iCloud Drive is a multi-platform document storage and collaboration tool akin to Dropbox.
The shift comes just a few weeks before Apple is expected to announce the next-generation "iPhone 6" lineup at a special event on Sept. 9, which will also bring the release of iOS 8. OS X Yosemite is also slated to debut this fall, though a specific date has yet to be nailed down.
Starting tomorrow, app makers building apps that tap into the CloudKit features and services will have to move over to the latest iOS and OS X betas to continue development. Specifically, the company notes the latest iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite betas are needed to continue CloudKit, iCloud Drive, iCloud Photo Library, Mail Drop, Safari History, and Call History services.
Apple last wiped CloudKit database in July as part of ongoing preparations toward the release of new services like Mail Drop and iCloud Drive.
With iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, Apple is allowing developers to hook their apps into various CloudKit services for a deeper cross-platform functionality.
The new features will make iCloud a much more powerful, and integral, tool in Apple's software services arsenal. For example, Mail Drop gets around the usual email data cap by embedding links to files stored in the cloud, allowing users to send messages with attachments up to 5GB in size. iCloud Photo Library is a photo sharing and collection app capable of moving image edits and tweaks across devices, while iCloud Drive is a multi-platform document storage and collaboration tool akin to Dropbox.
The shift comes just a few weeks before Apple is expected to announce the next-generation "iPhone 6" lineup at a special event on Sept. 9, which will also bring the release of iOS 8. OS X Yosemite is also slated to debut this fall, though a specific date has yet to be nailed down.
Comments
I received this email today. Haven't studied it yet. I'm not working in that area so I don;t know what it actually entails. Interested to learn more.
What problems are you two encountering?
What problems are you two encountering?
From what I've read, iOS 8 is very unstable especially on A5 devices, which is a problem since half of the supported devices are A5 devices, not to mention Apple still sells 3 of them!
Still have users on 10.7. Don't really want to cut them off to have iCloud support, but sounds like I'll have to.
BS. There is no way in hell, mathematically, that half of the supported devices are A5 based. That would mean > 50% of the iPads are iPad 2 and iPhone are iPhone 4S, seeing as the iPhone 4 only had the A4.
You would need > 100,000,000 iPhone 4s units domestically sold. Never happened. That alone doesn't include the iPad 2 having to dwarf iPad 3, 4, Air and Mini/Mini-Retina. Never happened.
And I think each new iPhones sell more than than previous year's model.
iPad mini non-retina is an A5-based tablet as well.
BS. There is no way in hell, mathematically, that half of the supported devices are A5 based. That would mean > 50% of the iPads are iPad 2 and iPhone are iPhone 4S, seeing as the iPhone 4 only had the A4.
You would need > 100,000,000 iPhone 4s units domestically sold. Never happened. That alone doesn't include the iPad 2 having to dwarf iPad 3, 4, Air and Mini/Mini-Retina. Never happened.
No I mean half of the devices they are supporting are A5.
They are supporting:
iPhone 5S
iPhone 5
iPhone 5C
iPhone 4S - A5
iPod Touch 5 - A5
iPad Mini 1 - A5
iPad Mini 2
iPad 2 -A5
iPad 3 - A5
iPad 4
iPad Air
5 out of 11 devices - A little under Half are A5.
And to add to this - https://mixpanel.com/trends/#report/ipad_models ;
Not sure how incredibly accurate it is but:
That means 64 percent of iPad users are on A5 devices... And it may not be completely current but it would suggest there are a substantial number of people on older Apple devices
1) You should write device types or something else that's more clear.
2) I have an 5S, Retina iPad mini which haven't experienced any issues under the current beta. I'd say my dev beta for Yosemite is also very stable with the caveat that the phone call handoff has some work to do: after I "pick up" on either my Mac or iPhone it still rings on the other for too long, and the quality seem to be too poor at times. Other issues I have with that feature but likely not coming this year are pushing it to a different device after you've "picked up", and having a phone dial pad on Yosemite for when i call from my Mac to a system that needs numeric input. Oh, and the folders I have in my Dock will sometime not update to be inline to what is the actual folder (so I created an Automator action that will kill and restart the Dock) and iMessage has issues with duplicating and/or splitting group chat conversations on Yosemite. Pretty minor stuff all around, at least for me.
1) You should write device types or something else that's more clear.
2) I have an 5S, Retina iPad mini which haven't experienced any issues under the current beta. I'd say my dev beta for Yosemite is also very stable with the caveat that the phone call handoff has some work to do: after I "pick up" on either my Mac or iPhone it still rings on the other for too long, and the quality seem to be too poor at times. Other issues I have with that feature but likely not coming this year are pushing it to a different device after you've "picked up", and having a phone dial pad on Yosemite for when i call from my Mac to a system that needs numeric input. Oh, and the folders I have in my Dock will sometime not update to be inline to what is the actual folder (so I created an Automator action that will kill and restart the Dock) and iMessage has issues with duplicating and/or splitting group chat conversations on Yosemite. Pretty minor stuff all around, at least for me.
My apologies, I thought it was clear from what I was writing.
I'm just relaying what I've read from others, that most have found beta 5 a fair way off being ready- Especially on older devices which and Apple is supporting a lot of these device types.
Older devices always seem to be an issue for Apple's iOS-based devices. It's like they design it for het most modern iDevices but then put their B-team on the older devices to make it work. Sometimes I think they should just cut the cord on device support a generation earlier to prevent the slow performance and additional battery drain that many complain about.
Older devices always seem to be an issue for Apple's iOS-based devices. It's like they design it for het most modern iDevices but then put their B-team on the older devices to make it work. Sometimes I think they should just cut the cord on device support a generation earlier to prevent the slow performance and additional battery drain that many complain about.
What and leave people who have put money into expensive devices behind? Apple should just put some more time into designing better updates. 7.1 showed that they are capable of doing it. Cutting any A5 device would be unreasonable now, considering how long Apple sells them and the large market share they hold.
And also people aren't complaining of slow downs, as much as crashing and general instability. Slow down is a given on old devices, but crashing and instability shouldn't be.
It looks like Yosemite is the version that will finally kill off my 2009 iMac. The machine has become very, very slow.
I plan to do a complete re-install once the GM is out. I guess a reset is long overdue.
What problems are you two encountering?
Lengthly list that is not limited to me by any means:
iOS 8:
-iOS 8 is tough to evaluate, as very few 3rd party Apps work well or at all with it. Developers seem keen to wait until the GM is released to prepare their initial update....but I worry about the devs that are not on top of things. iOS 8 breaks a lot of Apps.
-Certain iOS 8 devices still struggle with WiFi issues particularly the iPad Air on 5 Ghz networks.
-It is very easy to overload memory on any iOS 8 device and force crashes.
-Email attachment previews do not work
Yosemite:
-Graphics still need work, many things are incomplete.
-iTunes 12 has issues with devices in recovery mode (really bad for beta periods).
-Safari is still slower than on Mavericks.
-Good luck performing a Bootcamp install.
-Occasional issues shutting down....hangs on black screen.
-Boot screen turns black.
-App crashes a plenty.
-Another 3rd party App mess
I understand that new versions of an OS require Apps to be updated to "fully take advantage of the new OS"....but I do not believe that they should so substantially break existing Apps, requiring an update just to function. At this late stage for iOS 8, its evident that all Apps need updating to at least maintain their iOS 7 compatibility status.
1) I wouldn't put iTunes 12 in that list unless you think it's specifically an issue with iTunes talking to Yosemite to talk to the device over USB.
2) I do have the email Previews issue. If I get PDF I have to save to iBooks and then open it up there. A bit of a pain, that's for sure.
3) I haven't had of the app crash issues with either Yosemite or iOS 8 and so far every 3rd-party app I use is working fine.
4) If memory serves the new OS won't have faster graphics or Safari until a couple point updates in.