iPhone users are seemingly less than impressed with the notion that Apple is reportedly ‘downgrading’ the functionality of a fan-favourite widget.
Later this month, tech fanatics will finally be able to experience iOS 18 after months of anticipation.
On 16 September, the latest operation system – announced earlier this year at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) – will drop with a plethora of brand-new features.
iOS 18 will introduce Apple Intelligence and a streamlined Siri to iPhones as well as deeper customisation and new ways to connect.
But while many are excited, some fans have been disappointed to hear the Apple Live Activities feature is reportedly being dialled back.
What is the Apple Live Activities feature?
Initially introduced in 2022, Live Activities widgets are essentially interactive and enhanced notifications.
They are designed to show second-by-second updates and surface crucial information from apps on the lock screen or in the Dynamic Island.
Moreover, the iOS-specific feature allows you to stay updated on the status of your Uber, how far away your grocery delivery is, the amount of time remaining on your parking meter and even play-by-play sports scores.
Naturally, iPhone users have been obsessed with Live Activities since iOS 16.
However, it’s been reported that plans are now in place to restrict the widgets once iOS 18 is introduced.
Apple’s Live Activities widget gives users live second-by-second updates (Apple)What has Apple said about Live Activities on iOS 18?
According to TechRadar, Apple said its Live Activities were ‘never intended to be used to create real-time experiences’.
“That we allowed this was a hold in the API,” a representative continued to write. “That hole is fixed in iOS 18.”
As per the tech giant, each update from a Live Activities widget writes data to the iPhone’s storage which can lead to battery complications and interfere with other hardware components.
To combat this issue, it’s reported that Live Activities notifications will be restricted to every five to 15 seconds going forward.
It’s important to note that this major update will not affect timers or notifications that don’t need constant refreshing, such as delivery trackers.
Apple tech fans disgruntled by the Live Activities latest news
Following the reported reveal, Apple users have come out in their droves to debate whether or not the iOS 18 ‘downgrade’ will affect them.
One user of X typed: “I used it for speed tracking of my bike. This metric is worthless with iOS 18. I don’t need to know my speed from 10 seconds ago. Apple clearly says ‘real time’ in their user interface guideline.”
A second said: “What was it being used for that needed updates every second? I can definitely see this being annoying lol knowing something updated and just having to wait for it.”
A third penned: “Real reason is the extra load of having to provide live data to watch which prob drastically changes live activities’ overall load causing them to make this tradeoff.”
“Disappointing,” claimed someone else. “You’d think by 2024 our phones would be as powerful as a clock from the 1800s.”
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Apple users have flocked to social media to have their say (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)What iPhones will be compatible with iOS 18?
If you’re looking forward to downloading the latest Apple operating system, then it’s worth checking whether or not your current mobile device is compatible.
According to official Apple guidelines, iOS 18 is compatible with ‘any iPhone that has an A12 Bionic chipset or newer, which is the same requirement as iOS 17’.
However, some features such as Apple Intelligence, will only be available on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iOS 18 is compatible with the following iPhones:iPhone 15 seriesiPhone 14 seriesiPhone 13 seriesiPhone 12 seriesiPhone 11 seriesiPhone XS and XS MaxiPhone XRiPhone SE (2nd generation)iPhone SE (3rd generation)
LADbible has contacted Apple for further comment.
