Says Days Between Announcement And Release Are A 'Mad, Mad Rush'

With much fanfare, Apple this week rolled out its new operating system ... iOS 8, as well as new devices which will be available soon.

But ForeFlight is asking it subscribers to wait a little while before hitting the "Update" button on their phones and tablets. In a blog entry posted September 10th, ForeFlight said they want their apps to work on new operating systems on the day they are released. But because developers and consumers get the new operating system at the same time ... that can be a challenge.

To make sure we are as prepared as possible, we have tested early beta builds of iOS 8 on our developer and quality assurance devices since Apple announced it in June," ForeFlight said in the blog post.

"The days between Apple’s special events and release day – 10 days in this case – are a mad, mad rush. We re-test the app on the final iOS release version, fix any issues uncovered, run updates through our internal quality reviews, then submit an update to Apple. On the day the new iPhones land, we run to the Apple store, stand in line (or camp if necessary), buy new devices, then run back to the office to test in order to fix any additional issues uncovered running on the new devices. Developers get hardware the same time customers do, so it is ‘game on’ when it comes to getting new devices in hand.

"Should you update to iOS 8? Ultimately, yes. In the near term, expect light to moderate chop from apps that have not yet optimized for iOS 8 or from unexpected operating system bugs. We recommend waiting for the first Apple iOS 8 update and until the apps you rely upon to fly safely are updated to support iOS 8. All new operating systems have undiscovered bugs that need fixing and may cause unexpected device or app issues. iOS is a very stable platform, however, and Apple has a track record of quickly releasing minor updates to address any major issues that are uncovered.

"We will be at our stations on September 17th, ready to make any enhancements needed to make your first flight with iOS 8, ForeFlight Mobile, and any new hardware you purchase a safe and fun one."

FMI: www.foreflight.com