Before upgrading any operating system, it’s always wise to back your system up just in case. While software companies have come along leaps and bounds in making upgrades as simple as possible, there are occasional changes that are riskier than others. iOS 10.3 sounds like an incremental update but it comes with one massive change.
At the heart of every operating system lies the file system. This is the part of the operating system that makes it possible to store and retrieve data.
Since its inception, iOS has used Apple’s Hierarchical File System. But that file system, which is nearing two decades since it was first used – an eternity in computing time – is getting the boot, replaced the new Apple File System (APFS).
Apple says this new file system is designed to scale from an Apple Watch to a Mac Pro, is optimised for Flash/SSD storage, and is engineered with encryption as a primary feature.
Apple discussed APFS at last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference.
iOS 10.3 has been with developers for a while now with the final release expected to be pushed put to users by the end of this month.
If you’re in charge of managing a fleet of iOS devices, this is one upgrade I’d not rush to deploy. With such a massive change happening under the covers, waiting a few days to ensure there are no significant issues might be wise.
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