A survey of Apple iOS 10.3: the New Settings, and Apple File System

Updated Mar 31,2017 | by Shannon

There have been series of updates on the iOS 10, and the iOS 10.3 is likely to be the last update on the series. This update will be assessable to the iPhone 5, the fourth-generation iPad, the iPad Pros, the iPad 2 Mini, the sixth-generation iPod Touch and every other device that runs iOS 10.

Lots of work has gone into the development of this last iOS version, and it is has been undergoing the beta process for the past couple of months. On this article, you will give a rundown of some of the high-profile features of the iOS 10.

Most of the tweaks in the iOS 10.3 are domiciled in the Settings app.

The iCloud settings have been moved from about halfway down the list, and has been placed at the top of the stack. It is true that most of the stuff on the iOS 10.3 already does exist in the iOS 10.2.1, but this movement makes sense considering that signing into the iCloud account is the first thing most people do when they get an iPhone or iPad.

Security settings in iCloud have also improved as the “Password & Security” section has been boldened and made more obvious, unlike the blurred appearance it had in previous versions. On  iCloud, go to Settings > Apple ID > Password & Security.

Apple File System (APFS)

For the first time, in the iOS 10.3, Apple debuts an operating system which ships with APFS as non-beta default system. Hence, your iDevice’s file system will be converted from HFS+ to APFS on installation.

There are rumors that the APFS may be faster and may save storage space, but the only thing I can say about this, which neither confirms or refutes the rumors is that I tested two devices under iOS 10.2.1, and their boot time were the same. However, high capacities and higher storage space have been noticed in iDevices running on iOS 10.3, and this may be because the conversion to APFS reduces the file size.

Faster Animations

Apple has worked unendingly to improve on the app launching animations it debuted in the iOS 7. In the iOS 7, the time taken for an app to expand and fill up the screen when launched has been reduced just enough for it to feel faster in the hand of the user. The iOS 10 has been giving warnings that future iOS versions may not support some old, unmaintained apps. To see a full list of apps, go to Settings > About> Applications text.

Most of the apps on this list are games. Some games such as productivity and free-to-play games may get regularly updated, but there is no enough financial incentive given to the developers of older pay-once-for-everything apps.

The drop in support for older apps was necessitated by Apple’s commitment to clean up the App Store. If there is no intervention from Apple or the app developers, most of these apps are going to become extinct.

Other Features

Developer Steve Troughton-Smith once discovered a hidden setting during the beta period, which enabled iPad users to get a floating iPhone keyboard style; but unfortunately, this will no longer be supported by this version, and no iPad-specific features or changes came along with the iOS 10 updates.

However, some smaller changes which came with the iOS 10.3 includes; improvements on the Find My Airpods feature, the CarPlay interface, renting of iTunes movies, and an improvement in functionality of Siri to support checking of bill status, car fuel level, lock status, checking sports scores and schedules with ride-booking apps, amongst others. 

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Apple Launched iOS 10.3 with APFS, New Apple File System

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