Is simplicity too much to ask?

voice your opinion

these forums are user helping other users like yourself, it's sort of going to a physical apple store and asking other customers their advice

This is a user helping users with tech questions forum, we are not apple and apple do not read your posts here

You can provide them with feedback using Product Feedback - Apple

Or reach out to their official support channels

 Get Support (apple.com)

And or

Contact - Official Apple Support

And or

Contact - How to Contact Us - Apple

Or

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

squeakyyclean wrote:

I agree that there should be innovations, however, there must be option to leave just core functions of device without of course compromising security. This trend for example where they just removed AI toggle on/off button with iOS 27 doesn't make sense to me. While after a while tinkering with settings it does reduced storage space taken by this thing, it's still there claiming 9.52GB which won't ever be put to use.

Thanks for the feedback link btw, I'll most certainly leave it because Apple is clearly crossing some lines here. I'm just wondering if I'm actually alone who's quite satisfied with original iPhone features. I mean over time more apps was a great thing, navigation and communication etc, but at the same time we could always choose. I don't like not being allowed to choose anymore just because someone out there wanted a specific feature.

I'm in my thirties and I'm sufficiently tech savvy, however, I'm not a returning customer because I needed more features. A better screen, faster processing, efficiency improvements, better camera and battery are things that matter. We don't stop eating bread because they cease improving it's features.

I realise Apple needs to add new things to stay in business, but I don't believe the fact that it's solely new features which kept people buy Apple. The foundation has always been great hardware, classic/timeless design and stable/easy to use software/UI. Features is just a bonus and there should be ways to reduce and simplify them so they are targeted to specific customers who need them, not enabled and installed by default.

Overall I think I spent at least a day just clearing stuff, fine tuning settings and preferences, this reminds me days and headaches from switching/reinstalling Windows. I've always praised Apple to everyone how all the pains were gone once I bought a Macbook which was almost perfect out-of-the-box.

OK. I don't think the majority agress with you, but you're entitled to your opinion regardless. This isn't however, the place to complain. Use the feedback link to provide your thoughts to Apple, but I would never expect Apple to all of the sudden make a dumbed down phone just for people looking for less complexity/features. They would have to maintain and develop two different operating systems, and that's hugely unlikely.

• Platforms that quit adding new features and innovations no longer exist. Think Blackberry.
• Adding features does increase complexity, including a multitude of Settings for managing those features. You are asking for additional settings and options which also increase complexity. It is not possible to live in both worlds.
• It would not have been likely that Apple would have billions of users if they did not add new features.
• What we see more often here is posts from users wanting their iPhone to have some option that may be found on another phone. That is the competitive race Apple is in, and another reason why they are able to maintain those billions of users.
• In any case, you always have the ability to send Feedback directly to Apple.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone/

squeakyyclean wrote:

I’m having hard time understanding what direction is Apple taking?

I’ve just upgraded from iPhone XS to base 17 and 17 pro and I’m just puzzled by seeing how many useless features Apple is forcing onto its customers. Apple Intelligence clearly is the big one both figuratively and physically by taking obscene amounts of storage space.

Not only it’s there already on brand new iPhones, but as it turns out they’ve made it impossible to get rid of these things, while it is possible to reduce storage space these gimmicks take they still occupy considerable amount. Not to mention the painstaking process to disable all that nonsense.

How is this okay with Apple community, how is this not false advertising if they sell products with such storage space and yet a huge chunk is taken by some proprietary software that regular users don’t need?

I recall Apple used to stand for simplicity, easy of use and “it just works” doing their best to make great products, now it seems we’re in some sort of ridiculous race with other brands on who’ll have most advanced artificial intelligence features.

It used to a phone, a network communications device and an ipod. More is not always better and Apple should remember what made billions of customers cling to it’s products.

I'm sorry you think things have gotten complex, but technology has become increasingly complex and more feature packed. In order for Apple to remain viable in our complex technological world, they need to offer the features and performance everyone may need, not just some might need.

I don't find my newer Apple devices (iPhone 18 Pro Max/iPad Pro M5/ Apple Watch Ultra 3/ Macbook Pro too complex for me to use. And I'm in my 70s age wise.

Just because there are features you may not need or use, they are there for ALL who many need or want to use them. I don't mean to offend, but if you want something truly simple, you may need something simpler like one of these:

If you want to better understand how to use the features on your iPhone, you can attend a training session at most Apple Stores and you can schedule a class via this link --> Today at Apple - Calendar - Apple

You can also read the IOS user guide, which may help you better understand how to do things on your iPhone --> iPhone User Guide - Apple Support

squeakyyclean wrote:

It used to a phone, a network communications device and an ipod. More is not always better and Apple should remember what made billions of customers cling to it’s products.

Apple provides an alternate, simpler interface:

Assistive Access User Guide - Apple Support (CA)

I agree that there should be innovations, however, there must be option to leave just core functions of device without of course compromising security. This trend for example where they just removed AI toggle on/off button with iOS 27 doesn't make sense to me. While after a while tinkering with settings it does reduced storage space taken by this thing, it's still there claiming 9.52GB which won't ever be put to use.

Thanks for the feedback link btw, I'll most certainly leave it because Apple is clearly crossing some lines here. I'm just wondering if I'm actually alone who's quite satisfied with original iPhone features. I mean over time more apps was a great thing, navigation and communication etc, but at the same time we could always choose. I don't like not being allowed to choose anymore just because someone out there wanted a specific feature.

I'm in my thirties and I'm sufficiently tech savvy, however, I'm not a returning customer because I needed more features. A better screen, faster processing, efficiency improvements, better camera and battery are things that matter. We don't stop eating bread because they cease improving it's features.

I realise Apple needs to add new things to stay in business, but I don't believe the fact that it's solely new features which kept people buy Apple. The foundation has always been great hardware, classic/timeless design and stable/easy to use software/UI. Features is just a bonus and there should be ways to reduce and simplify them so they are targeted to specific customers who need them, not enabled and installed by default.

Overall I think I spent at least a day just clearing stuff, fine tuning settings and preferences, this reminds me days and headaches from switching/reinstalling Windows. I've always praised Apple to everyone how all the pains were gone once I bought a Macbook which was almost perfect out-of-the-box.

squeakyyclean wrote:

I agree that there should be innovations, however, there must be option to leave just core functions of device without of course compromising security.

That is the option provided by IdrisSeabright for Assistive Access. It reduces the complexity and provides simplicity without any of the options in Settings. All you need to do then is concentrate on the core functions of the device and of course your security is not compromised.

To be specific it mostly has to do with Apple Intelligence and the huge amount of space it takes from the get go. Sure there seems to be ways to reduce it but I still have it at 9.52GB, it was around 21GB in the beginning.

If there would be ways to get rid of it that would be great. I'd be thankful for any ideas.

Yes, I've considered it for my elderly relative and it seems a great way to make the UI easy. Does it free storage space from features that are not used though?