CODEWITHSUNDEEP
iphone
Rob Mayhew
Rob Mayhew

Reputation: 2724

What IPhone OS do you build for when releasing?

There are currently 3 options. 2.0, 2.1,2.2. My app only needs 2.0. Do I build for 2.0 or 2.2? What is the best option?

Upvotes: 4

Views: 201

Answers (4)

Rog
Rog

Reputation: 17170

Always best to build for the lowest common denominator your testing allows.

If you can test on 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 then you will reach the most people that way. If you can only test on one release, you should use the one that covers the most people - probably the latest considering Apple's agressive upgrade mechinism.

What you should not do (as Hunter implies) is build for one release and assume it will work on others.

Upvotes: 2

Hunter
Hunter

Reputation: 4371

I agree that you should think carefully about building for the most possible people but there are some things that don't work quite right if you build for say, 2.1 and then run on 2.2 or 2.2.1.

The biggest example I can think of:

If you use grouped tables with centered text and build for 2.1, it will come out left aligned on 2.2 and 2.2.1. I filed a RADAR on this issue.

Basically, make sure you test on as many combinations as you can - there are subtle problems like that.

Upvotes: 0

August
August

Reputation: 12187

Build for the minimum OS version your app needs to run. If you're not using anything that was introduced in 2.1 or 2.2, build for 2.0.

Keep in mind that while most iPhone owners will automatically update their OS when they sync and iTunes tells them to, iPod Touch owners have to pay a fee and may be reluctant to upgrade.

There's no sense in limiting your potential client base, so choose the oldest OS version you can.

Upvotes: 1

Timo Geusch
Timo Geusch

Reputation: 24351

I'd build for 2.0, working on the assumption that you'll get a bigger audience that way as you'll also catch those people who for various reasons cannot be bothered to update the OS...

Upvotes: 1

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