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> Further contributing to the frustration is the fact that unlike Chrome or Firefox, Safari updates are not automatic on regular basis. They’re only shipped tog

> Further contributing to the frustration is the fact that unlike Chrome or Firefox, Safari updates are not automatic on regular basis. They’re only shipped together with the infrequent updates to the entire OS. I wouldn’t say twice a year is infrequent.

halostatue 5y ago
It’s more often than twice a year, at that. It would be nice if Safari and Safari WebView were updated more frequently like Chrome and other browsers, but the pace that exists is not as slow as people like to pretend.
- SimeVidas 5y ago
  OS updates happen more often, but Safari’s browser engine (WebKit) gets updated with bug fixes and new features exactly twice per year (in March and September), AFAIK.
  - dwaite 5y ago
    New features typically land in March and September, because they are often supported by the underlying OS. For instance, HTTP/3 support should land in iOS 15 and macOS 12 because it is being added to the operating system frameworks. Bug fixes can arrive even in maintenance releases, but this is more often seen for security-related fixed (such as remote exploits or side channel attacks) Safari itself is shipped outside of the read-only container on macOS so that it can be updated independently.
Leherenn 5y ago
The bigger issue for me is how coupled the OS and Safari updates are. Apple is great at keeping their phone updated, but once it stops, everything stops. My iPhone 6 is on iOS 12, which means Safari 12 and no way to get the latest updates. Android support is dreadful, but at least you can run the latest Chrome on Android 4.
- SimeVidas 5y ago
  This would be a bigger issue if Apple cut off support for older phones like Android vendors do. The iPhone 6 got OS updates for 5 and a half years. I think that’s enough. It’s actually impressive that Apple created a phone that still works well enough after 7 years that some people continue to use it.

halostatue 5y ago

It’s more often than twice a year, at that. It would be nice if Safari and Safari WebView were updated more frequently like Chrome and other browsers, but the pace that exists is not as slow as people like to pretend.

SimeVidas 5y ago
OS updates happen more often, but Safari’s browser engine (WebKit) gets updated with bug fixes and new features exactly twice per year (in March and September), AFAIK.
- dwaite 5y ago
  New features typically land in March and September, because they are often supported by the underlying OS. For instance, HTTP/3 support should land in iOS 15 and macOS 12 because it is being added to the operating system frameworks. Bug fixes can arrive even in maintenance releases, but this is more often seen for security-related fixed (such as remote exploits or side channel attacks) Safari itself is shipped outside of the read-only container on macOS so that it can be updated independently.

Leherenn 5y ago

The bigger issue for me is how coupled the OS and Safari updates are. Apple is great at keeping their phone updated, but once it stops, everything stops. My iPhone 6 is on iOS 12, which means Safari 12 and no way to get the latest updates. Android support is dreadful, but at least you can run the latest Chrome on Android 4.

SimeVidas 5y ago
This would be a bigger issue if Apple cut off support for older phones like Android vendors do. The iPhone 6 got OS updates for 5 and a half years. I think that’s enough. It’s actually impressive that Apple created a phone that still works well enough after 7 years that some people continue to use it.