Apple released iOS 11 on Tuesday, and it is being called one of the biggest updates to iOS in a long while. iOS 11 brings a host of new features like a brand new Control Center, a new file manager app, new layout to the App Store, among other things. While these are surface level updates, Apple has always introduced tweaks that are hidden for users to discover as they work on the new OS. One such tweak discovered lies within the redesigned App Store. Apple has now increased the limit of the size of apps that can be downloaded over cellular connections.
Users can now download apps as big as 150MB in size using cellular data. Post the limit, Apple will notify you to use a Wi-Fi network for downloading. Apple says this will let "customers download more apps from the App Store over their cellular network." This is the first time since 2013 that Apple has increased the size limit for apps that can be downloaded over cellular data. Before iOS 11, the limit was 100MB that was introduced with iOS 7.
While Apple hasn't provided a reason behind the new limit, the move is likely in response to how apps in the App Store have grown in size over the recent years. Most of the apps including today's essential ones like Facebook, Twitter, Uber are over 100MB in size, and while users often tend to wait for Wi-Fi connectivity to download apps, that's not always the case. Another reason could be that cellular data rates have reduced in recent times with operators, especially in India, offering more data at cheaper prices. This allows users to spend cellular data a lot more without an accompanying pinch in the wallet.
Android users have the ability to download large apps over cellular data without restriction, but Apple does not let you bypass the notification, perhaps because it doesn't want users to download large apps unknowingly and risk high data charges. iOS 11 is now available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users around the world. You can find out if your device is eligible for the update right here.
We discussed iOS 11 and the future of iPhone and iPad in-depth on our weekly technology podcast - Orbital. You can subscribe to it via Apple Podcasts or RSS or hit the play button below.
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