[cremnob]

I really hope the changes aren't extreme. I'm not a tech geek and I work in finance in a non-technology role (I'm only on HN for my consumer-level interest in tech, and the conversation here is better than other forums like reddit). I am pretty much the mainstream consumer and I actually like iOS a lot as it is. I hope Apple aren't making changes for the easily bored tech geek/pundit crowd who require change for the sake of change. They're not idiots so I'm confident that whatever changes are made will be well thought out, I'm just a tiny bit concerned because the only people on the web that are vocal about it are the tech geeks.

[geuis]

I think I'm representative of the engineering tech type. I'm looking forward to some UI updates to help refresh the look of the product. I love the hardware, but after seeing and using Windows phones with the Metro UI and recent improvements in Android, there's a lot in iOS that's dated.

I'd like to see a rethink of how certain things like notifications are accessed. Swiping should be from the bottom, not the top. It's very hard to stretch one handed to access it. We should be able to set custom default apps. Being able to have micro views in apps that can display on the lock screen would be great.

So I'm with you, I don't like change for the sake of change. But as a 5 year iOS user myself, there's definitely room for some updates.

[jamesaguilar]

As yet I'm not aware of any circumstance where Apple has been reasonably accused of catering to techies. They polish for the masses (which is a good thing, imo, because their stuff ends up being better even for geeks). I wouldn't worry too much. They might change the UI, but it will probably just be a matter of adapting to a new look, not a paradigm shift in how you use stuff. You'll be fine.

[Vieira]

I think the iOS team is facing a tough (and interesting) problem. They need to keep the edge they have in terms of app quantity and specially quality, so introducing big changes that break or degrade how apps look or behave and require big changes by developers can jeopardize their advantage.

On the other hand change in unavoidable. They cannot stop in time. Each iOS version that gets released with minimal changes is another catch up that will need to take place in a later version. The more changes are delayed the bigger they get. Android and even Windows Phone are moving forward and so needs Apple.

I think that there can be a certain feeling inside Apple that is not exactly change aversion but maybe is something close. They got iPhone so right and had so much success with it that maybe there is some fear that introducing significant changes can mess things up...