No, I would certainly say it is. Checking the blog post linked in this thread, I find selecting a different version to be both hidden and also have (intentionally?) bad UX. That is exactly what a dark pattern is: making a surprising choice (major upgrade) the default while hiding away the less disruptive or even non-disruptive choice (minor upgrade).
Nothing stops Apple from advertising both at the same level.
That's ridiculous. Like, not even rising to the level of being worth arguing about. There's an entire book that defines dark pattern, you should probably go read it if you intend to use the phrase.
No, because following major software updates is the right thing for 99% of people, not staying behind on a previous major version with security updates.
You have to think about UX for 99%, not just for HNers who might know what a 15.7.3 is.
> No, because following major software updates is the right thing for 99% of people
Not if we aren’t talking about security updates. In this case the previous version of iOS also has the same security updates so ‘updating’ to a new version is completely up to the user, with no difference in security posture either way. Tricking users into updating for what are in the tech company’s opinion ‘new features’ is by definition a dark pattern.
If there are security updates, then actually staying on the old OS is probably better for 99% of users. Constant change is almost impossible for most people to deal with.
Having a default choice is not itself a dark pattern. Offering a free update to the latest version of the project, and a choice to update a branch release instead, does not constitute a dark pattern.
