Do you remember the days when new iOS versions might introduce major redesigns? iOS 7, Im looking at you. Despite annual whispers predicting another big iOS revamp, I feel very confident in saying those days are over. And one recent app debacle shows why.Sonos redesign debacle is a cautionary taleSonos, in case you havent been paying attention, has had a very bad go of it lately.The company recently replaced its CEO following months of attempted fixes for its big 2024 mistake: launching a major app redesign.The new Sonos app debuted in April, setting off a massive wave of customer complaints and bad press for the company that lasted the entire year.Its a perfect case study for why Apples days of major iOS revamps are over.If the new Sonos app had launched in the early era of the company, I feel quite confident that it would have been fine.Meaning, even if it had the same issues, the small, enthusiast user base would have either adapted, or Sonos would have shipped the fixes and it wouldnt have been such a debacle.The story is similar with iOS.iPhones success has made big change especially riskyBack when the iPhone was still on the ascent, Apple was able to get away with major redesigns because its user base was much smaller and more tech-forward.These days, society depends so much on the iPhone. Hundreds of millions of userswith varying tech competenciesall depend on it.If Apple made sweeping changes to how iOS looks and works, theres a strong chance the backlash would be crippling. Even if the redesign were seen by many as a positive change, Apples user base is so vast, theres almost guaranteed to be loud opposition.The solution isnt to let iOS get stagnant, and Apple knows that. Instead, Apples practice has been to make any significant iPhone changes on an app-by-app basis.For example, iOS 18s Photos app changes caused plenty of controversy, prompting fixes in subsequent software updates. But it was just one app, so the impact was limited.Revamping the whole of iOS? That would be a huge risk for Apple.Regardless of the validity of your main point, Sonos's debacle is really a very poor comparison for it. There's redesigning something (like iOS 7), and there's rebuilding something (like the Sonos app). They are very different types of work, different goals, and totally different ways to execute it. iOS 7 didn't fundamentally change the underlying code and OS, it was just a different coat of paint, with some new features which any OS update would introduce anyways.Sonos was building a completely different codebase, and hence they had missing features, because they had to re-start from scratch. Their only fault was not keeping the old app available, while continuing to update the new one until feature parity. Amateur hour. If Apple were to introduce a "redesign" of iOS, it would still yet be another coat of paint, not a rebuild of the codebase. iOS itself wasn't even an original codebase, it was branched from OS X. So they'll very unlikely run into any of the same problems as Sonos (ripping features away with no fallback). View all commentsAs fun as the thought of an iOS 7-style major revamp sounds to me(and maybe you), most iPhone users who arent as eager for change might see it as a nightmare.The Sonos debacle is a great cautionary tale for Apple and any other major tech player with a large, established user base.It also means we might just need to accept smaller, iterative iOS design refreshes.Do you think Apple should fully redesign iOS? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel