Possibly—but the evidence supports a useful set of business-facing improvements, not a provable “greatest” ranking. Announced on June 8, 2015, iOS 9 added iPad multitasking, changes to Notes and Maps, and an update option that could make installing the software easier to schedule. Apple’s announcement describes those features; it does not show that they produced measured productivity gains or surpassed other iOS releases for enterprise IT.
What iOS 9 added that could matter at work
Apple’s June 8, 2015 iOS 9 announcement emphasized features in built-in apps and a more capable iPad experience. Their business value depends on how employees used their devices, so treat them as plausible aids rather than documented organizational results.
iPad multitasking
Multitasking on iPad could help employees who need to refer to information in one app while working in another. That is a practical fit for mobile workflows, but Apple’s announcement does not quantify time saved or show how widely companies used the feature.
Notes for capturing ideas
Apple redesigned Notes and described new ways to capture ideas. That could make the app more useful for quick work notes, but the announcement does not establish adoption, productivity, or a measurable business impact.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute#1 Best Overall
- Brilliant 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion, True Tone, and P3 wide color - Go far with all-day battery life
- Apple M2 chip with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU - Stay connected with ultrafast Wi-Fi 6E and 5G cellular models available
- 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, 10MP Ultra Wide back camera, and LiDAR Scanner for immersive AR
- iPadOS 16 makes your new iPad even more capable with powerful newly created productivity and collaboration features
- USB-C connector supports Thunderbolt/USB 4 - Works with Apple Pencil (2nd gen) & Magic Keyboard/Smart Keyboard Folio
Transit directions in Maps
Maps gained public-transit directions. For employees traveling by transit, the feature could help with route planning; its usefulness would depend on the places and transit systems covered. Apple’s announcement does not provide enterprise usage or outcome measurements.
Could the update process help IT?
Apple said iOS 9 updates required less space and added an “Install Later” option. Less required space could make the update easier to accommodate on devices, while a later installation option could help users or IT teams choose a more convenient time. These are reasonable operational benefits, not evidence that iOS 9 reduced support costs, downtime, or failed installations in company fleets.
Rank #2
- Brilliant 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion, True Tone, and P3 wide color - Go far with all-day battery life
- Apple M2 chip with 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU - Stay connected with ultrafast Wi-Fi 6E and 5G cellular models available
- 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, 10MP Ultra Wide back camera, and LiDAR Scanner for immersive AR
- iPadOS 16 makes your new iPad even more capable with powerful newly created productivity and collaboration features
- USB-C connector supports Thunderbolt/USB 4 - Works with Apple Pencil (2nd gen) & Magic Keyboard/Smart Keyboard Folio
What iOS 9 did not introduce: the enterprise deployment foundation
Mobile device management (MDM) and device enrollment are part of the broader Apple deployment ecosystem, not capabilities that should be credited to iOS 9 on the evidence available here. Apple’s November 2014 enterprise deployment guide already described MDM, the Device Enrollment Program, and Apple Configurator. Those tools predated iOS 9.
Apple’s October 2016 business deployment overview provides later context about organizational deployment, including MDM and enrollment. It is not a detailed iOS 9 change log. The sources here do not establish a complete inventory of iOS 9-specific management protocol additions or administrator controls, so claims about particular new enterprise controls or security protections should not be inferred from the general deployment material.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Rank #3
- WHY IPAD PRO — iPad Pro with the Apple M5 chip delivers extraordinary performance for effortless productivity on a stunning display. Take on pro workflows with Neural Accelerators for AI and a redesigned iPadOS with game-changing capabilities.*
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — iPad Pro with M5 brings next-generation speed and the power of on-device AI to all your tasks.* Featuring up to 2TB of storage, 16GB of memory, and Neural Accelerators for next-level AI performance.*
- IPADOS — Run pro apps and get more done with iPadOS 26 with Liquid Glass design and game-changing capabilities.* With an intuitive and flexible windowing system, you can control, organize, and manage your workflows like never before.
- APPLE INTELLIGENCE — Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you communicate, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly with groundbreaking privacy protections at every step.*
- 13-INCH ULTRA RETINA XDR DISPLAY — The world’s most advanced display, featuring extreme brightness, precise contrast, ProMotion, P3 wide color, and True Tone.* Nano-texture display glass available in 1TB and 2TB configurations
How to judge the “greatest gift” claim
“Greatest” depends on the comparison set and on what an IT team values. A fair assessment would compare releases across several dimensions:
- Employee productivity: Did features support real work on phones and iPads? iOS 9 offered plausible aids, especially on iPad, but the cited evidence does not measure their impact.
- Deployment practicality: Could teams schedule or complete updates more easily? The smaller space requirement and “Install Later” option point to potential convenience, not demonstrated fleet-wide results.
- Management and security: Which controls or protections were specifically new in the release? The cited deployment guides establish that MDM and enrollment existed before iOS 9, but do not provide a release-specific comparison.
- Organizational impact: Were there measured business outcomes? The cited sources describe Apple’s announced features and deployment context, not comparable outcomes across iOS releases.
On that basis, iOS 9 can reasonably be called a meaningful update for organizations using iPads and Apple devices. Calling it Apple’s greatest gift to enterprise IT goes further than the available evidence: it offers no comparable outcome data or defined release-by-release ranking.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
