Apple will complete internal development and testing of iOS 17.5 beta 1 next week, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, ahead of releasing the first beta to developers and public beta testers shortly after.
Over the last few weeks, two questions have been on the minds of Apple fans: when will Apple drop iOS 17.5 beta 1, and when will we see the arrival of the new iPad Pro? Gurman reported earlier this week that the latter is now expected to launch in early May. Previous speculation pinned a launch of the new iPads at the end of March or early April. For iOS 17.5 beta 1, we now also have more clarity on when we can expect that to arrive.
In a reply to a post on X, Gurman says iOS 17.5 beta 1 should finish development next week, which would suggest a beta release to developers and public beta testers in the second week of April. iOS 17.5 could be the latest major update to iOS 17 following the release of iOS 17.4 earlier this month.
iOS 17.4 was focused heavily on changes in the EU to comply with the DMA (Digital Markets Act), including giving EU-based iPhone users the ability to download apps from alternative marketplaces. iOS 17.4 also included changes for users outside the EU, including Apple Podcasts transcriptions, new emojis, changes in Apple Music and Apple Wallet, and redesigned battery health information for iPhone 15 models.
iOS 17.5 Beta 1 Ahead of iOS 18 Beta 1 in June
iOS 17.5 will likely be the last major update to iOS 17 before Apple previews and begins beta testing of iOS 18, which is set to be unveiled at WWDC 2024. WWDC 2024 will kick off on Monday, June 10th, with a primetime keynote where iOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and more are expected to be announced. iOS 18 beta 1 and betas for all the new updates are expected to be available shortly after the keynote.
A cornerstone piece of WWDC 2024 will be how Apple implements AI into its next round of major OS releases. Apple is reportedly working hard to implement as many AI features into iOS 18 as possible and is looking to partner with Google to use the search giant’s Gemini language model to power some features of the upcoming update.
In China, Apple is in early talks with Badiu, the Chinese equivalent of Google, to use the search company’s AI models in iOS 18 for Chinese users. While iOS 18 is expected to focus big on AI, Apple is unlikely to announce a direct ChatGPT competitor, but will instead implement AI into features like Music and Messages to help users in their daily lives.
In addition to AI features, iOS 18 is also expected to feature a redesign to the user interface and is being called one of the biggest updates to iOS ever. Unearthed code has revealed two potential new features coming to Apple Maps with iOS 18, including topographic view and custom routes. iOS 18 is also expected to include support for RCS messaging following Apple’s announcement it would adopt the new standard later this year.
