Sam Oliver
While developers were not supplied a new beta of iOS 8 this week alongside the latest pre-release version of OS X Yosemite, Apple's carrier partners were in fact provided iOS 8 beta 6 for testing prior to the release of the golden master.
Details on the carrier-only iOS 8 beta 6 were revealed on Tuesday by BGR, which alleged that developers were not provided the software because Apple is "so close" to releasing a golden master. In development lingo, a "GM" build of software is considered a candidate for final public release, and Apple golden masters are frequently identical to the shipping software.
Apple's iOS 8 beta 6 reportedly must be accepted by all testing partners by Sept. 5. That would be just a few days before the company's anticipated Sept. 9 media event, where it is expected to unveil the next-generation "iPhone 6."
To date, developers have been provided with five betas of iOS 8 stretching back to the unveiling of the platform at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. New iOS 8 builds were released alongside Developer Preview versions of OS X Yosemite, but on Monday Yosemite beta 6 was released without an accompanying iOS 8 beta for developers.
Monday's report indicated that the carrier-only sixth beta of iOS 8 has already been rejected because of an issue that causes YouTube to not function properly in Apple's Safari browser. An accompanying changelog indicates that iOS 8 beta 6 fixes issues related to a range of functions, including problems where iCloud sync and Maps would use excessive data.
The sixth beta also reportedly fixes issues with the new Continuity functionality between iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, addressing a problem where mail might not sync between platforms, as well as a bug where connectivity could fail after opening Control Center.
If Apple follows its typical release schedule, the golden master of iOS 8 will be provided to developers on Sept. 9 when the new iPhones are announced. In years past the company has made its next-generation mobile operating system available to the public two days before the new iPhones go on sale, which this year could prove to be Wednesday, Sept. 17.
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Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
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29 Comments
Seems too early. Way too early.
[quote name="asdasd" url="/t/181880/apples-sixth-beta-of-ios-8-is-for-carrier-testing-only-report#post_2581212"]Seems too early. Way too early.[/quote] I agree! But maybe it's because they're using a new cell modem chip: http://www.macrumors.com/2014/08/19/iphone-6-qualcomm-mdm9625-lte-advanced/
How do they install the GM on iPhones that ship soon after the OS/phone is officially released? If, let's say, they're selling 500,000 at launch, say September 16, and the GM isn't finalized until September 5, how do they get the OS on all those phones!? Of course, they do get it done, but how do they do it? Do they have to unbox every phone, plug it in, then load up the latest version of the OS? Crazy.
For a GM? Yeah. Then again, only a month until launch. I could only see a beta 7 before GM pushed out.
However the 9th is not the launch date, it's about 2 weeks later and in general the GM is that date.