Rumor: Apple to release iOS 10.3 beta with 'Theater mode' in January

A highly questionable rumor on Friday claims Apple is preparing the first beta release of iOS 10.3, thought by some to be an iPad-centric update, in early January with a new device mode called "Theater."

Without citing a source, avid Apple hardware leaker Sonny Dickson in a pair of tweets on Friday said the upcoming beta's so-called Theater mode will be accessible via a "popcorn-shaped" icon in Control Center.

What, exactly, Theater mode accomplishes or how it works is unclear, but the name suggests a set of device settings suitable for use in a movie theater. For example, users might want to quickly disable system sounds and haptic feedback, block incoming calls and messages, and reduce initial screen brightness during a movie.

Apple owns a number of patents describing similar system settings modifications, dubbed "enforcement policies," some of which date back to 2012. Unlike the manually activated Theater mode hinted at in today's rumor, Apple's IP describes a location-aware solution that triggers customized phone settings automatically based on a phone's GPS position and cellular triangulation.

Beyond the vague Theater mode rumor, Dickson claims the first iOS 10.3 beta version will be seeded to developers on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

That date lines up with AppleInsider site analytics, which shows a recent spike in visits from devices running software provisioned as "iOS 10.3." After initial and scattered hits a few months ago, visits from iOS 10.3 devices have become more frequent in the past week.

Apple's current mobile operating system version, iOS 10.2, launched earlier this month with new emoji characters, tweaks to Music on iPhone and the company's new TV app. Most recently, Apple released the second beta version of iOS 10.2.1 to public testers last week with minor bug fixes and performance improvements.

33 Comments

magman1979 12 Years · 1301 comments

About 8 years ago

AppleInsider said:

A highly questionable rumor on Friday claims Apple is preparing the first beta release of iOS 10.3, thought by some to be an iPad-centric update, in early January with a new device mode called "Theater."

Without citing a source, avid Apple hardware leaker Sonny Dickson in a pair of tweets on Friday said the upcoming beta's so-called Theater mode will be accessible via a "popcorn-shaped" icon in Control Center.

Gotta love this... So some unknown shlep sends out some anonymous Tweets, doesn't cite a source of any kind to backup his claims, and news sites begin picking it up and re-distributing it on mass, as if it's a real news piece???

And I don't care if you say Ai cites it in the story or not, this should NEVER even be published, unless a source of the claim can be ascertained, and the claim at least traced back to the original source. This is just another Tweeting bozo looking for 5 minutes of fame by spreading fake news, which, I'm sure most Millennial's, will fall for.

9 Likes · 0 Dislikes

teknishn 13 Years · 38 comments

About 8 years ago

magman1979 said:

AppleInsider said:

A highly questionable rumor on Friday claims Apple is preparing the first beta release of iOS 10.3, thought by some to be an iPad-centric update, in early January with a new device mode called "Theater."

Without citing a source, avid Apple hardware leaker Sonny Dickson in a pair of tweets on Friday said the upcoming beta's so-called Theater mode will be accessible via a "popcorn-shaped" icon in Control Center.

Gotta love this... So some unknown shlep sends out some anonymous Tweets, doesn't cite a source of any kind to backup his claims, and news sites begin picking it up and re-distributing it on mass, as if it's a real news piece???

And I don't care if you say Ai cites it in the story or not, this should NEVER even be published, unless a source of the claim can be ascertained, and the claim at least traced back to the original source. This is just another Tweeting bozo looking for 5 minutes of fame by spreading fake news, which, I'm sure most Millennial's, will fall for.

Welcome to the Internet as we know it today.

2 Likes · 0 Dislikes

bloggerblog 17 Years · 2529 comments

About 8 years ago

magman1979 said:

AppleInsider said:

A highly questionable rumor on Friday claims Apple is preparing the first beta release of iOS 10.3, thought by some to be an iPad-centric update, in early January with a new device mode called "Theater."

Without citing a source, avid Apple hardware leaker Sonny Dickson in a pair of tweets on Friday said the upcoming beta's so-called Theater mode will be accessible via a "popcorn-shaped" icon in Control Center.

Gotta love this... So some unknown shlep sends out some anonymous Tweets, doesn't cite a source of any kind to backup his claims, and news sites begin picking it up and re-distributing it on mass, as if it's a real news piece???

And I don't care if you say Ai cites it in the story or not, this should NEVER even be published, unless a source of the claim can be ascertained, and the claim at least traced back to the original source. This is just another Tweeting bozo looking for 5 minutes of fame by spreading fake news, which, I'm sure most Millennial's, will fall for.

He has leaked accurate info in the past that's why he deserves a story. Hence the phrase "
avid Apple hardware leaker Sonny Dickson"

4 Likes · 0 Dislikes

thewhitefalcon 11 Years · 4444 comments

About 8 years ago

I hope there are more iPad specific features than this...unless they're going to launch the new iPads in March with 10.4.

levi 11 Years · 344 comments

About 8 years ago

magman1979 said:

AppleInsider said:

A highly questionable rumor on Friday claims Apple is preparing the first beta release of iOS 10.3, thought by some to be an iPad-centric update, in early January with a new device mode called "Theater."

Without citing a source, avid Apple hardware leaker Sonny Dickson in a pair of tweets on Friday said the upcoming beta's so-called Theater mode will be accessible via a "popcorn-shaped" icon in Control Center.

Gotta love this... So some unknown shlep sends out some anonymous Tweets, doesn't cite a source of any kind to backup his claims, and news sites begin picking it up and re-distributing it on mass, as if it's a real news piece???

And I don't care if you say Ai cites it in the story or not, this should NEVER even be published, unless a source of the claim can be ascertained, and the claim at least traced back to the original source. This is just another Tweeting bozo looking for 5 minutes of fame by spreading fake news, which, I'm sure most Millennial's, will fall for.

Sonny Dickson is hardly some unknown schlep. He's fairly known as a blogger who leaks upcoming Apple mobile hardware, usually with actual pieces or operating devices.