When it comes to iOS updates, there are quite a few users who steer clear of downloading them before getting feedback from the rest. After all, there is rarely a case when anything in its beta stage would work perfectly – there would always be a few kinks involved. But for the braver souls who would rather share their experience instead of waiting for others to share theirs, there is finally a new iOS version to be tested. Introducing the iOS 9 Public Beta No. 3, now open to any interested Apple user.
Apple’s Beta Software Program
Apple was never really fond of the public beta concept, and iOS 9 is the very first mobile operating system that they opened up to eager beavers before its actual release. In the old times (which is sometime just before the first iOS 9 release), you can only have this kind of access for $99 a year under their developer program. Counting in the rest of their products and services however, it was actually OS X (which was launched in 2014) that triggered the rest of the Apple Beta Software Program. Other products they offered in public beta were Yosemite and El Capitan.
Just like all the other public beta releases though, there were no specific details given. No information was released on what changes were made and what surprises to expect, something that worries a lot of users. As for the more adventurous, they get the advantage of opening up one surprise after another; that is, if Apple has packaged the iOS 9 with a lot of plot twists.
iOS 9: What to Expect
Despite the silence from the part of Apple, a lot of tech enthusiasts have of course had their own hunches about what the iOS 9 offers. And considering the fact that quite a few have already signed up for the beta program, a few significant changes to be expected with the update have already been listed. Here are some of them:
- Separate albums are automatically created for screenshots and selfies.
- You can now FaceTime, iMessage, or call your contacts directly after doing a Spotlight search.
- Quick access to Apple Pay and the Wallet App straight form the lock screen.
- Upload attachments to emails through the new iCloud Drive app.
- Be able to use a search bar inside the Settings app.
The list is short, but they sure are handy. When you think about it, these five changes actually address some of the most common concerns that a lot of iOS users encounter. Hopefully, these features would make the iOS even more efficient than ever. So if you have no qualms about finding a new surprises within the new iOS 9, it isn’t too late to sign up for beta testing. If you’d rather have full use of the current iOS for now, the actual launch will not be until September. Hopefully, you’d have decided by then whether or not the update is worth it, and you could probably get a new phone through one of the stores that sell iPhone units to make the most out of it.
