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iOS 18 Speculation Thread
- Thread starter Kylo83
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My pet rock, Sctanley says no. He's wrong about 99% of the time however, so there's a chance. 
If it’s not Tim Cook needs to come to my house to personally apologize and tell me it’s all gonna be OK. 😂This is the day for a new beta?
There was a similar batch of app updates that came out yesterday as well. It’s not an indication of anything.
No way we are getting a new beta. It’ll be an RC or the final public release.This is the day for a new beta?
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I think it would be more fun if we turned this thread into a drinking game…
Has Apple ever released anything without an RC or GM?
Thursday releases has happened before, even friday ones. But there is a possibility that they have found a major bug that has to be resolved and that the whole schedule has been moved forward. To my knowledge they have publicly stated mid december… right?
Thursday releases has happened before, even friday ones. But there is a possibility that they have found a major bug that has to be resolved and that the whole schedule has been moved forward. To my knowledge they have publicly stated mid december… right?
I've never seen a final release without beta RC, and I don't think we'll ever see the real thing.
As per ChatGPT,
“Yes, Apple has released iOS updates directly to the public without a Release Candidate (RC) or Gold Master (GM) in certain cases, though it is rare. These situations typically occur when the update is a critical bug fix or security patch that addresses an urgent issue. These updates often skip the normal beta cycle because they need to be rolled out quickly to protect users.
For example:
1. iOS 9.3.5 (2016): Released directly to address a critical security vulnerability.
2. iOS 12.5.7 (2023): Issued for older devices with immediate security concerns.
3. iOS 16.5.1 (a) (2023): Released urgently to fix a bug introduced in the previous version.
In these cases, Apple bypasses the RC or GM phase because testing has already focused on resolving a specific problem, and further delays could expose users to risks.”
Ohhh I'm up for it (however my boss won't be too pleased)
Thank you for the info! Actually impressed of that answer.
accept for these are just minor releases not major releases like 18.0, 18.1, 18.2, etc.
i dont recall any major releases not having a RC
I asked chatGPT a followup question to my original one and this was the response
“For point releases like iOS 17.1 or iOS 17.2, Apple has consistently released an RC (or GM in the past) before the public launch, as these updates often include notable features or significant changes. To date, no point release like a “.1” or “.2” update has been launched without an RC or GM version first being made available to developers and public beta testers.
In contrast, only smaller, urgent updates (e.g., 17.0.3, 16.5.1(a)) have skipped the RC phase due to time-sensitive fixes. Point updates like 17.1 and 17.2 are considered “major” feature updates in their cycle, so they always follow the RC process before public release.”
I recall a couple times when Apple skipped the RC beta for a major update (I think possibly 17.6?). It isn’t common, but it has happened.
We might get an RC beta today, or we may get a public release of 18.2 today. We might also get an iOS 18.3 beta 1 today or tomorrow. 👍🏻
We might get an RC beta today, or we may get a public release of 18.2 today. We might also get an iOS 18.3 beta 1 today or tomorrow.
And unicorns might arrive too!
Where’s @JFLECHUGA and @redbeard331?
They must be in withdrawal, for them I really hope we get something today. 🤣
They must be in withdrawal, for them I really hope we get something today. 🤣
