Apple launches sixth betas of iOS 10.3.3 and macOS Sierra 10.12.6
One week after the last set of releases, Apple has made available the sixth beta of iOS 10.3.3 and macOS 10.12.6 to developers for testing.
There still remain no foci for testing in either release, and there do not appear to be any feature additions to either. As a result, updates are intended for maintenance, bug fixes, and security enhancements.
The current iOS 10.3.3 beta is either build number 14G57 or 14G58, according to Apple. The macOS current Sierra 10.12.6 build is 16G24b.
Also ongoing are beta tests of iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra. Apple's latest version of iOS 11 was recently made available to public beta testers includes things like a new Control Center, a Files app, person-to-person Apple Pay transfers, and a "Do Not Disturb While Driving" option. The biggest changes are coming to the iPad, such as a Mac-like app dock and easier multitasking.
High Sierra will transition to the Apple File System, add support for standards like Metal 2 and H.265/HEVC, and upgrade apps like Mail, Safari, and Photos.
There still remain no foci for testing in either release, and there do not appear to be any feature additions to either. As a result, updates are intended for maintenance, bug fixes, and security enhancements.
The current iOS 10.3.3 beta is either build number 14G57 or 14G58, according to Apple. The macOS current Sierra 10.12.6 build is 16G24b.
Also ongoing are beta tests of iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra. Apple's latest version of iOS 11 was recently made available to public beta testers includes things like a new Control Center, a Files app, person-to-person Apple Pay transfers, and a "Do Not Disturb While Driving" option. The biggest changes are coming to the iPad, such as a Mac-like app dock and easier multitasking.
High Sierra will transition to the Apple File System, add support for standards like Metal 2 and H.265/HEVC, and upgrade apps like Mail, Safari, and Photos.
Comments
On my iPhone this is showing as a 1.83 GB download (over the air), rather than the smaller size of the usual delta updates. So this could be the "final" GM build of 10.3.3. Anyone else seeing such a "complete image" download?
P.S. - I'm on the Public Beta circuit, so it was also released for both developers and Public Beta testers pretty much simultaneously.
but... 11 has problems. A number of problems. In addition, they’ve made a couple of choices, I’m assuming they are, that are steps backwards. The one that matters most is that in safari, now when you tap a bookmark folder you only get 5 bookmarks, rather than the menu moving down to the bottom of the screen. A major backwards step, assuming it isn’t a bug, which I fervently hope it is!
so, considering that the release is just a bit under 2.5 months away, I really want to see more betas, and quickly.
I think melgross is opening a bookmark folder from the Tool Bar, not from the Bookmarks drawer. Certainly if I click on a bookmark folder on the Tool Bar, it only shows a scrollable 5 line menu, but using the Bookmarks drawer uses as much of the screen as needed. I agree that the Tool Bar behaviour is not satisfactory.
I'm also getting weirdly inconsistent behaviour when charging. I initially thought I was having a hardware problem with the Lightning port, as it's not been behaving even under iOS 10, but it's now being even more wacky, and seems to consistently charge properly, as long as the iPad is turned off. It also now seems to charge, without acknowledging it's plugged into power. It's not doing this when it isn't actually plugged into power, unfortunately, otherwise I'd have just assumed they'd managed to enable "wireless charging" somehow. The battery level goes up without ever lighting up green with the little lightning bolt symbol. I only haven't reported that on the Feedback app because I've been trying to work out how to explain it.
I don't know who makes the final GUI and feature/function decisions at Apple, but there seems to be a trend at Apple (since Scott Forstall was shown the door) towards dumbing down the IOS and OS systems. All the while, functions like AirPlay, Bluetooth and Network continue with unresolved bugs/oddities.
as far as macOS is concerned, it does look, at first glance, that they’re dumbing it down. But they’re really not. They’re making that first layer of the OS seem simpler for people who are just getting into computers, and who are more familiar with smartphone OSs. But there are options for all the regular services.
i think that the way Apple is doing this is much better than the way Microsoft is doing it. They’re trying to stick Windows into tablets, and they’re still screwing around with a win10 phone concept, though it may never go anywhere.
apple is taking the OS that is far more common, and widely used and understood, iOS, and making macOS feel more comfortable for those who migrate to Macs. In the long run, that’s a better idea. Though I still harbor a hope that Apple will come out with a true “Universal OS”. But even if they’re researching that (and I believe they are, like a lot of other concepts) it would likely need x86 and ARM to coalesce they way I’ve stated a number of times.
So I'm new to the beta testing of iOS and I just downloaded 11 today on my iPad mini 2. I just got my second current gen iPhone, this time the 7+ instead of standard 7, and I was reading and reading about this testing and it scared me to put it on my personal phone, which Literally runs my life! I haven't had much of a chance to check it out yet, as I just downloaded it this evening, but I noticed immediately some glitches in the "flow" of the operating system. Swiping over to my next app page is slow moving and not smooth at all. Maybe it's because I restarted my ipad and instantly started checking it out? Not sure? Also the pull up tab is pretty cluttered and kind of strangely structured. Having all your recent apps in the same place that normally has just a few quick shortcuts is odd. The double click feature also now brings up the same "feature"? Not liking this that much.
I am curious though, If anyone can clear this up, about the "rules" of the beta agreement. What I gathered was that I was to NOT speak about the software and display it to others not involved in the testing. Which it looks like most people on here are, but this is a public thread to view and free to register, as I just did about an hour ago. So my question is, am I "allowed" to discuss this beta with people, or not? I assume apple wants as many testers as possible. After all, an all new iOS software with a ton of new features (bugs) to be discovered needs testers to find the problems. Talking about it would only assist in recruiting new testers so I don't know if I should talk about it or not. Any thoughts? BTW....my brain tends to over think stuff and ramble on getting off topic at times! ;0
I LOVE apple products! I honestly don't think I could buy another non-apple phone again. I've had 3GS-current 7+, while squeezing in a few Samsung Galaxy and LG androids here and there, but if some of these iPhone 8 rumors are true, I don't know if I would be interested in using iPhone anymore
PS sorry about the essay you just read lol
i understand that new, or changed features, don’t always appeal to everyone. I’ve found that most of the time, a feature that was changed not to my liking at first, becomes second nature after some time, short or long. Then I forget it was changed. But not with everything.
i happen to prefer the way Apple is now doing the double click. I like that the control panel is now in that space, as well as apps. It makes things easier, and they need to swipe up for the new app bar on the bottom. Something had to give, and I’m happy the way they did it. Though it took me a couple of days to get used to where the rotation control was.
i get why Apple is finally going to an OLED display. For one, it’s a lot thinner, almost half as thick as the LCD and LED backlight. When phones are as thin as they are, every millimeter, or fraction thereof, matters. And glass is thicker than aluminum, so there is less room inside if the outside of the phone is the same thickness. I suspect that this phone will be slightly thicker.
i also get the edge to edge screen. My first iPhone was the 3G. I didn’t think of edge to edge until someone in a forum wondered about it. Then I looked at the phone and measured the thing, and realized that if Apple could have gone edge to edge, we could have had, instead of a 3.5” screen, a screen that was closer to 4”. But that’s almost impossible with LCD for several reasons. But OLED allows that possibility, with more recent designs. I’m always for a larger screen in the same width case. Almost everyone wants an edge to edge screen. Now that we know we can hold our phones without big bezels on the sides, it’s not an issue. Even their iPads are using thinner bezels.
if they don’t use an under the screen home button, I don’t know how that function is going to work. We’ve always relied on that button go go back steps. It’s reliable, and always works everywhere, unlike with Android, where it’s different, depending on what you’re doing, what app, what manufacturer, what skin, etc. I aasume that Apple has thought this out. I hope so. A lot of it depends on what Apple has been planning.
Is the supposed lack of an under the screen button, and we still don’t know that for certain, due to a problem such as Samsung had, of getting it to work properly, or is it a result of a decision by Apple to just do away with it? It matters. If it’s a decision made under fire, that’s one thing, if it’s a deliberate one that was planned for, that’s different.
If Apple was having problems, and then decided, unlike Samsung, to do away with it, I hope it happened early in the design process, so the software, and sensors for the cameras had enough time to mature before the release this year. If it was a deliberate decision, and they didn’t intend to use a Touch ID button at all, I would EXPECT that it will work very well, and that a solution for the button backing out would also have been found. It’s possible that their 3D Touch will be used for that. I see no reason why that wouldn’t work.
jailbreakimg is almost an issue that no longer matters. I read an interview with the guy who started the whole thing, and he says he’s not doing jailbreaks for the public any more, and the other organizations are pretty much done for. Cydia is finished, and without that (and all the malware on there) there’s hardly any purpose. Apple has pretty much added everything that most jailbreaksrs have wanted, so there’s little point to it, and it’s become very difficult to do it now because of the enhanced security of iOS. Whereas a jailbreak would last months, now they last a couple of weeks, making it useless. I’m sure there are still a few people who do it just “because”, and find some convoluted excuse why. But it’s a dead issue.
reporting bugs, and even features you don’t like, is a very important part of the public beta. Features you don’t like is something that Apple is interested in knowing about. Same thing for features they’ve changed. Report it!