As iOS 16 ramps up development ahead of an expected September launch, the developer beta version 6 was released just a week after beta 5 debuted.
Apple is quickly ramping up development of the upcoming iOS 16 operating system, as it released developer beta version 6 and a corresponding public beta update just a week after the most recent revision. iOS 16 was first unveiled back in June at the Worldwide Developers Conference, an event centered around developers and software. The annual keynote highlights the upcoming changes to Apple’s operating systems — from iOS, to watchOS, to macOS, and everything in between. Though the full software update won’t be released to compatible devices until later this fall, Apple’s beta software periods give users a peek at what is to come in the upgrade. As development progresses, these developer and public beta versions become fairly close to the final iOS 16 build.
In order to make sure that any bugs or potential issues with an iOS upgrade are resolved for a worldwide rollout, Apple initiates two beta software periods for refinement and testing of the new operating system. The first is a developer beta software period, which becomes available to authorized developers shortly after the iOS upgrade is announced. This allows professionals to test the upcoming software, and gives developers time to update their applications before a public launch. The developer beta period tends to be riddled with bugs, system crashes, and other issues — and Apple tries to sort out these problems before release day. After the developer beta receives a few software updates, a public beta software version is released, which allows any willing user to test out the unreleased software before anyone else.
Apple rolled out iOS 16 developer beta 5 to devices enrolled in the Apple Developer program on Monday, August 8, more than a week after developer beta 4 brought new changes to the iPhone. That had been the norm — developer beta software updates were sent out weeks apart. However, as Apple finalizes the iOS 16 software upgrade ahead of launch day, it released the following iOS 16 developer beta 6 update to enrolled devices on Monday, August 15. That’s exactly a week after the previous update was made available, and the short turnaround signifies that iOS 16 is on track for an expected September release. iOS updates usually coincide with new iPhones in September, and iOS 16 looks to be right on schedule — unlike some of Apple’s other upgrades.
Beta 6 Changes The iPhone’s New Battery Percentage Indicator
The biggest change to the iOS 16 user-interface with the developer beta 6 update is a revision of the battery percentage indicator that was introduced in the previous update. For the first time since 2018, iPhones with a Face ID sensor were able to display the percentage of battery life remaining in the status bar. This was a mainstay of iOS until the iPhone X, which introduced a Face ID sensor and a ‘notch’ that took up most of the iPhone’s status bar. Though the developer beta 5 update reintroduced the battery percentage indicator in the status bar, the feedback wasn’t all positive. When the battery percentage indicator is enabled in settings, it appears within a battery icon filled in white. As a result, the battery icon appears to be full — even when there is just a percent of battery life remaining.
Although the reception to the battery percentage indicator wasn’t universally positive, the feature is an option in the Settings app — for the most part. With the developer beta 5 update, enabling Low Power Mode would automatically show the battery percentage in the status bar. However, the most recent developer beta 6 update leaves the choice up to the user. Even when Low Power Mode is enabled, users can choose not to show the battery percentage in the status bar, and instead view a colored icon in iOS 16 developer beta 6. Aside from this tweak to a recent feature reintroduction, iOS 16 developer beta 6 remains virtually unchanged from the previous release, signifying that Apple is putting the finishing touches on the upcoming operating system.
Source: Apple Developer
