iOS 18.5 is the next iPhone update being released. With about a month of beta testing completed, the new software update is nearly ready for public launch. Here’s when to expect it.
iOS 18.5 expected to launch in mid-May
Apple often follows fairly predictable patterns with its software release cycles.
For example, here are the last few years of iOS x.5 launches:
- iOS 17.5: Monday, May 13
- iOS 16.5: Thursday, May 18
- iOS 15.5: Monday, May 16
As you can see, mid-May is a consistent pattern.
This same timing is expected to hold true with iOS 18.5 too, and the most likely release dates are either Monday, May 12 or the following week on May 19.
There are several reasons Apple seems likely to ship iOS 18.5 on one of these dates.
- Both fit the timing seen in previous years
- Mondays are generally Apple’s preferred day for software updates
- and the current iOS 18.5 beta cycle shows signs of wrapping up very soon
To flesh out this last point, iOS 18.5 so far has been very light on new features. There are two enhancements to Apple’s Mail app, and a couple other small UI updates, but that’s it for now.
Two more features may be revealed closer to launch time, but we may not see them in the beta before then.
What this means is that very little has been changing from one beta update to the next. As a result, Apple has little reason to prolong the testing cycle.
Additionally, this week Apple shipped developer and public betas of iOS 18.5 and its companion updates on the same day. This normally only happens late in a beta cycle, when the launch is near.
All of this means we will likely see the iOS 18.5 RC (release candidate) either next week on May 5, or the following week on May 12. The public launch should then follow one week later.
Then we’ll be just a few weeks out from Apple unveiling its big iOS 19 redesign at WWDC.
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