Apple Completes iOS 16 Development Ahead of iPhone 14 Launch

BY Dave Johnson

Published 22 Aug 2022

iOS 16 development completed ahead of iPhone launch

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple completed the initial version of iOS 16 last week ahead of the September 7 iPhone 14 event. 

In the past month, Apple has seeded various test versions of the upcoming iOS to public beta testers and developers. Last week, the company released iOS 16 beta 6 and public beta 4, completing the OS’s test cycle, according to Gurman. 

In other words, the remaining iOS 16 beta versions will not include any new features or changes. Instead, Apple will focus on bug fixes and security updates before the software becomes public. 

In his latest edition of the Power On newsletter, the Bloomberg tech reporter states that iOS 16 and watchOS 9 will roll out in September alongside the new iPhone series. Meanwhile, we may have to wait until October for both iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura releases. 

Mark Gurman wrote in the newsletter: 

“The iOS 16.0 update, which Apple engineers finished work on this past week, is due to launch in September alongside watchOS 9. Those updates will correspond with the new hardware. The macOS Ventura and iPadOS upgrades, on the other hand, are now scheduled for October (after Stage Manager-related delays to the iPad software) to match the new hardware lineup.” 

Apple’s upcoming iOS introduces several updates to the iPhone. For example, most iPhones with a notch will now get a battery percentage icon in the status bar.

However, the most notable changes include: 

  • A revamped Home app
  • Customizable Lock Screen with widgets
  • Ability to unsend and edit messages
  • iCloud Shared Photo Library

A previous Bloomberg report suggests that the iPhone 14 launch event will hold on Wednesday, September 7. So Apple will likely release the new iOS 16 and watchOS 9 along with the iPhone and Apple Watch series.