Should You Upgrade to Apple's iOS 10 or macOS Sierra?
This is the first in a series of reports where we dive into iOS 10 and macOS Sierra, which were both introduced during this week’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote address.
The first iOS 10 beta is out of the gate. So too is the first beta version of macOS Sierra. It will be a few months before each becomes available to the general public.
When will that be? If history is any indication, expect both new operating systems to arrive in September or October. In the case of iOS 10, it should drop right before Apple releases the “iPhone 7” and “iPhone 7 Plus.” The newest OS for Mac is likely to arrive a few weeks later alongside new Macs.
Some Words About Apple Betas
One year ago, Apple released six iOS 9 betas before launching the GM, or gold master edition. The longest development process for an iOS release occurred in 2011 with iOS 5. That year, there were seven betas followed by the GM.
In 2014, Apple introduced a public beta program for OS X. Last year, the program was expanded to include iOS. In July, the first public betas for iOS 10 and macOS Sierra will be available. You can request an invite to join these betas through Apple.
The current versions are for developers only, although we all know that non-developers install them as well.
Current betas
Is Now the Time?
Our early take on whether you should upgrade now shouldn’t come as much of a surprise:
The iOS 10 beta: This first beta is somewhat unstable and shouldn’t be installed on everyday devices. In particular, we noticed that iOS 10 beta doesn’t play nice with many third-party apps on both iPhone and iPad.
macOS Sierra Developer Preview: Again, our advice is not to upgrade at this time. Let the developers work through the early bugs.
We’ll continue to follow all of the developments with iOS 10 and macOS Sierra in the coming weeks and months. When new betas arrive, we’ll publish another report.
Important Dates
Here are some important dates to consider*:
- Monday, June 27 or Tuesday, June 28: New betas are expected.
- Monday, July 11 or Tuesday, July 12: Expect the first public betas.
- September 7: Circle this date as the possible day for Apple’s fall event.
* these dates are based on Apple’s past practices.