Well, this was unexpected
In a somewhat startling move, Apple has signaled that development on the iOS 13 public release is finished. Not by releasing the new OS, but by launching a brand new beta branch!
That's right, we're skipping right past the end of iOS 13 without it being released to the public and going right to iOS 13.1. It's an unusual move, one that I haven't seen since I started covering iOS betas. My guess is that Apple decided that, while there were a myriad of back-end bugs in iOS 13 Public Beta 7, they didn't have enough impact to further delay shipping the Gold Master of iOS 13.
Why Now?
But if it wasn't released, why did Apple need to complete production? Look no further than that circled 9/10 on your calendar. The as-of-yet-to-be-announced iPhone event will bring with it a slate of new devices. Those devices are going to be pre-loaded with, you guessed it, iOS 13. If production units are being finalized and boxed now, this requires the Gold Master of iOS 13.
This also solidifies a September timeline for the release of iOS 13 for everyone else.
After all, no one wants to have to perform a system upgrade as soon as they unbox their new iPhone 11. But the only way that's going to be an issue is if iOS 13 is out in the wild when the new devices are released.
But, in the meantime, there are all those bugs to contend with. Software development doesn't stop just because the hardware production cycle demands a certain schedule. Hence, iOS 13.1. Hopefully, with Apple moving forward like this, it means that there will be a very short window between iOS 13's first release and its first major bug fix.
What's New
That said, there's more than just bug fixes in iOS 13.1 Public Beta 1. There are some features that slipped from the iOS 13 release that are now back!
- The volume indicator now displays an icon for the Apple device that you're actually controlling. Neat!
- Sharing ETAs via Maps is back with a new, easier to parse interface.
- Like Dynamic Wallpapers? You're in luck, because they've been updated.
- Audio Sharing is available for all AirPods and PowerBeats Pro.
- Lights in the Home app can now have different icons.
- If you go to Settings > General > Fonts, you'll see that there's now a link to the App Store, indicating that we'll be able to install system fonts via apps with future iOS 13 releases.
- Controller support is coming in iOS 13! Now your paired XBox One and PS4 controllers will appear in your battery management widget on the Home screen.
- Airdrop now features destination icons that show the device rather than the user. Handy for when you're trying to send a file to your iMac instead of your iPad.
What's Fixed
Since really this is a stealth release of iOS 13 Public Beta 8, there are the same bugs to be fixed in iOS 13.1 Public Beta 1. Thankfully, we're already seeing a couple of them cleaned up.
- Setting your period to be longer than your cycle no longer breaks Health and Activity features.
- Shortcut automations are back!
What's Broken
In case anyone was wondering if iOS 13.1 would have the same bugs as iOS 13, never fear, they're all here! That's right, all the same bugs from last week's iOS 13 Public Beta 7 are still in the iOS 13.1 Public Beta 1 build. Not great news for folks who are getting their hands on a brand new iPhone 11 next month (maybe, we'll talk about that in a second).
- If you're in the developer beta for watchOS 6, you must upgrade to version 2 or later or your iPhone running iOS 13 will no longer connect.
- Searching in Notes may still deliver unexpected results.
- The offline-finding capability of the Find My app is currently limited.
- You might see the message: “Couldn’t connect to iCloud” when creating a new Pages, Numbers, or Keynote document in a shared folder. Close and reopen the document to fix it.
- Localization bugs are still being rooted out - devices set to use certain languages might exhibit clipped or misaligned layout or display unlocalized text.
- If you enable Share Across Devices, Screen Time settings don’t sync with iCloud until your iOS device is restarted. And make sure that you do, because any edits you make to your Screen Time settings on that device before restarting are lost.
- Complications will disappear from your Apple Watch if it isn't running watchOS 6 beta. Your mileage may vary on this one.
- Google Chromecast is listed on the iOS 13.1 bug list, but it's working for me. Your mileage may vary.
- The Marriott Bonvoy, PNC Mobile Banking, and Blackberry apps won't launch.
What's Next
So with this surprise move, everyone is wondering what this means for the future of iOS 13.1. It's apparent that by releasing the first beta build of iOS 13.1 immediately, Apple is dedicated to getting this bug patch out as soon as possible.
In fact, remember when I mentioned above that downloading a fresh iOS patch on day 1 would stink for iPhone 11 buyers? It's likely that's exactly what's going to happen, with the public release of iOS 13.1 coinciding with the iPhone 11's ship date.
Of course, we'll know more in a couple of weeks when the new iPhones are unveiled (at the still unannounced event) and Tim Cook gives us a timeline for pre-order and release.
Until then, expect weekly updates! Cupertino is going to want to drive production hard on this release.
