Every year, at Apple's developer conference, the company announces new software releases for its operating systems. At the event, or shortly afterward, Apple releases developer betas so developers can update their apps for the new software version.
Betas in general, but developer betas especially, are notoriously known for being extremely unstable. But Apple's latest developer betas aren't—they're actually fairly stable. We're going to take a look as to why that might be.
What Are Developer Betas?
Developer betas are aimed at developers. The beta releases allow developers to work on their apps and programs for the updated OS. Many companies release developer betas, and they're a key step in the app development process.
Since the tools in software updates are brand new, developers need some time to implement them into their apps so they can be updated. Apple's developer betas do exactly this. This means that apps will work better on the new operating systems, and there won't be any problems from software changes.
While it may be fairly obvious from the name, these software releases are beta releases. This means that the software is still being developed and changed, so it may present frequent bugs and errors. As we previously mentioned, developer betas are notorious for such bugs, ranging from small crashes to entire system errors. But not Apple's latest releases.
Even though Apple's latest betas are pretty stable, we strongly advise against installing any of the developer betas on your main devices to avoid any problems arising from bugs or errors. If you choose to install these betas, you do so at your own risk. Make sure you follow the correct installation process.
Why Are Apple's Latest Betas More Stable?
When we talk about Apple's latest developer betas being more stable, there is no objective test to this. Tim Cook didn't get up on stage and say "Hey, we didn't put in as many bugs this time", and there's no chart to measure the betas against.
Many users have reported online that their experience with this year's developer betas has been more stable than in previous years. Of course, these experiences are completely subjective, but we found the same thing when looking at the betas ourselves.
Here's why Apple's latest betas might be more stable than previous year's releases.
Apple Has Improved Its Own Software Development
It stands to reason that Apple will have improved its own software development. With growing teams, changing talent, and increasing amounts of software feedback, it would be hard for Apple to not improve its own development.
A large company such as Apple pours millions into software development each year, hires the best talent, and has heaps of previous software feedback to work from. Combining all of these factors, Apple is on the right track to improve its betas.
As these betas improve, they'll become more and more stable. For example, if last year's beta has a particular bug for the Calendar app, the software development team can look at the fix for that bug to prevent it in the future.
This Year's Software Updates Are Less Major Than Previous Years
Now, this is another subjective metric. This year's software releases arguably contain fewer changes or new features than previous year's updates.
If Apple is adding fewer features and making fewer changes to the software, naturally the code isn't going to be much different from the previous release. As a result, there's less room for software developers to make errors.
Think about it. If the existing software already works without bugs, taking it and only changing it a little bit leaves less room for error. Of course, Apple has included new features in this year's software, but these changes are arguably less drastic than previous releases.
General Software Development Improvements
One final reason this year's Apple beta releases could be more stable is down to general software development improvements.
As software as a whole continues to evolve, the process of software development grows with it. Apple's software team releases new software each year, so the developers themselves are going to improve with experience. On top of this, looking at other improvements in the developer community can only help.
Betas' notoriety for being unstable comes from years ago. To the developers in the room: when was the last time you used a beta that was completely unusable? Over the last few years, beta software as a whole has continued to grow more stable, and Apple's releases are no exception.
Three Cheers for Apple's Latest Beta Releases
Apple's latest developer beta releases are undeniably more stable than previous year's releases. While some of this improvement is down to software development changes as a whole, Apple should be recognized for its individual improvement.
Beta software affects the eventual general release, so is a topic that affects everyone. Even if you're not a developer, you should be glad Apple's beta releases are more stable.