Apple could once again unite the release dates of iOS and iPadOS for the 17th major version of its mobile software, set to arrive this month.
Writing in his weekly Power On Newsletter, the in-the-know Mark Gurman says Apple is planing to release the completed versions of iOS 17 and iPad OS 17 on the same day.
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That’s excellent news for iPad owners who had to wait an additional six weeks for iPadOS 16 (released as iPadOS 16.1). It landed on October 24 last year, alongside macOS Ventura. iPhone owners got the iOS 16 update on September 12.
Last year, Apple needed more time to prepare key features like Stage Manager, which proved very problematic during the development phases.
However, there’s have been no such problems this year through the beta releases and Apple looks set to bring parity back to the software release schedules.
The Bloomberg reporter wrote: “I am told that, bearing any unforeseen circumstances, the company is considering the eighth beta test as the final version of iOS 17.0. And, in a shift from last year, it sounds like iPadOS 17.0 will arrive simultaneously with the new iPhone software.”
If recent precedent is followed, Apple will release iOS 17 and its iPad counterpart on Friday September 15. Apple often releases the software the Friday following the iPhone launch event on the Tuesday, which is often a week before the new phones go on sale.
The iPhone 15 launch event takes place on September 12 this year. Gurman said he expects the new handsets to all arrive with the USB-C charging port to replace the Lightning port. This will enable users to deploya a single cable to charge iPad, Macs and iPhone, and possibly unlock faster charging and data speeds.
