14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has released the fifth developer betas of its next operating systems, including iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14, and the new images are available for download from the developer website or over the air if beta 4 is already installed.
Note that these are the developer builds and not the public betas, so only registered developers can download them. New public betas are also expected in a few days though.
While Apple hasn’t shared any release notes about what’s new in this new beta build, the good news is that we’re approaching the moment when the company should sign off iOS 14 and ship the GM build to users.
According to Apple’s typical release schedule, this is expected to happen in September, with the final build to then be sent to users shortly after the official announcement.
The release date
There are a few things that need be mentioned here though.
Apple typically announces new iOS software updates at the iPhone unveiling event, which takes place every year in September. The new iOS version then launches for supported iPhones later the same month.
The difference in 2020 is that Apple could end up launching the new iPhones in October, as some people close to the matter suggested the company was forced to deal with some issues related to the production process and the devices might be pushed back for a few weeks.
This means that Apple could also move its September event to October, and while it makes sense for the new iPhones to be delayed, not the same thing can be said about the iOS 14 release.
Of course, there’s no confirmation from Apple until now, so it remains to be seen if iOS 14 gets the go-ahead in September as expected or the company decides to push it back too.