In a rather confusing turn of events, a week after Apple rolled out the fifth beta version of iOS 8.2 to developers, the tech giant seeded the first beta version of the 8.3 to them.
While iOS 8.2 puts emphasis on the WatchKit, iOS 8.3 is reportedly focused on iCloud Photo and Apple CarPlay, according to 9to5 Mac. The latter is the wireless functionality of the device that ditches the Lightning cable. It will be beneficial to people using their handset while in transit.
Meanwhile, one of the anticipated features of the new OS is the WatchKit that supports the functions and features of the Apple Watch. The latest beta version of iOS 8.2 opened the WatchKit to developers to allow them to create apps for the company's first wearable. The company has been perfecting the feature, allowing users to sync it to other Apple devices like iPhones and iPads. Reports say that Apple has greatly improved some of the tools for developers to input their apps in the device. In addition, developers are able to create their own Settings bundles for the extensions they write for WatchKit.
Both iOS betas address some of the persistent bugs and issues in the previous beta versions of the iOS.
Speculations have arisen that iOS 8.2 will arrive alongside or slightly ahead of the shipments of the Apple Watch scheduled in April. The smartwatch was announced last September, but instead of making it available with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the company dropped a vague "early this year" release date. Waiting fans are crossing their fingers that Apple would finally release the device in the first quarter of 2015.
If iOS 8.2 will be officially released in March and the alleged iOS 9 would debut in June, it is safe to speculate that iOS 8.3 will be announced sometime in between the rollout of the two operating systems. However, Apple has not released a concrete timeline for the iOS releases making it a guessing game for all.
