MacOS 10.13.3 Beta 6 and iOS 11.2.5 Beta 7 Released for Testing
Apple has released macOS 10.13.3 High Sierra beta 7 to users enrolled in the MacOS beta testing programs, along with iOS 11.2.5 beta 7 for iPhone and iPad beta testers.
No new features are expected in macOS High Sierra 10.13.3, suggesting the release will primarily focus on bug fixes and security enhancements, perhaps to further mitigate the impacts of the Meltdown and Spectre security vulnerabilities.
Likewise, iOS 11.2.5 also appears to primarily focus on bug fixes and security enhancements, including addressing a curious bug which can allow a webpage link sent via Messages to crash the app. The new beta 7 build of iOS 11.2.5 is not expected to include any major new features either, though there is an ability to ask Siri to read the news to you, which will cause Siri to offer a couple minutes of news review from NPR, Fox News, CNN, or Washington Post.
Mac users enrolled in the beta testing programs for both developers and public beta testers can find macOS 10.13.3 beta 6 available to download now from the Mac App Store Updates section.
iPhone and iPad beta testers can find the iOS 11.2.5 beta 7 build available now from the Software Updates section of the Settings app.
Any user can choose to participate in the public beta testing programs for Apple system software, but it’s generally only recommended for advanced users due to the buggy nature of beta operating systems. Likewise, anyone can spend $99 to enroll in the Apple Developer Program and gain access to developer beta software from Apple, but that program is intended for developers of Apple compatible software and accessories.
Separately, Apple also released watchOS 4.2.2 beta 5 to developers for the Apple Watch.
The accelerated release schedule of beta builds suggest strongly that Apple is wrapping up development of both iOS 11.2.5 and macOS High Sierra 10.13.3, and we will likely see a public release in the near future.
