iOS 18 Release Candidate (RC) has been seeded by Apple as the last beta update for developers. This development comes after the Cupertino-based tech giant unveiled its iPhone 16 series and successors to other devices in its portfolio. The update has been rolled out ahead of the public release of iOS 18 which will commence on September 16. It arrives a week after Apple released the last developer beta updates of its new operating system (OS).
iOS 18 Release Candidate Update
According to Apple, RC updates are final versions of the operating system (OS) in development, before it is publicly released. The features seen in these updates are said to be final, although bugs and other improvements may be rolled out in future RC updates, if necessary. The iOS 18 RC update released by Apple comes with the build number 22A3354.
In addition to the iOS 18 RC rollout, the iPhone maker has also released the list of devices eligible to receive the update. This includes the latest flagship handsets such as the iPhone 16 series alongside older models like the iPhone XR and iPhone SE (2022).
While the company previewed several generative artificial intelligence (AI) features powered by its proprietary Apple Intelligence, not all of the iPhone models will get them. Only users of the iPhone 15 Pro models, in addition to the entire iPhone 16 lineup, will be able to leverage features such as writing tools, Image playground and a smarter Siri.
However, these features will not be available to iPhone users on September 16. Instead, Apple has confirmed their release with the iOS 18.1 update that is scheduled to arrive next month.
In addition to Apple Intelligence, iOS 18 also brings new home screen customisation options such as more options in the control centre and replaceable icons on the lock screen. There is also a revamped Photos app, while call recording has also been introduced on iPhone. The update also includes other quality-of-life improvements.