All articles tagged with #beta
Sony is emailing invites for February 2026 PS5 system software beta, but the beta codes don’t work yet; patch notes confirm Unicode 17.0 emoji support and minor improvements in messages and usability, with no major changes and more information expected.
Apple's iOS 26.4 beta adds end-to-end encrypted RCS testing, but it's in a beta phase and not shipping yet; it currently works only between Apple devices and will roll out to other platforms in a future update, with cross-platform encryption coming later.
Google has released Android 17 Beta 1 for Pixel devices, focusing on testing system and API changes with no major user-facing changes yet. Highlights include expanded adaptive-apps support that requires resizing and windowed multitasking, smoother camera sensor switching, and enhanced media encoding with Versatile Video Coding (VVC). Beta 2 is planned for March, with a final update later in 2026; supported devices include Pixel 6–10, Pixel Tablet, and the original Pixel Fold, and OTA enrollment is via Google's beta program.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Siri 2.0 will debut in the iOS 26.4 developer beta on Feb. 23, bringing deeper integration with Messages, Calendar and Photos and context-aware queries. However, chatbot-style features aren’t expected until the next full iPhone update (iOS 27). A stable release is anticipated later, likely by late March or April, with developers first getting access to the new features.
Apple plans the first iOS 26.4 beta for developers in the week of Feb 23, introducing select Gemini-powered Siri features. The full, chatbot-style Siri is expected with iOS 27 at WWDC in June, while iOS 27 will emphasize bug fixes, code cleanup, design refinements, and performance improvements.
Spotify is beta-launching About the Song, a feature that shows short, third-party–summarized stories about a track right in Now Playing on mobile for Premium users in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia; users can swipe through story cards and provide feedback to help shape the feature.
Apple’s third betas of iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 reportedly break several Continuity features on newer devices (iPhone 17 series and iPad Pro M5), including iPhone mirroring, AirPlay to Apple TV 4K, Continuity Camera to Mac or Apple TV 4K, and Sidecar from Mac to iPad Pro. Apple has published developer release notes but hasn’t explained the cause; a fix is expected in upcoming betas. A public release of iOS 26.3/iPadOS 26.3 may slip to early February, so testers are advised to hold off updating to the third beta.
Apple released the third public betas of iOS 26.3, iPadOS 26.3, tvOS 26.3, and watchOS 26.3 to public testers after the developer beta, adding support for the second-generation AirTag (including Precision Finding on Apple Watch), a device-to-Android transfer tool during iPhone setup, and EU wearables changes; public release is expected later in January, with beta enrollment available via Apple’s beta site.
Apple has released the third developer betas of iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, introducing a new iPhone-to-Android transfer tool that can be started during device setup and moves data without a separate app. The update also adds an EU Notification Forwarding setting for third-party wearables and makes minor Weather wallpaper changes, with a public release expected by the end of January.
WhatsApp is reportedly testing a paid, ad-free subscription option that would remove ads from status updates and channels. The core messaging features would remain free, but the €4/month plan could also hide channel suggestions; rollout timing is not yet clear.
Spotify is expanding its Prompted Playlist beta to Premium listeners in the United States and Canada after testing in New Zealand in December 2025. The feature lets users describe what they want to hear in their own words—moods, moments, or cultural moments—and Spotify generates a playlist drawn from their listening history and current trends. Users can edit prompts, set daily or weekly refreshes, and receive one-line explanations for each track. The idea is a more intuitive, collaborative approach to discovery, with editors providing inspiration prompts; the rollout is in beta and may evolve with usage limits as Spotify learns from feedback.
Apple is refining iOS with 26.2.1, a focused bug‑fix update aimed at resolving issues like a nationwide US carrier outage, and 26.3, a broader update in beta that adds new features and performance improvements, including the launch of Creator Studio on January 28; the official rollout is expected in early February, with no beta activity on January 19 due to MLK Day, so users should back up their devices and watch for official release dates.
Samsung Internet for Windows, once restricted to Korea and the US, is now available to all users in beta; it supports cross-device syncing via Samsung Pass and lets you continue browsing across Android and Windows, suggesting a move toward a stable release though there’s no official announcement yet.
Rumors say Samsung’s One UI 8.5 could bring a major, kernel‑level upgrade (from 6.6.77 to 6.6.98) that makes Galaxy devices feel smoother and more responsive. The change is tied to the One UI 8.5 beta cycle (Beta 3 recently released with a 1.2GB download) and may appear in Beta 4 or as the official launch build for the Galaxy S25 series, following fixes like battery drain reported in earlier beta releases.
Google released Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 for Pixel devices (phones, tablets and foldables) on January 14, 2026, with OTA updates rolling out and emulator support listed as TBA. The beta carries builds CP11.251209.007.A1/CP11.251209.007 for supported devices and includes fixes for at least a dozen issues, such as unresponsive app drawer, Android Auto logging heavy battery usage, display/UI rendering glitches, charging-limit handling, Wi‑Fi speeds, radio/app crashes, audio routing during calls, and foldable activity lifecycle issues. Users can enroll in the Android Beta or install via OTA/files; supported devices include Pixel 6/6 Pro, 6a, 7/Pro, 7a, Fold, Tablet, 8/Pro, 8a, 9/9 Pro/XL/Fold, 9a, and 10 series, with security patch level 2026-01-05 and Google Play services 25.47.33.