iOS 18 RC beta and more updates now available ahead of public launch

Apple has had a big day. Following the launch of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro lineup, plus new Apple Watch and AirPods models, the company has released the RC (release candidate) versions of its major OS updates. iOS 18 and more are now available as RC betas ahead of their full public launch next week. They’re available both for developers and members of the public beta program.

RC betas provide preview of finalized iOS 18 and more

The RC versions of Apple’s software updates are expected to be the final beta releases before public launch.

They’re called release candidates because, if all goes well, they are the exact versions expected to ship widely to all users.

Sometimes Apple, after shipping the RC versions to beta testers, will discover new bugs that it won’t want in the final release. As a result, they might debut a second RC version later on.

The hope is, however, that today’s RC updates are the final ones and will be released to all users for the public launch.

What to expect from the RC releases

If you’ve been testing iOS 18 and Apple’s other software versions throughout the summer, you shouldn’t expect to see much of anything new in the RC versions.

They hopefully will include more bug fixes and performance improvements than the prior beta 8 releases. Beyond that, though, the only noteworthy changes here will be ones designed for the new hardware Apple just launched.

Without having those new devices, though, these releases should offer very similar experiences to what has been available in prior betas. There is always the potential for surprises, though.

Have you installed the iOS 18 RC or any other RC betas? Let us know of any changes found via the comments.