Beta 2 is available for iOS 17.1 and other platforms, visionOS gets beta 4

Apple continues beta testing of upcoming updates. This time beta 2 is released for iOS/iPadOS 17.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1, watchOS 10.1 and tvOS 17.1. Xcode 15.1 beta 1 is available too. Apple also releases SDK and visionOS simulator beta 4.

Warning! Development for visionOS now requires Apple Silicon Macs!

iOS 17.1 beta 2 adds more settings for StandBy widgets. macOS Sonoma 14.1 beta 2 adds warranty information to system settings pane.

watchOS 10.1 beta 2 adds support for Double Tap gesture for Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.

Beta download: Operating Systems

Release notes:

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Report show increasing use of Macs, growth iPhone marketshare in China

Reports show that Windows 10 end of support in 2025 could actually benefit Mac marketshare.

Kandji's Apple in the Enterprise Report shows that majority (more than 90%) of IT professionals praise Apple device deployment in the workplace and this delivers business advantage. Other findings include:

  • 76% of large enterprises report an increase in their use of Apple devices in the past year.
  • 57% report that Apple device use is growing faster than other device options.
  • 67% of IT professionals report an increase in employee productivity with Apple devices.
  • Over half of the respondents report reliability and long lifecycle as major benefits.
  • Over half of IT professionals surveyed report that iPhone and iPad are better for the productivity and user experience of remote/hybrid employees compared to 15% for Android.
  • 30% of IT professionals report reduced total cost of ownership with Apple adoption.
  • One of the most compelling statistics in the report is that 76% of IT professionals say that Windows or Android devices are more likely to be targeted in a cyberattack than Apple devices.

TechInsight's Global Shipment Report, China accounted for 24% of all ‌iPhone‌ shipments in Q2 2023, while the U.S. market accounted for 21%. 

Omdia's report highlights that iPhone 14 Pro Max is best selling model overall.

IDC: Global PC Shipments Expected to Return to Growth in 2024 Albeit Below 2019 Pre-Pandemic Levels, According to IDC

Kandji: Apple in the Enterprise Report

Omdia: iPhone 14 Pro Max is most shipped smartphone in the first half of this year

TechInsight

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macOS usage grows in 2022

Recently, IDC reported on Mac shipments in declining PC market, now StatCounter report shows significant growth in macOS use across the world from 19% to 21%.

Report does not differentiate on Intel vs Apple Silicon Macs, however, it is safe to assume that Apple SIlicon contributes significantly in increasing marketshare for Apple computers.

StatCounter: Desktop Operating System Market Share Worldwide

Reference: Apple's macOS saw a dramatic upturn in 2022 worldwide

Microsoft announces support for ARM virtualization for Windows

Microsoft announces support for running Windows on Apple Silicon Macs with Parallels software.

Some limitations still apply – Microsoft does not support running Windows Subsystem for Android, Windows Subsystem for Linux, Windows Sandbox and Virtualization-based Security when Windows 11 is running in virtualized environment.

Microsoft Support: Options for using Windows 11 with Mac® computers with Apple® M1® and M2™ chips

Alludo: Parallels Desktop Now an Authorized Solution to Use With Windows 11 on Mac With Apple Silicon

Reference: Microsoft announces full support for virtualization of Windows on ARM through Parallels Desktop 18

New OS releases drop support for older devices

New OS releases mean that some of older devices are left behind. This is true for iOS 16, watchOS 9, macOS 13 Ventura.

iOS 16 will not be available for iPhone 6s, iPhone 7 and original iPhone SE.

iPadOS 16 will be provided for:

  • iPad Pro
  • iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
  • iPad (5th generation and later)
  • iPad mini (5th generation and later)

watchOS 9 leaves Apple Watch Series 3 behind. Which is a bit strange since Series 3 are still sold by Apple as entry-level model.

macOS 13 Ventura also drops support for several older Macs. Currently supported are:

  • iMac (2017 and later)
  • ‌iMac‌ Pro
  • MacBook Air (2018 and later)
  • MacBook Pro (2017 and later)
  • Mac Pro (2019 and later)
  • Mac mini (2018 and later)
  • MacBook (2017 and later)

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