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With iOS 28, Apple made a change in one area that users never see: the development timeline. This time, the first phase allowed more time for new features and less for integration. According to reports, this has been well received by employees.
Mark Gurman reports this in his Bloomberg newsletter „Power On“. Affected are iOS 28 and iPadOS 28, internally codenamed „Bell,“ as well as macOS 28, codenamed „Poppy,“ and the other systems of this generation. Gurman already mentioned these same codenames in May, when it was revealed that Apple was already working on iOS 28 and macOS 28.
At that time, the teams were in the phase of developing individual features; the integration into finished systems was still pending. Now, the first major phase of development is complete, and it is precisely at this point that Apple has changed the process. All articles about the upcoming generation are compiled on the iOS 28 page.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Apple divides the development of its systems into three major milestones, M1 to M3.
- Typically, the timeframe is eight weeks for each phase: four weeks for programming, four weeks for merging.
- The first phase for iOS 28 and macOS 28 involved six weeks of programming and only two weeks of merging.
- According to the report, employees like the change because it leaves more time for ideas.
Three milestones, a shift in emphasis
According to Gurman, Apple divides its operating system's annual cycle into three milestones, internally designated M1, M2, and M3. Each typically lasts eight weeks: the first four weeks are dedicated to programming, and the following four weeks are spent integrating the new features into the system. Gurman says Apple calls this second phase „Convergence“.
The allocation of time for M1, the milestone for the 28-series generation, was different. Engineers had six weeks for programming, testing, and developing features, leaving only two weeks for integration. This increased the proportion of pure development time within the milestone from half to three-quarters. M1 is already complete.
Why employees like the change
According to Gurman, the new process is being well received internally. It creates more time to develop and test ideas before they need to be finalized.
Gurman is one of the most reliable sources regarding Apple's internal processes and software plans; his information about the new process is based on statements from employees.
A signal for the direction of iOS 28
I believe this change is more than just a matter of scheduling. Those who allocate more time for brainstorming and less for integration at the beginning are focusing on new features rather than early integration. This works well for the early stages; later, the features from all milestones will come together, and the integration effort will increase anyway.
The results won't be visible until next year. Following Apple's usual pattern, the company will unveil the new generation at WWDC in June and release it in September, just like iOS 27 this year.
What do you expect more from iOS 28: more new features or a system that runs smoothly? Tell us in the comments what you felt was missing in iOS 27.
