Apple is readying a new iPhone software update but not the one you're thinking of

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While all of the attention is understandably on iOS 17 right now, Apple continues to work on new versions of iOS 16, it seems.

The iOS 17 update was announced during the WWDC opening keynote on June 5, but a new report suggests that Apple is getting ready to release something else instead. The iOS 17 that was shown off last week isn't expected to be ready for public consumption until this fall, but that doesn't mean we'll have to wait that long for a new software update.

That's because Apple appears to be testing an iOS 16.5.1 update with unknown changes, and it's likely to arrive within the next few weeks.

Coming soon

That's according to a MacRumors report which is based on iOS 16.5.1 sightings in the website's traffic logs.

Little is known about the update, however. It hasn't been made available for developers to test, and these kinds of updates are normally small ones with few if any, feature changes. Instead, they're more focused on fixing bugs and dealing with security issues, but we'll know for sure once the update arrives and we can read the release notes.

Of much more interest is the iOS 17 beta, of course, something that anyone can now download if they choose to. Apple removed the need to pay $99 to get hold of a developer account for the first time, making the developer beta freely available to all.

The iOS 17 update will bring with it a number of new features including interactive widgets and support for a new Journal app that will prompt people to be more mindful. Apple also promises that it has finally fixed autocorrect, too. Only time will tell if that's the case, but our fingers and toes are crossed.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.