The next iPhone update is iOS 18.3 and it’s coming in the next few days. But there’s been a sudden and surprise change to the code, which could mean a last-minute addition. So, how do we know, what might it mean, and when will the update arrive?
The final build number for the release has changed from 22D60, found on the release candidate beta, to 22D61, according to a private account on X, quoted by MacRumors.
“The account has a good track record of sharing iOS-related information, but it has had some occasional misses. We continue to respect the account owner’s request to not link to its posts, as they wish to remain anonymous and maintain a low profile,” the site says
The build number is just one digit higher, you’ll notice, so maybe the change is only mild. This means it ‘could include a very minor, last-minute change or two,” MacRumors says.
The good thing about it being minor is that it’s unlikely to affect the release date, of which more below.
“Exactly what those changes might be remains to be seen,” the report goes on, “but we can speculate about one possibility: a 2025 Black Unity collection.”
Black Unity has been a feature for Apple for the last four years, with a new Apple Watch band, for instance, and iPhone wallpapers with the Pan-African flag.
There’s another clue that this might be what’s coming: a new reference to “UNITY25” was found in another Apple software product, tvOS 18.3. All of which suggests we will find out about the changes soon. And the timing is perfect, as February is Black History Month in the United States, for instance.
Release Date
It looks likely, given the release candidate having already arrived, that iOS 18.3 is on the brink of appearance. January has been widely reported as the most likely time for release and, since Apple habitually choose Monday or Tuesday for dropping its new software updates, that means Monday, Jan. 27 or Tuesday, Jan. 28.
I’m inclined to think that Tuesday, Jan. 28 will be the big day.
