iOS 16.2, macOS Ventura 13.1 to Launch in Mid-December; iOS 16.3 Could Arrive by March 2023: Gurman

iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1 were issued to beta testers by Apple last week as part of the Cupertino-based iPhone maker’s next round of software updates. The company is said to be targeting a mid-December release date for these software updates. As per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, while Apple will not have any more hardware releases for the year, it still may have more software updates on the way. Meanwhile, macOS Ventura 13.3 and iOS 16.3 could be expected between February and March next year, he says.

In his weekly Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman states that the iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 updates, which began rolling out to beta testers last week, “should be released around mid-December.” Gurman also says that the company is aiming to introduce upgraded M2-based versions of its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which are expected to run on macOS Ventura 13.3 and iOS 16.3, in the first quarter of 2023.

“Those software updates (macOS Ventura 13.3 and iOS 16.3) are expected to debut between early February and the beginning of March,” Gurman said.

Gurman had previously predicted that Apple would skip hosting its October Event for the year, as the company reportedly only has routine incremental announcements which do not justify a full-fledged digital or physical event. Apple typically launches new iPad and MacBook models during its October event.

Last month, Apple released the iOS 16.1 update to users, alongside updates to iPadOS 16.1, macOS Ventura, tvOS 16.1, and watchOS 9.1. The Cupertino company revealed that this version includes a patch to address a previously reported zero-day vulnerability in the operating system, which the company admitted could have been actively exploited.

Zero-day vulnerabilities are exploits that are identified by external sources, such as security researchers, before the original development team detects these issues.

Currently, iOS 16.2 is available to developers and public beta testers, and the update is expected to roll out to users in the coming weeks. However, iOS 16.3 has not been announced or released to developers and beta testers, and Apple is yet to share official details of plans to release the mobile operating system to users early next year.