Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming iOS 12.3 update to developers, a few days after releasing the fifth beta and over a month after the launch of iOS 12.2, an update that introduced Apple News+, new Animoji, and more.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.3 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
iOS 12.3 and tvOS 12.3 introduce a new version of Apple's TV app, which has been updated with a new look and fresh functionality.
In the new TV app, "Watch Now" and "Up Next" are still front and center for keeping track of what you're watching, but there's a new machine learning-based recommendation engine that will suggest content based on your viewing preferences and history.
The app's interface has been streamlined with sections for movies, TV shows, sports, and kids content, and on iOS, there's a separate bottom bar for the library, search, and Watch Now options.
There's a new "Channels" feature in the TV app, which is one of the major new components of Apple's services push. Channels are subscription services that you can sign up for and watch within the TV app without having to open up another app.
So, for example, if you come across a show you want to watch on your iPhone or Apple TV that's on Showtime or Starz, you can tap to subscribe right in the TV app, and then you can watch that show without having to open another app.
Some of the new Channels that will be supported include CBS All Access, Starz, Showtime, HBO, Nickelodeon, Mubi, The History Channel Vault, and Comedy Central Now. During the beta, though, users can subscribe to Showtime, Starz, Smithsonian, EPIX, and Tastemade.
You'll still get recommendations for content from services that aren't a part of the Channels feature, but non-channel content will need to be watched in a third-party app. The TV app also houses iTunes TV shows and movies.
When Apple debuts its Apple TV+ service this fall, all of the company's original TV shows and movies will also be accessible in the TV app.
Apple has said that it plans to release the updated TV app in May, so this is potentially the last beta we'll get before iOS 12.3 is launched to the public.
Top Rated Comments
In short, I hope that Apple is made aware of this, and that they can give a hard look at the existing bugs within TV before adding a bunch of new features. Thank you.
It's too bad they can't work things out with Netflix too. It's the elephant in the room, the biggest provider by a mile and it's not included.
Or do you really not see the use of betas so the average user can comment back to Apple with bugs they find.
A handful of engineers testing software is never going to hit all the possible use cases as opposed to an enormous group of general users giving feedback on real-life uses.
Besides, you do only have to download ONE version, the final. Just don’t participate in the beta program and don’t read the posts about it.