Apple is expected to launch iOS 8.1.3 to consumers as early as today, and we’re still waiting on iOS 8.2 with official support for the Apple Watch in the coming weeks or months. But what about its next major upgrade? That’s not expected until the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where it typically makes those announcements, but new logs show that the company is already testing iOS 9.
AppleInsider recently noticed a spike in its web traffic coming from iOS 9 devices; that can be easy to fake, but the increase in traffic suggests it’s probably legitimate. The site believes Apple will likely introduce new mapping technology with its next operating system, with added support for public transit and indoor maps, two features that were also rumored for iOS 8 and a new iteration of Apple Maps that has yet to launch for consumers. The site also rightly suggests that, possibly, Apple will decide to open the NFC chip inside of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus to third-party developers; it’s not out of the question, iOS 8 opened up Touch ID to third party app makers earlier this year.
AppleInsider didn’t disclose how many folks were accessing its site from iOS 9 devices, instead only revealing a small chart that showed a peak this week after a lull during the holidays in late 2014. That, again, points to the legitimacy, at least if Apple employees were on vacation during the later part of the year.
Apple typically holds WWDC in June, so it’s likely that this iteration of iOS 9 that’s cropping up early is a very early build of the new operating system. Hopefully we’ll hear more about it in five months.
