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iOS 8 & OS X Yosemite said to launch separately despite tight integration

Even though Apple will begin integrating iOS and OS X in new, mutually beneficial ways with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, Apple currently plans to stagger the releases of the two operating systems, according to people briefed on the plans. iOS 8 will launch in September alongside the iPhone 6, and OS X Yosemite will launch approximately a month later, in October, according to the sources…

In 2013, iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks launched a month apart because Apple diverted resources from OS X to finish up the radical new iOS design, and this year, sources say that Apple has roped in engineering and user interface design experts from the iOS team in order to complete Yosemite for the fall. Either later this month or early next month, Apple plans to provide a public beta of Yosemite, sources said earlier this week.

It is a bit surprising that the pair of next-generation systems with their newly similar appearances and tighter integration could launch separately. At its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple pushed a new set of features under the umbrella names of Continuity and Handoff. Continuity allows Yosemite to make phone calls and receive an internet connection via an iOS 8 iPhone, and Handoff allows an iPhone user, for example, to begin writing an email and finish the message on a Mac.

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Comments

  1. Ben Govero (@bgovero) - 10 years ago

    Makes sense, a serious issue in one OS is more than enough for a company to deal with, but if Apple were to have an issue in both yosemite and iOS 8 at the same time it would be an operational and PR nightmare.

  2. Andy Brooks - 10 years ago

    Given the huge overhaul of iOS (Metal, Swift, Continuity ect.) and OSX (particularly in the GUI area). I’m sure there are going to be bumps along the way.

  3. huges84 - 10 years ago

    This will hurt some of the excitement about iOS 8 when users that don’t understand that Continuity needs Yosemite and they have to wait to try it. Though I totally understand the engineering challenge of a simultaneous launch. Even the download servers would struggle. Heck the whole internet would be slowed.

    • Steve Grenier - 10 years ago

      I don’t know, Continuity is a Yosemite feature more than iOS 8. iOS 8 is just a requirement. Maybe they won’t even mention it, or make a big deal about it at the iOS 8 event. Instead waiting for Yosemite release to truly promote it.

  4. Kevin Noah - 10 years ago

    Not that bad. This makes it easier to me to wait for iOS 8.0.x until I upgrade from iOS 7.

  5. Am running Yosemite bets and its pretty nifty!

  6. If this is true, then Apple is doing the right thing. As many Public Beta testers have noticed, within Yosemite alot is still needed and missing. New icons, new UI’s, more bug fixes and so on.

    I’m a part of the Developer Program so with each Developer Preview, I notice how careful and slow they add in new stuff and improve old stuff. Like iTunes not included before DP4. OS X Yosemite is noticeably on their priority list above iOS 8, considering iOS 8 is just a build up from iOS 7, keeping the same UI. While OS X Needs a whole new UI everywhere.

  7. Landy (@Soydepr) - 10 years ago

    both benefits are lost if they are not released at the same time

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