Chapter 1: The Risks of Public Beta Testing

In a previous post, I discussed the critical considerations one should make before diving into Apple's public beta program. While it's exciting that Tim Cook offers us the chance to experience upcoming OS versions, it can also be one of the most ill-advised decisions regarding your valuable devices.

Having experimented with the public betas for macOS, iPadOS, and iOS over the past few weeks, I found that while the first two had minimal impact on my daily tasks, iOS 16 has been running on my primary device—the iPhone 13 mini. This turned out to be a regrettable choice.

My experience with the iOS 16 public beta has been quite disastrous, culminating in significant issues during last week's vacation.

If you think I'm exaggerating the difficulties associated with public beta software (I've even received comments suggesting beta releases are nearly as stable as the final versions), you clearly haven't encountered a real-world problem stemming from a beta version.

During our holiday in Jersey, an unfamiliar place for our group, we heavily relied on navigation apps to get around. I exclusively use my phone for this purpose, and Apple Maps and Google Maps usually work seamlessly with CarPlay. That is, until my phone decided to stop functioning entirely.

Just before we were about to leave for the day, my iPhone 13 mini became unresponsive to touch. The screen lit up, but it wouldn't recognize any taps. To make matters worse, our car didn’t detect it at all when connected via Lightning. A hard reset—which now requires an obscure button combination only discoverable through a Google search—didn’t solve the problem.

Fortunately, we had another iPhone available, but I was left with a completely non-functional device for several days. It only started working again overnight, just when I didn’t need it.

Even after that, my iPhone struggled to charge properly throughout the trip. It either charged intermittently or not at all, forcing me to let the battery deplete and leaving me without access to my primary phone number.

While this wasn't a catastrophic situation, and I was grateful for having a backup phone, it could have been much more problematic in a different context or a more significant journey.

Chapter 2: Performance and Battery Life Concerns

I previously lamented the decline of my iPhone 13 mini's battery life, and I feel compelled to revisit the topic. The poor battery performance began before the beta testing, but it has deteriorated significantly since I installed iOS 16.

I can confidently say this because the phone has been running noticeably hotter than usual. Even simple tasks can lead to the device getting warm, suggesting that the increased strain is adversely affecting battery life.

It’s possible that my battery could be failing, but given my past experiences with iOS public betas, I know this is a frequent downside of trying out pre-release versions. Apple’s engineers are still in the process of optimizing everything, after all.

The ongoing adjustments and bug fixes are evident throughout iOS 16. The latest update (20A5349b, for those interested) feels more stable, but until now, the public beta has been quite rough on my iPhone 13 mini. It has lagged, stuttered, reset unexpectedly, and caused many of my frequently used apps to crash hard. Ironically, one of the biggest offenders has been Apple Music, rendering it nearly unusable during the entire beta testing period.

While I genuinely enjoy exploring new features and was excited about iOS 16, I had forgotten how frustrating beta software can be—especially when you depend on the device. It diminishes the overall satisfaction of using your iPhone and detracts from the excitement of purchasing a new device when the official release comes out later this year.

Chapter 3: The Underwhelming Features of iOS 16

There’s one significant issue with iOS 16 that doesn’t seem to be widely discussed. I appreciate the new Lock Screen feature—it’s been prominently featured in Apple's marketing and hype around the update. However, the novelty of the Lock Screen wears off quickly, and there isn't much else to be enthusiastic about in iOS 16.

In fact, I just had to revisit the iOS 16 preview page on Apple’s website to remind myself of what it includes—that’s how lackluster it feels. Notifications remain a confusing mess. The enhancements to Focus Modes are somewhat intriguing, but I haven't found a practical application for them. As I don’t use Messages, the improvements there are irrelevant for me. While the updates to dictation are impressive and welcome, I still prefer traditional input methods.

There are numerous adjustments, security enhancements, and ongoing evolution, but the reality of iOS 16 is that Apple has successfully shifted focus away from what is, in essence, a relatively minor update, despite its flashy new Lock Screen.

Conclusion: Proceed with Caution

Your experience with Apple's public betas may differ. I know of several individuals in my Discord community who have not faced any issues while using iOS 16 on their devices.

However, it remains a considerable risk—particularly if you choose to install iOS 16 on your main (or only) phone. Exercise caution.

Beyond my beta-related frustrations, I find iOS 16 to be somewhat underwhelming. There's no groundbreaking advancement, and while that's not necessarily a problem, my recent experience with Android has shown me that Apple's mobile operating system is starting to feel stale.

Android appears more dynamic, engaging, and customizable. It often looks better in various scenarios, particularly regarding notifications, the lock screen, and widget integration.

I’m not here to draw comparisons between Android and iOS (that’s a topic for another time). I’m simply sharing that I likely won't be so eager to embrace iOS 16 in the future!