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Currently, I'm developing an iOS App in Objective-C (iOS8, OS X 10.10, Xcode 6).

Apple submit yesterday a new beta of his SDK environment and i'm thinking about the interests to work with an unstable environment (iOS9, OS X 10.11, Xcode 7).

When a developer have to work with "beta SDK" ?
Why not wait for the stable versions ?
Does that imply the double of hardware (especially for the iPhone) ?

Thanks,
Julien

Jon 'links in bio' Ericson
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Julien Malige
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    Why putting on hold this question ? In the Help center I read **All subjective questions are expected to be constructive**. It is. Then, **invite sharing experiences over opinions**. The answer is about experience and not opinion. I was searching for a professional practice and her argument. Finally, this question and this answer had really help me in my work. So if I can't post this in Stack, Where should I do ? Thanks – Julien Malige Jun 11 '15 at 07:52

1 Answers1

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If you want to publish a version of an app immediately (or before) the new system ships out, you have to work on Beta.

Let's consider you are the developer of an interesting app with lots of paying users. Now consider you are waiting for the stable version. Now, when the new stable system version ships out, your users will install it immediately (it's automatic). And your app starts crashing, or it is displaying things wrong. You try to fix the problems but you are seeing the new APIs for the first time so it takes you one week + 2 weeks of Apple approval (which always takes the most time after a new system version is released because everybody is releasing new app versions). That means your app is crashing for 3 weeks. You have lost most of your users to competition, you are out of business.

Is this a good enough reason for you? Of course, there are also other reasons - people want to try out new features but mostly you want to fix your apps for the new system.

Sulthan
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  • I'm rather agree with this analyse.. For me, the negative point is to use each day an unstable environment (I'm using my devices for working and for personal tasks). What do you think about a compromise, I mean waiting for the last beta versions (if we supposed that I will have to make minor fix) ? – Julien Malige Jun 09 '15 at 10:02
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    @JulienMalige I am usually waiting for the last month myself, however, if your company has 10 apps, you have to start early because you wouldn't make it in time otherwise. Also it depends on the number of changes in APIs. When transferring from iOS 6 to iOS 7, it took me the entire 3 months from first Beta to Release to upgrade one big app. iOS 7 to iOS 8 took me 1 week though. – Sulthan Jun 09 '15 at 10:28