More than a week ago, the news was clear: the next iPhone update (the content of which remains a mystery) would be iOS 26.0.2 and would land in the week beginning Oct. 20. But it’s nowhere to be seen. What’s happening, you might ask.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro: the next software update may be almost here.
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It’s not that there were no Apple software updates last week. Anyone who bought the new iPad Pro, which went on sale on Wednesday, Oct. 22 alongside the latest MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro, had to update to a new version of iPadOS. But that was iPadOS 26.0.1 and was a new build for the latest model only.
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The iOS 26.0.2 update (and presumably iPadOS 26.0.2 if needed) could have arrived on Thursday, Oct. 23 or Friday, Oct. 24 — several reports thought that was likely.
Since it didn’t, we’re now in different territory. The next big update, until the rumor of iOS 26.0.2 had reared its head, was thought to be iOS 26.1. That’s so far into beta that it’s thought the release candidate will be available on Monday, Oct. 27 or Tuesday, Oct 28, with the general release expected the week after.
There are two options, it seems. Either Apple will kill off iOS 26.0.2 before it sees the light of day and instead go straight to iOS 26.1 on or around Monday, Nov. 3, or iOS 26.0.2 will appear first.
Which really only leaves Monday, Oct. 27 or Tuesday, Oct. 28 as likely days for release.
It’s not known exactly what will be in iOS 26.0.2, though it’s thought to address bugs and flaws, not launch new features which will be part of iOS 26.1.
So the fate of iOS 26.0.2 may rest on how urgent those fixes are and which handsets they affect.
My guess is that we will almost certainly see iOS 26.0.2 on Tuesday, Oct. 28, a day after the release candidate for iOS 26.1. I’d further guess that the fixes will mostly affect the iPhone 17 series or iPhone Air rather than all models.
If there’s no sign of it then, it looks like iOS 26.1 will be the next update, likely on Monday, Nov. 3. Look at it this way, there will probably be a new iPhone update in the next eight days at most.
I’ll update this post as soon as there’s more news, so please check back.
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