Assuming version numbers have not been spoofed, this would indicate Apple may have begun testing first prototype builds of iOS 9, ahead of a developer preview expected at its annual developers conference in the summer.
“Our understanding is that Apple developers normally only test pre-release OS builds internally, so this external testing process seems to be a new strategy,†writer Davir Price noted.
A recent report by the well-informed Mark Gurman suggested just that, that Apple is planning on expanding pre-release mobile software testing to select retail employees in an effort to eradicate bugs and improve stability and reliability of iOS builds.
Web analytics showing traces of iOS 9 was sent to MacWorld by Roman Zavrel who runs a Czech-language technology website called letemsvetemapplem.eu. According to that site’s traffic data, three visits were made in January using iOS 9.0, as can be seen below.
Given the recent criticism targeted at Apple’s software quality, I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple paused on innovation and released a Snow Leopard style iOS update to fix all the quirks and optimize code base.
Here’s an iOS 9 concept video by 18-year-old student Ralph Theodori.
As you already know, the company has been releasing major new iOS and OS X releases on an annual basis for the past few years.
