Apple has today announced a new version of its Safari web browser that is intended to provide developers with an early and regularly updated preview of what’s to come in future versions of the web browser. The new Safari Technology Preview is designed provide an early look at upcoming web technologies that will make their way into future versions of Safari on Apple’s OS X and iOS platforms. It will also provide those using the platform with access to technologies that simply aren’t found in the current public releases of Apple’s popular web browser.
Apple is noting that the Safari Technology Preview will be updated every two weeks or so, and will include the latest layout technologies, visual effects, and developer tools that are designed to allow developers to have an early-stage input into how these particular technologies are implemented in order to deliver a “best-in-class user experience on all Apple devices”.
It’s something that may not be of particular interest to the average web browsing-user, but will cause great excitement amongst the development community who not only create web experiences and software for Safari on a regular basis, but also troubleshoot issues regularly. Those installing the latest Safari Technology Preview will be able to get an instant preview of the latest advances that have been made in Safari web technologies, which includes HTML, JavaScript, and layout tech like CSS. Safari Technology Preview also includes the most recent update of WebKit, which is the underlying rendering engine that gives the Safari web browser its power. Also thrown in is the ECMAScript 6, which is the latest version of JavaScript, and speaking of JavaScript, it has now got its own dedicated compiler called B3.
To make the whole experience a lot easier and more manageable, Apple will be delivering regular updates of the Preview via the Mac App Store software update mechanism. This version of Safari can exist separate to the regular Safari browser on the same machine, and also comes with iCloud Sync support, allowing users to import settings and bookmarks from their regular Safari browser.
The Technology Preview ships with the latest powerful developer tools, including Web Inspector and Responsive Design Mode to test layouts and experiences across a wide-range of simulated device types. There is also an easily accessible feedback provision mode that allows those using the Preview to instantaneously provide feedback and bug reports directly to Apple.
Anyone interested in experimenting with the Safari Technology Preview, whether that be in a personal or professional capacity, can grab the download right now directly from Apple by heading over to developer.apple.com/safari/download/. You’ll be required to sign in with an active Apple Developer account before you can begin downloading.
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