Apple’s new Safari Technology Preview gives you a glimpse of the browser’s future

By Gabe Carey Published March 30, 2016

While the FBI has been busy breaking into iPhones, Apple itself has been preparing an updated version of Safari crafted specifically with web developers in mind.

Dubbed Safari Technology Preview, this new web browsing experience combines the publicly available Safari we all know and love(?) with the frequent revision standards expected from WebKit nightly builds. This news derives from The Next Web, who has also been informed by Apple that the Safari Technology Preview will be officially signed and validated upon each release.

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Differentiating itself from the standard Safari for Mac, Safari Technology Preview lets developers go hands-on with the most recent renditions of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WebKit. Fortunately, though, it retains beloved features from vanilla Safari like iCloud compatibility, lending you complete access to your personalized settings and bookmark catalog.

What’s more, Apple says it’s given Safari Technology Preview “the most complete implementations” of ESMAScript 6, the most up-to-date version of JavaScript. This gives developers the opportunity to take advantage of object oriented principles in JavaScript iterators, APIs, and code, according to TNW.

Additionally, Safari Technology Preview brings B3 to the table, a low-latency JavaScript compiler that aims to optimize page loading depending on two factors: how much JavaScript code is used and how it’s being used. Put simply, the more JavaScript included on the page, the more likely you could reap the benefits of B3.

While you might be inclined to draw comparisons to Google’s Chrome beta and developer variants, those are designed for web devs to toy around with. Safari Technology Preview, on the other hand, gives savvy Mac users a glimpse into the future by showing off features yet to come.

You can test it out for yourself here at no cost, with no developer account required. And if you want your Safari to look more like BitTorrent, you can easily install and use Safari Technology Preview even as a non-developer.

Nevertheless, if you do happen to dabble in code, Apple is urging web devs to account for any shortcomings with the browser using the built-in Bug Reporter.

Former Contributor

A freelancer for Digital Trends, Gabe Carey has been covering the intersection of video games and technology since he was 16…

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