Apple continues to roll out the beta versions of iOS 7 as we get ever closer to the likely September release of the next operating system for the iPhone and iPad. The iOS 7 beta 6 edition was released to developers on Thursday evening, bringing with it continued improvements to the design.

"[The] iOS 7 beta 6 release is a rather small update, as the file is only 13.5 MB large; in all likelihood, this means iOS 7 beta 6 features a critical bug fix for a problem iOS developers may or may not have discovered yet," writes Dave Smith for IBTimes.

That bug fix appears to be directed at a problem some Apple users were experiencing with certain files being downloaded and played from the iStore in the previous beta versions. Beta 6 was likely released early (beta versions generally drop on Mondays) to make sure such a critical glitch gets fixed in a timely manner.

Other than that, problems with the previous beta versions have been minor. Many of the features, including upgrades to Siri and to email functionality, have been well-received. That's not to say that iOs 7 has come without some complaints, but as it's release date gets closer the operating system and its developers are focusing on putting up the finishing touches.

"There have been a few very minor tweaks made to the interface; an interface that has been the main topic of discussion ever since the announcement of iOS 7 back at this year's WWDC in June. The flat shapes and bright colors looked to have rubbed quite a few users, developers and commentators up the wrong way, but as the betas have continued to drop, the focus has turned, quite rightly, onto the features," reports redmondpie.com.

So just when can we expect iOS 7 to drop? Apple remains quiet, but credible sources all seem to indicate that Sept. 10 is the likely date for both iOS 7 and the new iPhone 5S to be revealed. As some experts have noted, this very well could be the most important Apple release to date.

"iOS 7 isn't just another upgrade for Apple; it's the most noteworthy iOS upgrade since the iPhone first hit the market in 2007. With Apple's impressive upgrade record for its user base, organizations that do not take advantage of iOS 7's new enterprise features will end up serving an outdated app experience to a market of future-hungry end-users," projects J. Schwan for Venture Beat.