This is just in. iOS 7.1 beta 1 download links have just gone live for iPhone 5, 5s, 5c, 4s, 4, iPod touch 5, and iPad 2 and up on the iOS Dev Center. A new beta for Apple TV 2nd and 3rd gen has also been released.
Apple is usually extremely cagey when it comes to publishing a full and detailed change-log with beta versions of iOS. In terms of changes that actually affect the end-user there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of information being offered through the release documentation. Developers on the other hand have a plethora of changes and additions to get to grips with. An important fix surrounding HTTP requests has been bundled with this latest beta as well as a number of amendments within the CoreText framework that allow developers to integrate advanced text techniques into their third-party apps.
One fix within this beta that could present a noticeable benefit to the end-user focuses on a bug that caused apps loading an iTunes Match library to take an extended period of time. Apple is hopeful that the bug has been eradicated along with improvements to multipeer connectivity and enhancements to the UIKit framework that allows developers to make use of standard user-interface components that are common through most apps.
As with most beta launches, Apple has specified a number of known issues. There continues to be some issues occurring with 32-bit apps running on new 64-bit hardware, namely the iPhone 5s and the new iPad Air along with the iPad mini 2 with Retina display. Apple is also aware of a number of issues surrounding Bluetooth connectivity within this beta.
iOS 7.1 beta 1 firmware pushed out to developers today follows hot on the heels of the public release of iOS 7.0.4 that brought with it a number of optimizations, stability improvements and important security fixes. You can find iOS 7.0.4 download links below.
To download iOS 7.1 beta 1, you will need to be a registered member of iOS Dev Center. If you are already a member of Dev Center, you can head over to iOS Dev Center now at developer.apple.com/devcenter/ios/ to start downloading iOS 7.1 beta 1.
As per usual, there’s a dose of bug fixes, performance enhancements, and general housekeeping updates. Thus, if you’ve been experiencing any issues with your device, it’s highly recommended you go ahead and update immediately. Of course, even if you’ve not encountered any problems, it’s always best to run the latest version, since even if the aforementioned changes aren’t exactly overwhelming, the most recent release tends almost always to be the least susceptible to bugs.
Official Changelog for 7.0.4 from Apple states:
Bug fixes and improvements, including a fix for an issue that causes FaceTime calls to fail for some users.
In fact, the only instance in which we would recommend holding off this release for now is for the purpose of a jailbreak — at least until we get some kind of clarification from an experienced hacker or developer. We already know that every version up to iOS 7.0.3 has been safe to update to for those holding out hope of a future untethered jailbreak, and so before you go ahead and push to iOS 7.0.4, just wait for the follow-up post that will confirm either way.
Each iOS 7-compliant device can be updated to iOS 7.0.4. This ranges from the iPad 2 and up, iPhone 4 and newer, as well as the fifth-generation iPod Touch.
OS 7.0.4 Download Links:
- iPad Air (5th generation WiFi + Cellular)
- iPad Air (5th generation WiFi)
- iPad (4th generation CDMA)
- iPad (4th generation GSM)
- iPad (4th generation WiFi)
- iPad mini (CDMA)
- iPad mini (GSM)
- iPad mini (WiFi)
- iPad mini 2 (WiFi + Cellular)
- iPad mini 2 (WiFi)
- iPad 3 Wi-Fi (3rd generation)
- iPad 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for ATT)
- iPad 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for Verizon)
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi (Rev A)
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (GSM)
- iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (CDMA)
- iPhone 5 (CDMA)
- iPhone 5 (GSM)
- iPhone 5c (CDMA)
- iPhone 5c (GSM)
- iPhone 5s (CDMA)
- iPhone 5s (GSM)
- iPhone 4s
- iPhone 4 (GSM Rev A)
- iPhone 4 (GSM)
- iPhone 4 (CDMA)
- iPod touch (5th generation)
Update x1: Apple has also released iOS 6.1.5 for iPod touch 4th-gen with fix for FaceTime issue.
Features :
It’s pretty late and I’ve been using beta 1 for a few hours now. I’ve not had any issues so far, but then it’s only been around a handsome amount of minutes since the update finished so it’s not really been a good test of stability. Still, a few hours worth of stability is better than ten minutes of crashes, so we should be thankful for small mercies here I think.
As for things that I have noticed off the bat, it’s pretty safe to say that iOS 7.1 beta 1 is faster than its previous incarnations. As was the case with each new version of 7.x, iOS 7.1 appears to have had the time it takes for animations to complete tweaked. This is particularly noticeable when invoking the Control Center panel, which now flies upwards with a distinctly springy feel. Closing out of apps and multitasking feels faster now too, again due to what I perceive to be a collection of shortened animations and transitions. I’ve not timed anything and this is all far from scientific, but to coin a Mac phrase that has become something of a meme, iOS 7.1 certainly feels ‘snappier.’
More tangible changes are the new Yahoo! and flickr logos here and there.
(iOS 7.0.4 on left vs iOS 7.1 beta 1 on right)
The Camera app now has an Auto HDR mode that, if I’m honest, I don’t really understand yet, and is something which you’ll only find on the iPhone 5s. Did I mention it’s only been a few hours?
Fans of the black keyboard will be pleased to hear that a new accessibility option means that the white version can now be eschewed in favor of its black alternative throughout iOS.
Other accessibility enhancements allow extra contrast to be applied to things like folders and the dock, too. ‘Reduce Transparency’ and ‘Darken Colors’ are the two new option added under Settings > Accessibility > Increase Contrast
You can now upload all the burst shots right to your Photo Stream, something which iOS 7.0.4 doesn’t let you do, or any iteration of iOS 7 for that matter. And again, this is an iPhone 5s specific feature.
Also, if you pull down Notification Center, you’ll notice when you don’t have notifications or missed notifications, you’ll see right-at-your-face text in the middle of the screen informing you what you don’t have… notifications.
Remember the tweaked ‘Reduce Motion’ animations added in iOS 7.0.3?, well when turned on, those new fade animations now apply to Multitasking animation too starting from iOS 7.1.
All in all, I’d take iOS 7.1 just for the smoother and quicker animations. It’s still super early days for iOS 7.1 though, and with the beta not expiring until January we’ve got plenty of time to get to know it unless Apple starts pushing new betas – or the final release – before then. With beta 1 we’ve got a good start, and with numerous bug fixes beneath the hood we should be in for a good update this time around.
Sources : Redmondpie Website
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