As many have been predicting, Apple release iOS Beta 3 today, the third pre-release version of iOS 5. While we don’t know much about this release yet, it’s expected to contain a vast amount of bug fixes and small feature tweaks.
All developers should get this new version immediately, in order to provide Apple with accurate feedback and eliminate any compatibility issues there might be with their apps. If you’re not a registered developer and have used a workaround to activate your iOS 5 Beta 2 device, or if you’ve jailbroken it, you should stay away from Beta 3 for now until new information is available.
If you can’t resist getting iOS 5 Beta 3 right now, you can always do it legally. Apple Developer registrations are available for anyone, even non-developers, for as little as $99 per year. A developer account gives registered users access to pre-release iOS versions and several gigabytes worth of developer tools and technical documentation. While meant for developers, a developer registration is a must-have for most hardcore Apple enthusiasts. You’ll have access to the goodies immediately after your purchase a subscription from Apple’s Developer website.
iOS 5 was first unveiled last month at WWDC, Apple’s developer-oriented conference, along with the release of iOS 5 Beta 1 for registered developers. Among many of the new features present in this release, the most prominent include a new to-do system known as Reminders; enhancements to Mobile Safari; iMessage, a new exclusive instant messaging client for iOS users; and a built-in set up wizard, eliminating the need for a computer connection in order configure the handset. You can read more about the new iOS on our write-up.
iOS 5 Beta 2 was released just a few weeks later, also to registered developers only. It included several new lock screen and iMessage enhancements. It was also the first widely-available build to include wireless syncing, a new feature that allows media to be transferred back and forth between iTunes and the iOS 5 device through a wireless network, without a computer connection.
This new version of iOS 5 also requires the latest Beta 3 version of iTunes 10.5, which can also be downloaded from Apple’s Developer Site. It’s unclear what’s in the new build other than support for the new version of iOS 5.
Over the next few months, new developer builds of iOS 5 will likely be seeded until the operating system finally hits the market in the Fall.
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