iPhone Updates

The first beta of iOS 5.1 has been seeded to Apple developers, and includes several changes and improvements. First off, code has been uncovered pointing to support for a new piece of hardware, namely a Sprint iPad 2. Apple launched the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 on Sprint's network just recently, and it appears they are taking the next step.

Other changes spotted by 9to5Mac include a new setting in Location Services for geofencing. One source of battery drain is geofencing, when an app such as Reminders puts a virtual perimeter around a location. Notifications are sent when leaving or arriving the location, and in iOS 5.1 each app that uses the feature has a special icon in Location Services.

Those looking forward to an untethered jailbreak solution on the iPhone 4S should heed the words of developer pod2g, who warns that the iOS 5.0.1 update should be avoided for now. The reason is because security exploits found in iOS 5 have been closed by Apple in iOS 5.0.1. These security flaws, publicized by security expert Charlie Miller, will simplify the untethered jailbreak process on the iPhone 4S.

If you're concerned about the security flaws, there are no reports of any malicious software actually using these exploits to do harm. Regardless, after the iPhone 4S is fully jailbroken developers will patch iOS 5 on their own with updates available through the Cydia jailbreak app store. The point is that if you plan to jailbreak your iPhone 4S untethered in the near future, the iOS 5.0.1 update should be avoided until further information is available.

Apple has recently admitted its devices running iOS 5 are experiencing battery life issues, and the company is planning to launch a fix in the next iOS firmware update. iOS 5.0.1 beta has been released to developers and promises to correct several issues affecting battery life in the mobile operating system. Several iPhone 4S owners have reported less than expected battery life and are awaiting the public release of the fix.

After a period of silence, Apple has finally announced they have found a few bugs responsible for the short battery life and expect to release iOS 5.0.1 to the public within a few weeks. In the meantime, iPhone 4S users and others running iOS 5 have looked to temporary fixes to improve iPhone battery life until the official fix is released.

The first iOS 5 beta update to be seeded OTA was released today by Apple to developers everywhere. Beta 4 requires iTunes 10.5 beta 4 to sync and adds wireless syncing support on Windows machines.

When it comes to the OTA update, the process only upgrades iOS 5 beta 3 from the Settings -> General -> Software Update menu. Some developers have reported problems with over-the-air updating but the firmware can be installed manually if necessary.

Many iPhone owners are wondering whether they should follow the iTunes prompt and update to iOS 4.3.4 or not. There are a few questions you might ask yourself before making this decision to help determine if the 4.3.4 (4.2.9 on Verizon) firmware update is for you. Skipping the update leaves your device at iOS 4.3.3 or earlier, which could be useful down the line.

First it's important to understand what Apple is trying to accomplish with the iOS 4.3.4 update. The primary purpose is to fix a PDF security vulnerability on your iPhone. This may sound bad, but read on for more details. This vulnerability is the same weakness that makes the remarkably easy and fast JailbreakMe 3.0 procedure possible.