Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/07/01/iphone_software_beta/
iPhone 3.1 code goes beta
Video boost, pointless buzzing
1st July 2009 20:31 GMT
iPhone Software 3.0 shipped a mere two weeks ago today, but version 3.1 is already in the hands of developers in beta form.
According to reports from PC World (http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145256/apple_prepping_iphone_31_software_update_beta_out_now_for_developers.html) and AppleInsider (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/07/01/iphone_software_3_1_to_enhance_video_editing_and_voice_control.html), as well as on forums (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=736518) and blogs (http://www.theiphoneblog.com/2009/06/30/iphone-31-nondestructive-video-editing-bluetooth-voice-control/), version 3.1 was distributed to developers on Tuesday.
Included in the beta are not only the bug fixes that dot-X updates inevitably include, but also enhancements to Voice Control, video editing, vibration feedback, and the dialer interface.
According to reports, the 3.1 beta includes:
- Added support for Voice Control over Bluetooth headsets, a function missing in 3.0.
- Video editing - trimming, actually - with an added option to allow you to save an untrimmed version of the clip you're slimming down.
- Pressing and holding a home-screen icon to allow for wiggling-icon rearrangement will be accompanied by vibration feedback - an odd addition that will do little more than reduce battery life, in our opinion.
- Dialer-interface improvements will add the ability to paste in phone numbers and the conversion of alphanumeric phone "numbers" into actual dial-able numeric strings.
Developers also note that 3.1 adds "under-the-hood" improvements as well, including better support for OpenCL and Quartz graphics, plus a new API that will allow third-party apps to access the iPhone's video-editing interface.
Also, MMS is enabled by default in the beta - although there has been no announcement by AT&T when that functionality will be enabled for US iPhoners.
There's also no word on whether iPhone Software 3.1 will address the overheating issues (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/06/29/3gs_burn_claims/) reported by some iPhone 3GS users - a problem, we hasten to add, that we haven't experienced with our personal 3GS. ®