iPhone OS 3.0 Beta

Today Apple provided iPhone developers with OS 3.1 Beta 2, an update to the beta seeded two weeks ago. The release notes don't mention any changes in this version, although beta 1 included minor feature adjustments without any mention from Apple. We're assuming that Beta 2 will contain mostly bug fixes which address issues in Beta 1. An updated version of the iPhone SDK for both Leopard and Snow Leopard has also been released.

If you see any changes, feel free to report them in the comments!

Last week we reported that Apple began charging for wireless re-downloads to iPhones running iPhone 3.0 beta 5. Currently users can re-download applications using their iPhone at no charge. The change would require users to sync purchased apps using iTunes, an inconvenience to many users.

Since then we've received reports that Apple has switched back to free re-downloads for iPhone users in beta 5. We've been able to verify that the reports are true.

Yesterday we broke news that screenshots showing a few unannounced features in iPhone OS 3.0 had been posted, but Google's language translation from Chinese to English was pretty difficult to understand. Now a 9to5Mac reader has provided a manual translation of the blog post that makes a lot more sense to read. It looks like we interpreted the important parts correctly, but it's a much easier read.

Evidence has just been uncovered in the latest beta of iPhone OS 3.0 that Apple may begin charging for re-downloading apps over the air. Currently, if you delete an app from your iPhone, you can re-download it either in iTunes on your computer or in the App Store on your iPhone at no additional charge. However, a dialogue box has been found indicating that they may start charging full price for the app for re-downloading it wirelessly.

Apple has released version five of the iPhone 3.0 software (Build 7A312g) to developers, as well as a new pre-releas version of iTunes 8.2 and version five of the SDK (build 9M2735). As was the case with the last beta software download, iTunes 8.2 is required in order to install the latest beta OS. We're still waiting on details about new features and changes from the previous version.

Apple has seeded version 4 of the iPhone OS 3.0 beta to developers, as well as a pre-release version of iTunes 8.2, which is required to activate the new beta OS. No new features have been found in the new beta as of yet, but we'll let you know as they come up.
[via Apple]

Apple news sites Apple Insider and World of Apple have put together screenshot galleries containing all of the new features found by users digging around in the latest versions iPhone OS 3.0 betas that were released to developers in recent weeks. The galleries show new features found in the iPod app, Mobile Safari, battery life indicators, push notification preferences, and data recognition.

Apple has seeded iPhone OS 3.0 beta 3 to developers along with a new version of the SDK. Changes in iPhone OS 3.0 beta 3 have yet to be discovered, although Apple does note that apps targeted for devices prior to 3.0 will be unable to be tested on beta 3.

Boy Genius Report has published several more iPhone 3.0 beta screenshots, saying they were given to them by one of their "trusty ninjas". The screenshots show a new videos category in what appears to be the Photo app, as well as a few more settings options, accessibility entry, and what could possibly be voice dialing. The source also shared a few newly discovered facts about the new software. Images after the break.

According to MacRumors, developer Steven Troughton-Smith has managed to enable data tethering in iPhone 3.0. The discovery was made after the developer altered carrier settings in an attempt to enable MMS. Once the preference was discovered, tethering was found to work over both USB and Bluetooth. Enabling tethering initially caused the phone to crash, although screenshots (shown below) later show that he did get things working.