Apple Releases iPhone OS 3.1 Beta; Dev Team Warns UltraSn0w users to Avoid it

Apple has seeded developers of their iPhone Developer Program with beta version of iPhone OS 3.1 (build number is 7C97D) and iPhone SDK.

Apple hasn't provided much details about the improvements expected in iPhone OS 3.1 but  developers have already stumbled upon some interesting changes in the latest iPhone OS.

According to TheiPhoneblog, developers have observed the following changes in iPhone OS 3.1:

• Non-destructive video editing means trimming a clip no longer saves over the original video but gives you the option to “Save as copy…”
• Voice Control now works over Bluetooth
• iPhone vibrates when moving icons
• Updated AT&T profile to 4.2
• Updated modem firmware to 5.08.01
• Improvements to OpenGL and Quartz.
• APIs to allow third party apps to access videos and edit them.

There are also reports that MMS feature is enabled for AT&T users but it does not work as for some reason it hangs and fails before MMS goes out.

The iPhone Dev team has also warned users who are interested in unlocking their iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS should avoid updating their iPhone with iPhone OS 3.1 (including iPhone OS 3.1 beta) until they release tools to update firmware without updating the baseband. They have also clarified that the warning does not apply to first generation iPhone users as it uses BootNeuter for the unlock, not Ultrasn0w.

Update (July 1, 2009):

Developers have observed some more improvements in iPhone OS 3.1 beta:

• "Fraud Protection" toggle is now available in iPhone Safari settings.
• iPhone startup and shutdown and iPhone apps launch is faster in iPhone OS 3.1.

[via TheiPhoneBlog, Engadget, Dev Team's blog]

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