iOS 5.1

Screenshots of the next iOS version 5.1 pre-GM have leaked and show some minor changes in the works for Apple's next iPhone firmware update. One of the notable changes highlighted by Blog do iPhone is a lock screen camera button that never disappears. Instead of clicking the home button twice to bring up the camera button, the process is simplified.

When the iPhone is locked, to take a photo quickly with iOS 5.1 you can just swipe the camera button up. This saves the step of having to double click the home button then tap the camera button. Apple added the lock screen camera button to provide quick access to the photo and video app, while protecting photo albums and the camera roll until the device is fully unlocked with a passcode.

Rumors of Facebook integration on future iOS devices has been floating around for some time, with previous reports pointing to Facebook joining Twitter in the initial iOS 5 release. Although this was not the case, code in the iOS 5.1 beta 3 firmware seeded to developers shows that Apple continues to work on system-wide Facebook integration.

iMore has found evidence of Facebook references that could mean Apple will add this functionality in iOS 5.1 or another future release. The site explained that Facebook was expected to be integrated into iOS devices with the iOS 4 firmware launch, but Apple and Facebook couldn't agree on terms for the deal.

The iOS 5.1 firmware update came one step closer to public release as Apple has launched the third beta version to developers. Nearly a month after the iOS 5.1 beta 2 release, this latest version officially contains bug fixes and improvements. As is usually the case, as developers install and examine the new release more changes will be discovered.

Already it has been reported that the beta 3 version brings back a toggle under settings to switch 3G cellular data on or off. The toggle disappeared in an earlier release, despite the fact that having this option can help save battery life by reverting to EDGE data. iOS 5.1 beta 3 can be updated over-the-air (OTA) or downloaded directly from the Apple Developer Center.

Apple has planted fake device listings like "iPad10,1" and "AppleTV8,3" in configuration files to throw off developers looking for future iOS devices in their new iOS 5.1 beta 2. Mark Gurman (via MacRumors) discovered that the devices listed in the file, USBDeviceConfiguration.plist, went from around two dozen to over 100 items since the last release.

Besides the amusing fake files, iOS 5.1 beta 2 hasn't revealed anything too interesting. There are a few new bug fixes and the ability to remove images from the iCloud Photo Stream. The previous iOS 5.1 beta featured a possible battery drain fix, and an inactive code in the Camera app that allows panoramic photos.

iPhone users who have experienced shorter than expected battery life using iOS 5 continue waiting for Apple to track down the cause of the power drain. The recent iOS 5.0.1 update made some changes to improve battery life, fixing the problem for some iPhone owners. Apple explained that more work was underway to figure out other causes of battery drain that are still affecting others.

Developers had hoped that iOS 5.1 would contain more fixes and battery life on the iPhone 4S would improve for those experiencing the problem. Unfortunately, it seems this is not the case, and the iOS 5.1 beta firmware has not solved the ongoing battery issues. Many iPhone 4S users have not had any problem with their battery life, which makes the problem even more elusive.