iOS 10.1 Public Beta 2 Released

The new iPhone 7 has barely been out a month and already there is an iOS 10.1 Public Beta 2 available to users.

The iOS 10.1 Public Beta 2 went live within the last 24 hours, with developers and the public clamoring to get their units updated with the latest iOS 10 version.

According to industry blog Apple Insider, the iOS 10.1 Public Beta 2 is free and available for download to anyone.

AI also noted a new feature in the iOS 10.1 Public Beta 2 that is exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus.

“While the finished 10.1 update will likely deal mostly with interface tweaks and maintenance issues, its signature feature is a promised ‘Portrait’ mode for the iPhone 7 Plus, simulating bokeh effects to blur out backgrounds.

“The feature is restricted to the Plus because it requires the phone’s dual-lens camera, which allows iOS to gauge the depth of a scene and separate the subject.”

One feature of the new iOS 10.1 Public Beta 2 noted by Mac Rumors is its warning message about the impact of using a 32-bit app. For people who may not be familiar with the differences in bits or why it matters, the lower bits slow down processors and use more energy, a deal-breaker on newer iPhone 7 models.

As a result of the 32-bit apps slowing down devices and eating away at battery life, Apple has required that all new apps in development be 64-bit, which will improve performance on iOS 10 and presumably on the latest iOS 10.1 Public Beta 2.

As for the warning message, Mac Rumors notes it was appearing in previous betas and will be permanent when iOS 10.1 public beta 2 moves from its current version to the latest iOS 10 update for iPhones.

Apple has gotten so serious about these older apps that Mac Rumors notes the company is playing hardball with developers, not just testers, of iOS 10.1 Public Beta 2.

“Apple has likely reinstated the 32-bit alert message as part of its crackdown on older, outdated apps to clean up the App Store. In early September, Apple notified developers about an upcoming plan to remove apps that have not received compatibility updates, do not comply with current review guidelines, or that no longer function as intended.

“Notices started going out on September 7, with developers given a 30 day period to fix problematic apps. After that period, Apple will be removing outdated apps from the App Store.”

BGR notes the release of iOS 10.1 Public Beta 2 coincided with Google’s release of the Pixel smartphone, an iPhone 7 competitor.

“Sure it was a little rude, but at least it gave Apple fans something to do while all eyes were focused on Google,” the website noted.

As for whether it is worth downloading the iOS 10.1 Public Beta 2, no website we visited necessarily advertised it as the smart thing to do. If you are like me, you have waited to even update to iOS 10 until the kinks are worked out. One would assume the iOS 10.1 Public Beta 2 will eventually work out the kinks and get the new operating system moving in the right direction for users who have complained of apps losing some level of functionality or others who have complained about the lack of a swipe feature to open iPhones in lock mode.

A final release of the non-beta version of the iOS 10.1 operating system has not been released, though if history is a guide, typically only two versions of a beta operating system update are released before a full rollout.

Will you take the plunge and download the iOS 10.1 public beta 2 now or wait until it is rolled out as a standard update to all iPhone users? Tell us in the comments section below.

[Featured Image by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images]