iOS 7.1 Release Date Nears: Company Seeds iOS 7.1 Beta 5; What Is New, How To Download And Install It

More than two weeks following the release of the fourth beta version of iOS 7.1 in January, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) seeded the fifth beta of the upcoming firmware update to its registered developers on Tuesday. The iOS 7.1 beta 5 carries the build number “11D5145e,” and is now available for download from Apple’s Developer Center or via an over-the-air update on an iOS device with a previous beta installed.

According to official release notes, the iOS 7.1 beta 5 update brings new voices for Siri, bug fixes and a new Safari property for Web developers. Apple also noted that a compact version of Siri is packed with the release, which can be extended to a more natural-sounding voice following the install, MacRumors reported.

“The iOS device initially uses a compact voice for Siri. After you have configured a Wi-Fi network and have the device connected to a power source, iOS will automatically download and install a higher quality version,” the company said.

While the earlier versions of iOS 7.1 beta brought in a number of changes to the user interface, the latest beta introduces some additional tweaks to the platform ahead of the upcoming release of iOS 7.1.

Here are some of the key changes introduced with the iOS 7.1 beta 5:

- After Apple tweaked the keyboard with iOS 7.1 beta 3, many beta testers found it unclear when the shift and caps lock were activated. With iOS 7.1 beta 5, the company has changed the UI once again to redesign both the keys.

- Siri gets new natural-sounding voices for English (Australia), English (United Kingdom), Japanese, and Chinese (Mandarin - China).

- Safari gets a UI tweak, which allows the top and bottom Safari bars to be minimized while loading content. Tapping the top bar brings them back and tapping the content area hides them again.

- With the new update, the “Motion” option on the iOS beta 3 to turn off parallax wallpapers has been renamed to “Perspective Zoom.”

- There is a new “Buy Album” button in iTunes Radio’s Now Playing screen.

- The iOS 7.1 beta 2 introduced a new event list view within the Calendar app. Now in beta 5, the toggle for the list view has been made bolder.

Although iOS 7.1 beta 5 fixes many bugs, there are some known issues that still remain with the OS. According to Apple Insider, Bluetooth remains an issue for 32-bit apps running on 64-bit devices. The “Connect to iTunes over USB to re-enable Wi-Fi Sync” prompt is also not shown after an update in some situations, with Apple advising developers to do even if the prompt is absent.

A MacRumors forum member also reported that AirDrop appears to be experiencing some issues in iOS 7.1 beta 5.

The iOS 7.1 beta 5 is available for the iPhone, iPad, iPad mini and the iPod touch. If you are a registered Apple developer, you can download the latest beta from the iOS Dev Center. Direct download links are given below:

iPad

iPad Air (Model A1474)

iPad Air (Model A1475)

iPad mini (Model A1489)

iPad mini (Model A1490)

iPad (4th generation Model A1458)

iPad (4th generation Model A1459)

iPad (4th generation Model A1460)

iPad mini (Model A1432)

iPad mini (Model A1454)

iPad mini (Model A1455)

iPad Wi-Fi (3rd generation)

iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for ATT)

iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for Verizon)

iPad 2 Wi-Fi (Rev A)

iPad 2 Wi-Fi

iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (GSM)

iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (CDMA)

iPhone

iPhone 5s (Model A1453, A1533)

iPhone 5s (Model A1457, A1518, A1528, A1530)

iPhone 5c (Model A1456, A1532)

iPhone 5c (Model A1507, A1516, A1526, A1529)

iPhone 5 (Model A1428)

iPhone 5 (Model A1429)

iPhone 4s

iPhone 4 (GSM Rev A)

iPhone 4 (GSM)

iPhone 4 (CDMA)

iPod touch

iPod touch (5th generation)

How To Install

Before installing the iOS beta 5, users are recommended to back up their devices. In addition, if you are not an authorized Apple developer, it is better not to try this beta version on your device.

Here are the steps for registered developers to install the iOS 7.1 beta 5 on their devices:

Step 1: Make sure you are on the latest version of iTunes.

Step 2: Download the iOS 7.1 beta 5 file.

Step 3: Connect the device to your computer, open iTunes and choose “Restore Your iPhone/iPad” with the iOS 7.1 beta 5 file that ends with “.ipsw”.

- Make sure to hold alt/option on Mac when you click “Restore”.

- On Windows, hold Shift when you click “Restore”.

Users should remember that the device should be connected to power during the installation process. Once the entire process is over, the device may reboot once or twice.

A new report from BGR said Tuesday that Apple is not likely to release another iOS 7.1 beta for download as the final release of the iOS 7.1 could take place in the coming weeks. The report estimated that the firmware update could be made available in early March, preceded by a golden master build for developers.