IOS 6.1.3 Beta 2 Released With Lock Screen Passcode Bypass Bug Fix To Apple Developers

Apple seeded iOS 6.1.3 beta 2 to its developers on Thursday, after a solid two weeks of publicly released bug fixes labeled iOS 6.1.1 and iOS 6.1.2. The newest iOS 6.1.3 update is actually a continuation of the iOS 6.1.1 beta track but was simply relabeled as iOS 6.1.3, because Apple has already released two iOS 6.1 updates to the public.

Since iOS 6.1.3 is an extension of iOS 6.1.1, the new update features some major improvements for Apple Maps in Japan -- more details on that later. But while those Japanese Maps features aren’t too significant here in the U.S., American iOS customers will certainly appreciate an important fix for the much-publicized lock screen passcode bypass bug, which was originally detailed by YouTube user videosdebarraquito. Essentially, by making and immediately canceling an emergency call and holding down the power button twice, all iPhone 5 users running iOS 6.1 were able to bypass the lockscreen and access their phones.

Shortly after the passcode bypass bug was made public, Apple said it would fix the issue in an upcoming iOS update.

Besides the fix for the lock screen passcode bug, iOS 6.1.3 will mostly include enhancements to Apple Maps for Japan. Here’s the full list of improvements, courtesy of 9to5Mac:

- Improved pronunciation of roads during turn-by-turn navigation

- Optimized directions to more strongly prefer highways over narrower roads

- Indicators for upcoming toll roads during turn-by-turn navigation

- Added labels for junctions, interchanges, on-ramps, off-ramps and intersections

- Added indicators for transit station buildings, subway lines and traffic lights

- Updated freeway color to green

- Updated icons for some location categories including fire stations, hospitals and post offices

- Added 3-D buildings including Tokyo Station, Japan Imperial Palace and Tokyo Tower

Just three days ago, Apple released iOS 6.1.2 with a fix for the Exchange calendar bug that would potentially cause severely reduced battery life.

IOS 6.1 added a host of useful features to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, bringing LTE support to 36 more carriers around the globe, as well as improvements to iTunes Match and Siri. As iLounge Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Horwitz points out, however, owners of Apple’s third-generation iPad, the iPad 3, will be unable to access any of the new LTE carriers. Apple seeded five beta versions of iOS 6.1 before releasing the final version to the public.