Apple
iOS 7.1 Beta 3 Details (Photos)
The latest iOS 7.1 beta for iPhone and iPad is here in the form of iOS 7.1 beta 3. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, the new version of iOS 7.1 comes with a ton of changes including subtle user interface tweaks, changes to the stock keyboard, and a brand new look to the Power Off user interface.
In November, Apple released the first iOS 7.1 beta. In December, the company released iOS 7.1 beta 2, the second version of iOS 7.1. Earlier this week, Apple delivered iOS 7.1 beta 3 to developers. Like all iOS betas, iOS 7.1 beta 3 comes packing changes to the operating system though, unlike the previous two iOS 7.1 betas, this update is, from what we can tell, is much, much bigger.
Now that iOS 7.1 beta 3 has been out for a few days, we’re starting to hear about the major changes that have come with it. Unlike the past two iOS 7.1 betas, the new iOS 7.1 beta 3 packs cosmetic changes to iOS 7.
Here, we take a quick look at the major changes that have been found lurking inside iOS 7.1 beta 3, changes that could ultimately come to all iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners in the future.
Phone App
Apple has made a number of stylistic changes inside iOS 7.1 beta 3. One of the biggest changes that the company has made is to the Phone application. The first change is to the look of the buttons when answering a call. In iOS 7.04 and below, the call button is a giant green rectangle that spans across the app. The look can be seen below.
In iOS 7.1 beta 3, Apple has changed the look of the call button and it’s now a circular button, much smaller than the button found inside the previous version of iOS 7.
The same applies to the buttons when receiving a call. Before, in iOS 7, the Accept and Decline buttons were green and red rectangles, taking up a ton of space at the bottom of the screen.
The buttons in iOS 7.1 beta 3 are still green and red but they are circles, not rectangles.
It’s not clear if these cosmetic changes will stick in the final version and they will likely be the source of controversy amongst iOS users in the days before the iOS 7.1 release.
Parallax Backgrounds
One of the new iOS 7 features that bothered users, and made some sick, was the new parallax effect. The parallax effect in iOS 7 gives the home screen a 3D look. Users can now easily turn the look off inside iOS 7’s settings. In iOS 7.1 beta 3, Apple has made the ability to shut it off even more visible than it once was.
Now, when selecting a new background, it gives users the option of shutting the parallax effect off. It’s a simple addition but one that should make iOS users happy.
Shut Down Screen
Keeping in line with the other cosmetic changes, Apple has changed the look of the shut down screen in iOS 7.1 beta 3. In iOS 7.0.4 and below, the shut down screen displays a large red rectangle when users hold down the power button. The red rectangle is used to turn off the phone.
Now, the shut down screen offers users a different look and feel. Gone is the red rectangle, replaced by a white power icon and a cancel button on the bottom of the screen.
It’s not clear if the changes will stick or if this is how the iOS 7.1 shut down screen is going to look.
Keyboard
Finally, the other major change that we’ve heard about are the subtle changes to the keyboard found in iOS 7.1. The most prevalent change is to the shift and delete keys which now have a bolder look to them. Same goes for the keys themselves.
The keyboard in iOS 7 was far less defined and the look of the keys inside iOS 7.1 should make the individual letters, and the shift and delete keys, much easier to see.
The changes aren’t huge but they are certainly noticeable considering the keyboard is one of the most prominent pieces of software inside of Apple’s iOS 7.
iOS 7.1 Release Date
These are of course just a few of the changes inside iOS 7.1. There should also be a number of bug fixes on board the software when it arrives, bug fixes that will work to quell the issues that iPhone and iPad owners have been dealing with since the arrival of iOS 7 back in September. Issues continue to plague users in iOS 7.0.4.
Apple hasn’t said when the update will be rolling out though iOS 7.1 release date rumors point to a release sometime in March, though that remains unconfirmed.
Archimedes Trajano (@trajano)
01/10/2014 at 8:32 am
Does the phone app have T9 entry?
James Kennedy
01/11/2014 at 1:22 am
Those letters on the lets are to help you dial easy-to-remember numbers like 1800-FLOWERS. They’re not for messaging peoples it’s T9!
LadyDanielle Zana
02/21/2014 at 4:50 pm
I wish they would get rid of the flatness…