Apple seeds new iOS 8.1, Apple TV and Xcode betas to developers

iOS 8 QuickType (teaser 001)

Merely a week following the first beta of what would become the major iOS 8.1 bug-fix update, the iPhone maker on Tuesday seededĀ iOS 8.1 Beta 2 to its registered iOS developers, in addition to new Apple TVĀ and Xcode software betas.

According to the Cupertino firm, iOS 8.1 Beta 2 with build number 12B407 (up from the previous iOS 8.1 Beta 1 with build number 12B401) contains bug fixes and stability improvements throughout the system.

It’s available as an over-the-air update if you have the first beta installed or standalone through Apple’s Dev Center portal for developers.

Note that devices updated to iOS 8.1 Beta 2 can not be restored to earlier versions of iOS. The Apple TV Software Beta 2 with support for Family Sharing is available to developers, too, to test AirPlay and HomeKit functionality with their iOS apps.

Xcode 6.1 Golden Master seed 2 (build number 6A1046a) can also be downloaded through Dev Center with the Xcode IDE, iOS Simulator and all required tools and frameworks for building OS X and iOS apps.

iOS 8.1 Beta 2 (Dev Center teaser 001)

If released alongside new Touch ID-capable iPadsĀ on October 20 as rumored, iOS 8.1 is expected to enable Apple PayĀ whileĀ fixing numerous bugs plaguing Apple’s iOS 8. The chances of iOS 8.1 bringing out some of the missing features that’ve failed to materialize inĀ the initial release are slim at this point.

There are indications that Apple may be planning to decouple major iOS releases from hardware launches in orderĀ to avoid software issues that have spoil the fun for some.

Apple Pay (screenshot 001, Hamza Sood)
Apple Pay screenshot courtesy of iOS developer Hamza Sood.

InĀ years past, Apple timed major iOS releases with new iPhones and iPads around Fall, following-up byĀ a substantial update early in the following year.

This time around, Apple’s software development teams have had a lot on their plate, from iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite to Apple Pay and new iCloud features. Bringing all these new software features to market at approximately the same time has strained development teams, so something had to give like we’re seeing now in the form of the widely reportedĀ iOS 8 teething issues.

apple pay iPhone 6 convenient

We’ll be updating this article with a running list of changes as we discover them. Feel free to email us at tips@iDownloadBlog.com if you spot anything not mentioned here.