iOS 6.1 Beta 5: A Real Beta Or Public Release?

By Shailesh Shrivastava email: s.shrivastava@mobilenapps.com | Jan 28, 2013 06:28 AM EST

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When Apple fans were waiting for the much awaited iOS 6.1, Apple has once again released something for developers. The Cupertino-based company rolled out iOS 6.1 Beta 5 for developers just a couple of days before its iOS 6.1 Beta 4 was going to expire.

The latest beta version of Apple's upcoming mobile operating system has come at the time when people were expecting iOS 6.1 to be released; however, so many people are of the opinion that the beta is not the real beta.

To confirm this up to an extent, members of jailbreak community have also come out confirming that the latest beta release of iOS 6.1 appears not to be a beta but a public releasable final iOS.

Jailbreak community member Stefan Esser was the first one to express his findings.

"Interesting thing about the iOS 6.1 Beta 5 release is that it has the build ID of a final, not that of a beta," Stefan tweeted on his Twitter handle @i0n1c.

Going ahead with Stefan Esser, another jailbreak community member, Winocm went into more details and said the iOS 6.1 beta 5 is open to all as it doesn't need any developer registration for activation.

"Looks like iOS 6.1b5 isn't a beta, it activates without developer registration and has no ReleaseType lockdown keys," winocm tweeted.

When it comes to Cydia developer, Sourik's comment, he supports Winocm's comment and also gives a reason behind the iOS 6.1's release as beta.

"Apple build numbers match very particular patterns, and these do not look like beta versions: beta versions end with a letter, and are four digits long (not three). (Additionally, I just got confirmation from @winocm that it doesn't expire, and doesn't have other behaviors of a beta.) This is, in essence, supposed to be a GM," Saurik posted in his Reddit note.

"The question is now whether this was a mistake by the build team (called it "beta 5" when it should have been "GM", in a rush on a Saturday), or if Apple has been deciding to stall their release, and when they couldn't stall anymore (due to the looming expiration of beta 4) they just pushed the GM out the door as "beta 5" to buy themselves some more time," he added.

However, MuscleNerd though agrees that the iOS 6.1 release can be a public release, he still opines that the actual and official release is in Apple's hands.

"Despite the odd beta naming, as @winocm discovered, this is actually releaseable as public 6.1 at Apple's will. Good! Home stretch," MuscleNerd tweeted.

Two weeks ago there were reports that Apple is done with iOS 6.1 beta 5, and will be releasing it soon for the developers.

According to a report by a German site ifun, the fifth beta version of iOS 6.1 was ready to be issued to developers and Apple was believed to be making it as the Golden Master.

Golden Master built of any software is supposedly the last and the final version for the users and thereafter no beta version will be issued to the developers.

Apple released the first beta of the iOS 6.1 in November last and after that it released three more beta versions of the OS to its registered developers.