iOS 9.1 public beta 2 is available for download for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users. Those who are on iOS 9.1 public beta 1 should see the update in Settings > Software Update. Users who are not on the public beta yet can sign up to Apple Beta Software Program website to register and download the operating system. The build is also 169 MB in size, just like the developer release.
iOS 9.1 is expected to release alongside iPad Pro, in November. The update will have support for iPad Pro’s new features as well as bring some performance improvements and lots of new emojis (including middle finger) to iOS devices. We took iOS 9.1 beta for a spin on iPhone 6 Plus and were impressed with the performance and battery life improvements it brings, compared to iOS 9 which, amongst other features, made it slow and laggy.
In iOS 9.1 beta 2, the only changes discovered so far have been slightly improved performance in the app switcher and in Spotlight search and the option to enable/disable contact photos in Messages app. Apart from that, some bugs still persist, such as the lockscreen bypass vulnerability discovered in iOS 9, which also exists in iOS 9.0.1 and iOS 9.1 betas.
iOS 9.0.1 was the first update for iOS 9, although a minor one with just 4 bug fixes. So far, iOS 9 has been 50% adaption rate which is way better than iOS 8 but complains of slow performance are common across the Internet. This is contrary to Apple’s announcement that the use of Metal and other technologies will speed up iOS 9 on all devices, specially for older ones. From the looks of it, iOS 9.1 will be the release to provide those acclaimed performance and battery life improvements.
