Apple has released iOS 17.1 Beta 3 to developers and beta testers. The latest beta update includes an important fix for iPhone 12 smartphones in France to comply with the country’s SAR protocols, a new reactivation mechanism for the Action button in iPhone 15 Pro models, changes in the Apple Music app, and more.
The tech company has also seeded the third developer beta updates of iPadOS 17.1, watchOS 10.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1, tvOs 17.1, HomePod 17.1, and AirPods Pro (6A303).
iOS 17.1 Beta 3: New features, bug fixes, performance, and battery life
Here is everything you need to know about the new iOS 17.1 Beta 3 update:
Tech specs:
- Size: 639.2 MB
- Build no.: iOS 17.1 (21B5066a)
- Modem Firmware: 1.12.00. It has not changed since the iOS 17.1 Beta 2 update.
New features and changes
- Limit radiation for iPhone 12 in France to comply with Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) standards in the country by reducing “power when off-body on a static surface”. France’s Agence Française Nationale des Fréquences (“ANFR”) had threatened to ban the iPhone 12 over exceeding set Specific SAR limits. Read about it in detail here.
- Changed the iPhone 15 Pro Action button trigger to make it less reactive when in the pocket. You have to press and hold the button a little bit longer to launch an action.
- Playlists in the Apple Music app now show Favorite Songs Playlist in the Library section and lets you change the cover of your playlists.
Resolved and unresolved bugs
- Release notes of iOS 17.1 Beta 3 include four known issues with the Camera in iPhone 15 Pro and Wallet and Apple Pay. They are down from ten known issues in the previous beta update.
- Four resolved issues, up from three in beta 2 of iOS 171.1.
- No overheating issues for iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models have been reported.
Performance and battery life
iOS 17.1 Beta 3 performance is fast and smooth when scrolling and launching apps. No lag or stutter issues have been reported. Similarly, battery performance has also been good on the update so far.
Geekbench 6 CPU Benchmark scores for iOS 17.1 Beta 3:
- Single-core: 2897
- Multi-core: 7161
Should you install iOS 17.1 Beta 3?
- If you are already on iOS 17.1 Beta 2, then you should install iOS 17.1 Beta 3 as it appears to be more stable.
- If you are in France and worry about the SAR standard, then wait 24 hours for iOS 17.1 Public Beta to install the update.
When will iOS 17.1 be released to the public?
The “a” in the iOS 17.1 Beta 3 build number (21B5066a) indicates that it is very close to the final version. Therefore, Apple could release the iOS 17.1 Release Candidate (RC) next week and release the update to everyone in the following week.
As the tech company has been following a weekly release schedule, we can expect iOS 17.1 RC on October 17 and the final version on October 24.
