iPhone OS 3.0 beta 4, iTunes 8.2 pre-release now live
By Ross Miller 
posted Apr 28th 2009 10:01PM
posted Apr 28th 2009 10:01PM
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Update: We've toyed with beta 4 for just a few quick moments now, and naturally, the first thing we had to check out was that previously-empty "Store" settings pane. It's now populated, and it's mega-boring; all it does is allow you to sign in and out of your iTunes account, and while signed in, there's an Account Info button that lets you get booted out to an unstyled web page where you can view and edit your credit card information and the like. On the iTunes 8.2 side of things, we noticed that we were explicitly warned that the app would verify that our phone was activated for use with the beta firmware -- we don't remember seeing that before -- and the Gracenote legal mumbo jumbo in the About window now specifically calls out both DVD and Blu-ray metadata, which we're taking as a promising sign of playback support in the not-too-distant future. Thanks, David!
first!
now to wait for a torrent
is it truly worth it? Ive thought about just downloading the torrent but I dunno...Are most apps compatible with 3.0? Is it reliable?
Whatever happened to the witty FIRST posters? I was actually enjoying it for a minute.
@SaNcTuS
Yes, all apps are perfectly compatible, and so far the betas have been very solid for me.
Thanks for the reply Michael Flux!
Cool! Maybe i'll try getting this new beta. Going to getting an invite to a dev's account before trying to this the hard way.
:)
Why would you want to get a pre-release of iTunes? The *actual* releases are full of bugs ... I can't imagine how bad a pre-release would be.
I am running b3 (installing b4 right now) and here are a few apps that dont work in b3. Truphone, Dictionary.com, Pano
Wolfenstein 3D did not work in beta 2, and Rolando Lite hasn't worked in any. I missed b1, b2 was truly useless and b3 is fine except for a bug regarding the screen lock. Installing b4 soon.
Michael Flux
All apps work you say?? Then why doesn't dictionary.com app work and why doesn't camerabag work?
Too bad I cant be one of the FIRST ones to get this. I'm not a paid dev, sadly.
You fail at being clever and being first... Also you fail because are not a developer, your post just sucks.
You're fired from the world of posting in Engadget! I banish you.
Is the windows version of iTunes going to improve? Get faster and more optimized?
That's the plan. Of course, we'll have to wait and see if Apple can really deliver...
yeaaaahhh.....
i never understood why my friends who runs iTunes on PC hated it so much, until i ran it on my own PC just to see what they were talking about....
it truely is TERRIBLE
Doubtful. Even though I'm sure the majority of iTunes users are Windows users (since the majority of iPhone/iPod users are Windows users), Apple seems to insist on using a buggy iTunes to try and make Windows look bad.
Yeah, because Apple really want to help out the Windows community right? Good luck .. expect the usually slow memory hog it has always been... no change there then.
It wouldn't be as bad if each update wasn't a whole 70mb. Also it needs to understand what a codec is for converting. I can convert the file in WMP to other devices but with itunes to my iPod it just kind of doesn't work.
Hopefully the Pre will be a nice step up on this (WMP should treat it as a normal device so lets hope).
Is it just my PCs (all five of them) but it appears that the search and library features in WMP are slow as shit. 300 CD takes forever, Media Center is even worse taking minutes. iTunes and my Apple's Front Row take about 2 seconds. Whats the deal?
Gee steveorevo, you're absolutely right. On all my 66 pc's WMP is slower and buggier than hell. Thank god for i
Tunes. It's so speedy and right it makes my day!
iDiot
My girlfriend bought an HP laptop less than 6 months ago. She uses it for the web and the web only. Nothing more has been installed on it besides the usual updates for virus protection, and iTunes.
Then, out of the blue one day this steaming POS can not play anything - any type of sound or video file in any program, including browsers, without skipping, stuttering, and basically making it unlistenable or watchable. We did troubleshooting on it, and without realizing exactly what fixed it, it was fixed. For a whole week. It has come right back. The fact that it happens in all programs leads me to believe that it certainly isn't iTune's fault. It is one of many reasons why I don't choose Windows. I have never experienced anything like that with any Mac I have ever owned, let alone a brand new one. Don't blame iTunes on WIndowws, your OS is inherently buggy shit.
@ Skeezle
Ah I Love Mac Heads. Things just happen out of the blue. On the Mac things just work. Until they dont. I guess that's what computing in a dystopia will do to ya.
Just stating a fact, have any insight to as why it is happening? No? I never said "It just works" in regard to the Mac. Mac's have their problems as well, I am on a Mac for over 40 hours a week, using many programs - I am well aware of the problems that arise. I use Windows about 10 hours a week, and usually for nothing more than surfing the net. I get far more problems in Vista than I do on the Mac. I do know if I run into similar issues, they are usually resolved rather quickly on the Mac, especially a brand new one. No so much with Vista. Turns out this could be a host of different issues when I searched in Google for similar problems with stuttering sound. Many people are having similar problems, no one solid answer for a fix though, aside from reinstalling Vista. So is it my dystopia, or yours? OR should I say, is it my utopia, or yours?
My opinion is based on the fact that I use Mac and Windows every day, to which I am sure your response will be "so do I"
Not as long as it still runs on the horrible "needs bolstering" Windows.
I absolutely hate it!! Have to click the same thing 3 times to get it to go to a page (after several seconds of waiting of course). Doesn't close either until I click it 2 or 3 times. I just don't understand what the problem is with developing a better performing iTunes. I LOVE my iPod Touch!!! but can't believe the iTunes software is by the same company!! What a difference in design/performance!
Honestly I just want to know if the new iPhone hardware will have a front facing camera...
get over it.... its not happening. to much battery and its stupid.
beta 2 and 3 were pretty stable, so yes... i think it is worth it
I think its good that apple is finally putting alot into the updates and putting more and more features that we all want, I think it might be because apple is feeling the pressure from the other competitors but they sure are setting the bar high for other companies that are trying to compete head-to-head
iTunes says under info:
"Syncing Notes requires 10.5.7 or later"
The "store link" now shows your account into.
Playing catch-up with Pre? yeah........I thought as much. At least something called a Pre will give something that looks fruity a run for its money :D and the fruity fans shall come here and show their loyalty.
Hello Mr Troll, we have been expecting you.
How can you catch up with something that does not exist?
OP: Are you from the future?
Hello I as Pre, and I am Fruit. I'll be better than you when I come out, and I am trying to catch to you by all means before you come out,,,,
Hello I am Pre, and I am Fruit. I'll be better than you when I come out, and I am trying to catch to you by all means before you come out..........
Playing catch up with the Pre? Isn't the iPhone still trying to catch up to the Storm?
lmao, it's hilarious that people are in love with the pre... and all we've seen is pictures. I truly hope that the pre is better than the iPhone in a lot of ways, because that pushes progress, the same way the iPhone has. Like the iPhone or not, it has pushed every other company WAY forward on touch screen phones and in general UI on phones. Hate the phone all you want, but it's literally changed everything in the phone world for good. Like whatever brand you like, you should be grateful for companies that push innovation, like Apple. Palm used to do the same thing, a long time ago, and I really hope they are bringing innovation back, so we can see some more amazing things from all the phone companies.
HAHA its funny cause my ipod touch (3 beta 3) spazzed out on my today, my friend goes "is there a new beta out?" seems to be a problem...
Anyone have any changes yet? Anyone finished installing?
anyone else tired of starting up iTunes almost every week and needing to update to a new version? I like my iTunes but could do with less updates.
It's mostly the 70mb thing. It's apples little way to stick it to Windows users.
Anyone know where I could get the iTunes beta? My touch doesn't even register on my computer since I updated to Win 7 Build 7000 =/
I have the Win7 Beta running on my laptop an my iPod Touch syncs fine with it. Whatever it is you're doing, UR DOIN IT RONG!
iTunes 8.2 now checks if you are a developer BEFORE you update your iPhone
and you can now play, pause, next song while updating software on phone
ahh good they got my suggestion then
What's the point in playing music while updating? Erm.
@LiQuiD_FuSioN
Well it's not like anyone would EVER want to listen to music while doing something else.
From what I read in a different forum, MMS now works? not sure if that's true or not though
Different forum?! Get out of here! Everyone berate the traitor!
someone upload these 2 to a torrent site so the rest of us can get our hands on it.
No.
It broke my iPod app. Sweet. Store now works in preferences, seems snappier.
I don't know why Apple even bothers... the Pre is going to take over and Palm will be buying Apple in 12-18 months. Honest.
and now to wake up from what i'm sure was a fantastical dream with flying unicorns and ponies...
I take it you are being sarcastic, cause there is no way anyone could take that statement seriously.
Yeah, just like the Storm. Oh, wait.
You sure do seem confident about a phone that isn't even released yet, and will be available exclusively on Sprint for at least 6 months.
As long as its on Sprint, its going NOWHERE.
wow u really have no idea whats going on do you? palm came out with a device that filled in gaps the iphone had...didnt have really any revolutionary new features...just void fillers like cut/paste, mms, search, etc. iphone has that now...pre is just like the instinct, voyager, dare, and storm...they were all "iphone killers" at one point.
+1 for trolling! Great job!
For people that haven't figured it out yet, iPhone 3.0 betas come out every two weeks. Beta 5 will come out on May 12th.
From what I've heard beta 4 will be the last beta before the public release.
Not positive though.
Yes, Beta 4 should be enough, Apple. Thanks. We don't want *too* many pesky "bug fixes" and updates!
its been on torrent reactor for a little while now...you just have to know where to find it
lol thats real helpful to all the leeches without iTunes 8.2
Will the iPhone OS 3 really make the iPhone any better?
Will it win more people over?
It's already won a good portion of all mobile phone users..
Dont get me wrong though.. I wouldnt mind tinkering with OS 3 on my touch..
but MobileWise , Im Strictly WinMo =P
I think with 3.0 you finally call the iPhone a 'smart phone'. I've personally been fine with 2.x and jailbreak. Hopefully I won't need to jailbreak 3.0...maybe just for SBSettings.
Installing now. Weird though before it even starts to restore it verifies your restore with Apple.
it has too, it stops all the people that were hacking theirs to get 3.0 working without being registered
so what about the beta testers will itunes 8.2 let us register aswell
Did I miss something or has the "shake to shuffle" been in the music preference on the Touch?
yeah it has been there since beta 2 I believe.
I wouldn't be surprised if one of the new features of iTunes 8.2 was better app management.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=3150
iTunes currently has a sh*t method for syncing apps to iPhone/iPod Touch. Scrolling through alphabetically just does /not/ work.
I'm probably being way too optimistic, but I believe if you say things with conviction, they have a better chance of becoming a reality.
This is *exactly* what I was pondering a few months ago. I even submitted a similar idea to Apple.
Glad there are people out there who share the same frustration!
Don't listen to SaNcTuS. There are plenty of apps that won't run in v3.0 at this time. A couple examples are Dictionary.com's new app and Now Playing, but so far there are other apps or avenues that do work.
The Betas are pretty stable so if you are willing to pay the $100 you can get some new fucntionality, but note that once you go to v3.0 you can't go back to
Can someone test the stereo bluetooth on beta4. beta3 won't let you turn up or down the volume trough the headset.
I can turn volume down or high from my BT Motorola S9 headphones, of course, just on them, not on the phone. But thats cus iPhone, not even 3.0 BETA has AVRCP Bluetooth Profile, thats why we cant even change tracks by stereo headphones, sad but thats how it is.
I've now tried 3 different BT stereo headphones with iPhone 3.0 betas 2 & 3 (and anxiously await beta 4 after work today). I can verify that all 3 headphones control playback on the iPhone as expected. The only thing that wasn't working for me in 3.0b3 was volume adjustment via the phone itself - had to adjust volume on the headset. One of my headsets doesn't have local volume controls (the IS800), so hopefully 3.0b4 will fix that.
Anyway, I'm loving A2DP/AVRCP in 3.0!
BTW, the 3 headphones that I have used (and confirmed work for AVRCP) are: Sony BT-22, Sony HS-IS800, Moto S9.
@gadgeTT: Is there a difference in audio quality between beta 1-2 and beta 3? I had tried A2DP on Beta 2 with my DS-220s and DS-980s and they sounded horrible. How do you like the IS800's?
This may be specific to my setup (it's paired with the deck in my car, not headphones), but here are some things I found with beta 4:
The iPhone now switches to the BT source automatically once the connection is made. Prior to Beta 4 I had to manually change to the BT source. (No need to even take it out of my pocket when I get in the car)
AVCRP control still doesn't work, no track changing or play/pause. It does stop playback when the connection is lost. (So I guess I kinda still have to take it out of my pocket to start playback, Doh)
The volume bar normally at the bottom of the screen while playing is no longer there when connected to a BT source. It just has the name of the device. Changing to volume using the iPhone's side buttons has no effect on the volume of the BT stream (just changes the ringer volume.) But that may be intended in my setup, since the deck in my car wouldn't change the volume on the iPhone anyway.
As far as quality, I did find that the first beta would sometimes connect with horrible audio quality. I would have to disconnect and reconnect and then it would sound great. That hasn't happened since Beta1 though. Also the skipping while performing other tasks is getting less and less with each beta release.
iTunes is identical as far as I can tell. Installing iPhone OS now but diff's are minimal from docs.
Beta 4, interesting.
I'm glad I just got my UDID registered.
Only thing I've noticed so far is:
New Restore from backup screen:http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/1887/picture3qyk.png
And the notes syncing requires 10.5.7 as mentioned before.
Aren't you supposed to just shift+update? or is that just windows?
Because doing restore deletes all your media, I found this out right before beta 3, couldve saved 3 hours of syncing my media back from beta 1 and beta 2...
ah, i've found beta 4 on torrent.. but cant find 8.2 anywhere... anybody know?
There is javascript in Safari now!! Not sure if it was added earlier but just noticed it and enabled the option!
Is anyone else experiencing iPod crashing in beta 4?? It doesn't crash the whole phone, just the program.
Yup, deleted all ur music from it and reload it. Will fix it.
I got ripped of all my music in beta 3. The tracks were still there, but wouldn't play.
What's the build number of the beta? If I know it I'll be able to find the beta on a torrent quick!
Scrubbing has been changed. You can now change how fast you scrub but moving your finger down (Scrubbing is scrolling through a song in the time line)
That was a Beta3 feature...
I just installed 3.0 Tuesday and hadn't had a chance to test the iPod App. This scrubbing feature is very handy. I listen to 2 hour live DJ sets that are hard to seek in. This problem is solved now. Thanks for the tip.
You can now setup iTunes billing under the "Store" preference.
um... i'm installing the beta the legit way, and my update just bricked my iphone. it gave me an error somewhere in the 6*** area. I blame the whole new "verification process." it looks like during that process it crashed. im doing this all legit, paid dev account, installed every beta since day one...
anyone else get this problem? im going to try a few more things (restart itunes, or my mac, and play around). i'll let you know if i fix it.
this is just a heads up i guess.
yes, same thing...itunes says cannot restore and xcode "can't open the USB device". sux
SIXTY-SEVENTH!
You must think that you are so special.
HUGE NEWS: Multiple iTunes accounts are now allowed on devices which
means apps from multiple accounts can be used on the same device!
I installed an app from my personal account that I'd previously
bought... Then I signed out and signed in and installed an app with
another account I had bought and it worked!
I've been doing this since 2.0, with my US and Japan accounts.