iOS 6.1 Sent to Developers For Testing

Hot on the heels of issuing a bug-fixing iOS 6.0.1 over-the-air (OTA) update to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners, Apple has just released iOS 6.1 (in beta form) to developers for testing. The new version of iOS is set to introduce a small update to Apple Maps (don't get too excited, it's nothing major), revamped lockscreen music controls, and a few other minor goodies.

Apple's received considerable criticism for dropping Google Maps in favor of its own buggy Map software (based on data from TomTom), which suffered some initial location-detecting hiccups, and while iOS 6.1 doesn't bring Google back into the fold, it does make it easier to report mapping issues. Instead of a small link to "Report a Problem," that function has been given a giant button that's as twice as long and sits on top of the other buttons.

Report a Problem

With iOS 6.1, Apple also baked in some back-end coding that will allow app developers to make better use of the company's Map software in their programs.

The other change worth mentioning is that double tapping the Home button brings up new music controls that are consistent with the music controls found in the Music app. That's not earth shattering by any means, though users with big fingers will appreciate the wider spacing between the back, pause/play, and forward controls.