Apple Releases iOS 7 Beta For iPad And iPad Mini With New Update, Brings Voice Memos Back

Apple has released a new beta of its iOS 7 software for developers today, and the big news is that the iPad version has arrived. Back when Apple announced iOS 7, it said the tablet version would follow the iPhone version a few weeks later, and they’ve stayed good to that promise. The iPad version support is available from the developer channel for those registered as iOS devs.

The other change that we’re seeing reported by users of the new beta is the return of Voice Memos to iOS. This was left out of the first beta, but reports said Apple just didn’t have it ready for inclusion in that version, so it’s no surprise to see it return here. The interface and icon are completely redesigned, as one might expect, getting rid of the skeumorphic rendition of a mic that dominated the previous version, and flattening out controls and interfaces. 9to5Mac also reports that Siri is now packing new voices, and that some visual tweaks have been made to things like Control Center. BGR has an image of the new Voice Notes interface:

ios-7-beta-21

The iOS 7 beta for the iPad contains interface differences vs. the version of iOS that’s been on offer for the iPhone. Apple generally tailors various elements of the OS for the larger screen of its tablet devices, and it’s not different this time around. Here are a selection of screens received by 9to5Mac, showing some of the main changes. You can check out their full post for even looks at the changes in store.