Leaked iOS 5.1 Pre-GM Shows Camera Slider And Japanese Siri
February 17, 2012
A Portuguese-language blog, based in Brazil, claims to have secured a pair of screenshots taken from the “pre-GM” version of iOS 5.1. As noted by MacRumors, in software development parlance, GM stands for golden master, the version that eventually makes it to the final product. The leaked screenshots, purportedly obtained by Blog do iPhone from a local carrier's software build (as opposed to the developer beta), hint at a couple of minor improvements involving Siri and camera access on the iPhone’s lock screen.
Apple’s FAQ page for Siri includes a note that promises support for additional languages in 2012, including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian and Spanish. If the leaks are indeed true, iOS 5.1 will introduce a variant of Siri that understands and speaks Japanese, in addition to English, French and German.
But the other rumored improvement is arguably the one that is in greater demand among iPhone users. One of the leaked screenshots suggests that iOS 5.1 will make camera access much easier while the iPhone is locked. The current lock screen condition requires double-tapping the home button to make the camera button appear alongside the slider. The improved lock screen will reportedly do away with such double-tapping as well as the subsequent hassle of tapping the camera button to open the Camera app. Instead, the slider will already be joined by a permanent camera icon that when swiped upward will activate the camera.
The release of iOS 5.1 GM is expected to coincide with the rumored announcement of the iPad on March 7. Let’s hope that by then these screenshots will have proven their validity. I for one am looking forward to saying, “Konnichiwa, Siri!”