The first beta release of iOS 5.0.1 for developers came out about a week ago. Among other fixes and tweaks, Apple included patches for a series of bugs that have been blamed for the battery-life problems users have been reporting. If you’re not a developer, and your phone’s inability to hold a charge is driving you bonkers, your salvation may lie with the AppleSeed program, letting end-users get a head-start at using iOS 5.0.1.

AppleSeed represents a way for Apple to get ordinary users in on software pre-release testing and previews. Reportedly, some iPhone users who raised a big enough stink with Apple about their phones’ battery problems have been included in this latest AppleSeed distribution, letting them install the beta of iOS 5.0.1 before the rest of us. Once the final version is out, they’ll be able to upgrade to that, as well, and continue on a normal upgrade path from then on out.

The big question is just what lengths you’ll have to go to in order to receive such treatment. A leaked memo to Apple Store employees instructs them to deal with complaints of battery issues by first ruling-out a hardware problem, but then basically just telling users to be patient and wait for 5.0.1 to land – nothing about hooking them up early via AppleSeed.

The final release of iOS 5.0.1 will likely arrive in another week or two.

Source: 9 to 5 Mac

Via: Redmond Pie