Beta release 8 is compatible with the final iPhone OS 2.0 release and must be used to build and sign any iPhone OS application to be submitted to the App Store. As a reminder, you must be a member of the iPhone Developer Program to submit apps.

So quoth Apple's developer site, continuing its relentless schedule leading up to a rumored Friday Gold Master, and a necessary July 11th iPhone 3G launch.

The latest beta weighs in at 1.25 GB and is identified as 5a345.

What's new this time around? Aside from stability, new certificates replaced the previous, just-expired certificates. Only time and the usually bit-by-bit code inspection will tell what else may lurk in the strings (like MMS and Secure Erase?).

However the SDK beta does require the also available-to-developers beta of iTunes 7.7, with a new, fresh tab to handle App Store apps the same way its previously handled Music, Video, and the rest of your iPhone content.

We're through the looking glass, folks.

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