Reminder: Pink Screen of Death Signals End of iPhone 3.1 Beta 2 -- Go Install Beta 3

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

If you're a developer who just woke up to find the dreaded pink screen of death (PSoD) with that horrifying icon set telling you to plug into iTunes on an otherwise no-longer-functional iPhone, take a deep breath.

As we reported yesterday, for some reason Apple timed iPhone 3.1 Beta 2 to expire today, July 28 at 12am local time. However, they released iPhone 3.1 Beta 3 the day before. So, hit developer.apple.com, download, tether up, and install the fresh new firmware... for as long as that lasts.

Since Apple intends beta software to run only on development devices for testing purposes, not actual user iPhones for daily use, they probably don't think anyone will be legitimately inconvenienced if caught traveling away from iTunes and Xcode. Even legit devs, however, may balk at having to purchase a second iPhone or iPod touch just for firmware testing, and could well get caught in the lurch.

Here's hoping Apple doesn't time things quite so tightly next beta.

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.