Is Apple Making iPhone More Secure?

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has released a second beta edition of their latest iOS, with a specific purpose: to address the problem of unauthorized access to an iPhone, even if the owner has put a secure passcode in place.

This was certainly the most crucial aspect of the new iOS upgrade, but they also included some other features that were not so time-sensitive: improved pronunciation of roads during turn-by-turn navigation, optimized directions to more strongly prefer highways over narrower roads, indication of upcoming toll roads during turn-by-turn navigation, and more map-related features to improve Apple’s map app.

The update will certainly be welcomed by iPhone users who upgraded to iOS 6 last fall only to discover that it’s much-lauded new features ended up falling almost comically short of expectations. Apple has been heavily criticized for releasing the map app before it was ready, and these updates could help it play catch-up after competitors swooped in with their own apps to gain footing where Apple and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) lost a step. (Google used to run the built-in map app Apple used for years, but was jettisoned with iOS 6. The company only recently developed its own downloadable app for iOS devices.)