The iPhone SDK includes an iPhone emulator that makes it easy for iPhone developers to test their code without having to risk corrupting a real-life iPhone. But, while the rest of us mortals will have to be satisfied with the current iPhone v1.1.4 firmware, the iPhone emulator gets to play with a newer, unreleased version of the iPhone firmware.
A quick look at the iPhone emulator’s “Settings” pane will show that iPhone v1.2 (5A147p) is running the show. iPhone v1.2 is codenamed “Aspen” and is consistent with previous iPhone OS codenames – v1.1.1 was “SnowBird,” v1.1.2 was “Oktoberfest,” and v1.1.3 was “LittleBear.”
Now, we know that Apple is shooting for a June launch of the iPhone v2.0 firmare that will play nice with the iPhone SDK and applications borne from its development. Will Apple use the intervening months to release the iPhone v1.2 firmware in place of, or renamed as, the iPhone v1.1.5 firmware? The iPhone v1.2 (Aspen) firmware is presumably ready to go since it’s already being used in the emulator, but will Apple see fit to release Aspen in the next month or so? The move would certainly make sense, given Apple’s timing in releasing iPhone firmware updates, so we’ll just have to wait and see if Apple’s iPhone v1.2 Aspen firmware makes it to see the light of day.