The much anticipated Apple iOS 5 Beta has been released to developers over the weekend, although it’s only the beta version.  Aside from the iOS 5 Beta, the Xcode 4.2 Developer Preview 5, iTunes 10.5 Beta 5 and Apple TV Software beta 4 were also released.  The software is available through an over-the-air update but you have to restore your device before the update is complete.  Developers are advised to back-up their data in iTunes through iCloud.

The previous iOS 5 Beta 4 was released last July, featuring Wi-Fi syncing for Windows, so what does iOS 5 Beta 5 bring to the table?  One expected feature is the speech to text capability, as revealed by 9TO5Mac.

What we do know is that aside from overhauling the notification system, another new feature that should make users happy is iMessage, which lets iOS users text and chat with each other for free (hmmm… kind of like BBM?)

But as usual, many are already talking about how iOS5 is an Android rip-off, as noted in an article in PCWorld.  Some iOS 5-Android similarities are the Notification Center, which eliminates annoying pop ups and replaces them with a notification menu that slides down and disappears quickly, a feature Android users have been using 2009 under the  Android OS 2.0.

There’s also the ability for Apple ID to reload a user’s account content, which centers around the upcoming iCloud, which was released to developers late last week. It’s similar to a feature Android users were given back in 2008. Then there’s the Social Networking Integration that allows users to have one-touch access to Twitter to share anything they want.   Android made it easy for apps to interact from very early on, enabling sharing options across several social apps from a menu that’s available in many programs and apps on Android phones.

The new iOS Beta 5 also allows over the air updates, which enables users to download new software without syncing to iTunes.  This too is a feature that has been available to Android devices, though Apple will likely have more success with its version, given Android’s fragmented distribution across devices and carriers. And finally there’s the Camera Volume Snap, which lets users to use the volume button to take a photo, yet another feature already available for Android devices, and through iOS apps like Camera+.

With the new release, iOS puts a lot more functionality and interoperability into Apple’s mobile platform, especially how that the iCloud will be such an important part of what Apple has to offer.  But with this release, let’s see if Android will come up with a counter measurement for the infringement lawsuits filed against them by Apple.