iOS 11.3 : Apple Releases Major Update For Users

29th March 2018, witnessed the release of the major update by Apple for its iOS users. Yes, iOS 11.3 it is! Previewed in January 2018, and 6 beta versions released after that, Apple finally managed to roll out its major update iOS 11.3 for iPhone, iPad and, HomePod. Apple also rolled out updates for other devices. Apple TV got a new update tvOS11.3 and Apple Watch got WatchOS 4.3.

While some of the features in beta versions managed to mark their way to the final release, there were some that have been buried. AirPlay 2 that was released in the beta version couldn’t make it to the final release. WatchOS 4.3 now lets you control HomePod and tvOS 11.3 will now let users watch Apple TV videos at the same framerate. Other missing elements include Messages in iCloud.

Upgrade to iOS 11.3 

To upgrade to the latest iOS 11.3, simply navigate to Settings > General > Software Update. Once there, your phone will be checked for any software update. Once the iOS 11.3 update shows up on the screen, simply click on Download and Install to start the download.

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Compatibility

iOS 11.3 is compatible with iPhone 5S and later, iPod Touch 6th gen, iPad Mini and later, iPad Air or iPad Pro and iPad 5th gen.

What’s New?

So now that you have the latest iOS 11.3 installed on your iPhone or iPad, it’s time to check all the amazing features that are in the box. From new Animoji to Augmented Reality experiences for iPhone X users and ability to access Health Records from the Health app, there are many exciting features that have been released with the major update.

So, let’s get started and see what Apple has for us in the new iOS update:

1. Augmented Reality (ARKit 1.5) :

Augmented Reality joined hands with Apple when iOS 11 was released for iPhone and iPad users. With ARKit introduced with iOS 11, Apple became the first largest platform for AR.

ARKit 1.5 has been released for iPhone X users, who have the latest iOS 11.3 installed on their iPhones.

While ARKit in iOS 11 could recognize only horizontal surfaces like tables, ARKit 1.5 in iOS 11.3 goes vertical. As per Apple, APKit 1.5 can easily recognize vertical surfaces and irregularly shaped surfaces like a circular table, or walls and doors.

ARKit 1.5 also comes with higher resolution camera and supports the camera’s in-built auto-focus.

Making use of the advanced computer vision methods, ARKit 1.5 claims to detect flat 2D surfaces like posters, artworks etc and easily integrate these real-world images into AR.

2. Animoji :

iPhone X user? then you would be familiar with Animoji. Apple for its iPhone X users has released 4 new Animoji’s: a skeleton, a lion, a dragon, and a bear.

With the help of TrueDepth camera and A11 Bionic chip, iPhone X users can record and share Animoji messages with their friends and family. Not only this, with a variety of 50 facial muscle movements and by recording their voices they can even create Animoji videos.

3. Business Chat(Beta) :

Direct means to communicate with businesses. Business chat in iOS 11.3 lets you connect directly with the businesses using the Messages app on iPad and iPhone. With iOS 11.3, the beta version of Business Chat will be available to US users.

Using this feature, retail sectors, financial firms, and hospitality industry will soon be able to connect with their customers.

Users when searching for business options in Safari, Search, Siri, will be shown relevant options, which they can refer to contact the businesses directly using Messages. This will help them get an insight into the products and services provided by a certain business. Users can even pay through Apple Pay while purchasing anything from them.

4. Health Records :

Everyone wants their entire health records to be sorted and arranged at a single place. With the Health Records feature, patients from almost 40 medical institutions including Duke, NYU Langone, Stanford and Yale can now easily view all their medical records directly from their iPhone and iPads. All the information being shared is encrypted and patients can easily access their lab reports, medical records, prescribed medicines in one go.

5. Data and Privacy :

Now on, whenever you are using any Apple feature, and its asks for your permission to access your personal information, you will be shown a pop-up. This pop up will explain why the following Apple service needs access to your personal information. Isn’t it an easy way to help us understand why and how our information is being used by Apple, it surely is.

6. Battery Throttling :

Apple had to face much negativity last year because it tried to get the maximum out of the aging batteries in iPhones thereby reducing their performance. With iOS 11.3, Apple gives its users a means to view the status of the batteries installed on their iPhones. The battery health can be found by navigating to Settings > Battery and can easily help users to judge when the batteries need servicing. This feature is available for users who have iPhone 6 and later.

iOS 11.3 also gives users the ability to manage their battery performance to avoid unexpected shutdowns. Users can make use of this feature by navigating to Settings > Battery. The feature is for iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

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7. What Else?

1. Non-stop music video streaming by Apple Music. Apple Music now lets users watch videos, listen to their favorite tracks uninterrupted by any kind of advertisements.
2. iPhone users can now use Apple Pay to buy tickets for metro rides and buses while commuting in Beijing and Shanghai.
3. Always keep yourself updated with the latest videos of the day. All thanks to Apple News and the new Video group it has for you.
4. Brazil and Mexico users will now be able to access Apple TV app.
5. Sort App Store reviews by the following categories: Most Helpful, Most Critical, Most Recent and Most Favorable.
6. iOS 11.3 supports AML (Advanced Mobile Location) that automatically send the location of users to the emergency services.

It’s been long Apple released any major update for its iOS users. And now when it did roll out iOS 11.3, it made sure it makes its users happy. With so many new features being rolled out with the major update, Apple once again proved that there is no way other mobile companies can move ahead of it.