iOS 11.3 coming this spring with battery and performance settings, ARKit 1.5, new Animoji
In a sign that Apple will continue to update iOS regularly instead of withholding features for its next major point-zero release, Apple on Wednesday revealed new features coming to an iOS 11.3 update this spring, including the ability to toggle the power management feature for iPhone models with aging batteries.
Apple will implement new battery health information and the ability to customize power settings after it was revealed that the company throttles CPU performance on older devices where the battery is deteriorating. Apple's throttling is done to prevent random shutdowns of the device and ensure smooth operation, but some customers took offense to the fact that the slowdowns were occurring without transparency to the user.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, Apple said that the iOS 11.3 update this spring will show battery health, and recommend to users if their battery needs to be serviced. The capabilities will be available for iPhone 6 and later.
Users will also be able to see if the power management feature is enabled, and they can choose to turn it off if they wish. These capabilities will be found in the Battery menu in Settings starting with iOS 11.3, starting with a later beta release.
ARKit 1.5 also has a 50 percent greater resolution when viewing the real world through a device's camera.
iOS 11.3 will also add new Animoji characters, bringing the total number of options to 16. The additions are a dragon, a bear, a skull, and a lion.
With the update, users can receive regular notifications for lab results, medications, conditions and more. The data is encrypted and protected with a passcode.
"With Business Chat, it's easy to have a conversation with a service representative, schedule an appointment or make purchases using Apple Pay in the Messages app," Apple said. "Business Chat doesn't share the user's contact information with businesses and gives users the ability to stop chatting at any time."
Apple Music will serve as a collection of new and classic music videos, allowing users to discover new material or revisit their favorites. Artists will also have music video playlists for easy viewing.
iOS 11.3 will also include HomeKit software authentication, giving developers the ability to add HomeKit support to existing accessories.
Finally, the update will add Advanced Mobile Location support, automatically sending a user's current location when making a call to emergency services. This functionality will work in countries where AML is available.
The update is compatible with iPhone 5s and later, all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, iPad fifth-generation, iPad mini 2 and later, and the sixth-generation iPod touch.
Apple will implement new battery health information and the ability to customize power settings after it was revealed that the company throttles CPU performance on older devices where the battery is deteriorating. Apple's throttling is done to prevent random shutdowns of the device and ensure smooth operation, but some customers took offense to the fact that the slowdowns were occurring without transparency to the user.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, Apple said that the iOS 11.3 update this spring will show battery health, and recommend to users if their battery needs to be serviced. The capabilities will be available for iPhone 6 and later.
Users will also be able to see if the power management feature is enabled, and they can choose to turn it off if they wish. These capabilities will be found in the Battery menu in Settings starting with iOS 11.3, starting with a later beta release.
ARKit 1.5
Other updates coming in iOS 11.3 include enhancements to ARKit, in the form of a 1.5 update for developers. The improved tools will let apps recognize and place virtual objects on vertical surfaces like walls and doors, and will also improve mapping of irregularly-shaped surfaces like circular tables.ARKit 1.5 also has a 50 percent greater resolution when viewing the real world through a device's camera.
Four new Animoji
iOS 11.3 will also add new Animoji characters, bringing the total number of options to 16. The additions are a dragon, a bear, a skull, and a lion.
Health Records
Apple's Health app will also add a new Health Records feature, enabling hospitals and clinics to share patient data more easily. This will allow consumers to see available medical data from multiple providers.With the update, users can receive regular notifications for lab results, medications, conditions and more. The data is encrypted and protected with a passcode.
Business Chat for Messages
Apple will also launch a new beta feature dubbed Business Chat, allowing companies to directly connect with consumers. Launch partners will include Discover, Hilton, Lowe's, and Wells Fargo."With Business Chat, it's easy to have a conversation with a service representative, schedule an appointment or make purchases using Apple Pay in the Messages app," Apple said. "Business Chat doesn't share the user's contact information with businesses and gives users the ability to stop chatting at any time."
Apple Music videos
iOS 11.3 will also add music videos to the Apple Music app. Subscribers will be able to stream music videos without any ad interruption.Apple Music will serve as a collection of new and classic music videos, allowing users to discover new material or revisit their favorites. Artists will also have music video playlists for easy viewing.
Updates for News, HomeKit and emergency services
Apple also said that iOS 11.3 will add a new Video group in the For You section of its News app. The Top Stories section will also see improvements.iOS 11.3 will also include HomeKit software authentication, giving developers the ability to add HomeKit support to existing accessories.
Finally, the update will add Advanced Mobile Location support, automatically sending a user's current location when making a call to emergency services. This functionality will work in countries where AML is available.
Coming this spring, but available to developers now
Developers can get their hands on iOS 11.3 starting Wednesday. A public beta is also forthcoming.The update is compatible with iPhone 5s and later, all iPad Air and iPad Pro models, iPad fifth-generation, iPad mini 2 and later, and the sixth-generation iPod touch.
Comments
Do people actually care about animoji?
I'm glad the CPU throttling/battery thing is being handled. This is how it should've been done on day one of that "feature" (which was, of course, just a way for Apple to avoid replacing batteries under warranty). Seems the only way to get Apple to do what's best for their customers is to shame Apple into doing it via media circuses. Typical corporate arrogance.
If Apple were getting feedback about users not really caring about animojis, would they be focusing on it? We've been through this already with regular emojis. Just because you couldn't care less doesn't mean others don't too. If I remember correctly, emojis and I assume now animojis are huge in China.
Then be impatient. Its not going to make happen any faster. I doubt something like this is easy to implement.
Some of these features like Business Chat and Health Records lean heavily on Apple being able to maintain user privacy to the nth degree. I hope Apple and the industry in general can continue to provide privacy guarantees in the face of increasingly invasive government intrusion. The Health Records feature is a potentially huge improvement if they can pull it off. Key to this in my opinion is getting the onerous and inefficient bureaucracies like the VA plugged into this asap. Many of the top notch private health care institutions already have similar capability, e.g., MyChart, but I doubt there is much record sharing going on between institutions. Maybe I'm hoping for too much, but Health Records has the potential to be the kind of public-private partnership that can fundamentally change the quality of health care in countries that have highly fragmented health care service providers, like the US. Having Apple in a leadership role in such a public-private partnership could be a very good thing.
The insistence that the throttlling is only for old batteries is inaccurate. Unless you consider a one year old battery with no prior instances of performance issues to be fair game for a 50-66% CPU downclock.
My 1 year old SE downclocks anywhere from 1500MHz to 600MHz. This is a very perceptible slowdown, with many apps becoming a stuttery chore to use. Miraculously, at full battery charge, the CPU comes back to near or full speed and everything works like a charm again.
Never experienced random shutdowns prior to the ios update.
I suspect that while Apple may have had good intentions with the feature, the implementation is too aggressive or perhaps too much of a blanket solution. Such that, even healthy batteries are given the downclock treatment when a more elegant solution would have excepted them.
Informing the consumer of this tweak and offering a choice would have been the right thing to do. I applaud the fact seekers who unearthed this issue and forced Apple's hand to come forward.
Typical corporate arrogance!? How about typical ignorant user entitlement?
You obviously have no idea what the actual issue is. The batteries are not defective in any way and not subject to a warranty replacement. The devices that slowed down are older devices that have been heavily used by their owners. Overtime all batteries lose the capacity to hold a charge and it begins to dwindle - unable to provide adequate voltage to sustain demanding performance. When that happens it could cause the device to shutdown, and possibly even damage sensitive components. The advanced power management in the iPhone 6 and newer allows the CPU to be throttled to prevent it from demanding too much from a depleted battery. MOST people would never notice this. Just those that tax their devices. In fact, this issue was only original discovered during a benchmark test which does push the system as high as it can go.
Any and every device that runs off batteries will eventually need those batteries replaced. The more you use that device (and the more you recharge it), the quicker that battery dies. This is common knowledge. Apple has always balanced performance with efficiency in their devices. This whole "battery gate" issue was nothing more than that, and as you said became a media circus by the technology ignorant masses.
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Also wanted to add, that Apple RARELY adds "a feature" that allows users to make low level adjustments to devices. Especially a toggle switch that could potentially damage and shorten the life of a device.
With replacing the battery, now that Apple will "let" me officially replace the battery, it is certainly in my agenda of things to do. I previously tried to have it replaced and was told that my battery was within tolerances of Apple's diagnostics and that they would not change it, but this was before Apple announced the battery program. Mind you, I went there with the full intent to pay the original $79 for the service - I wasn't asking for a free/warranty replacement.
I am tempted to wait until this new iOS update is released to test the battery analysis options prior to changing it out. Part of it is just curiousity and the techie in me, but then I can at least validate how much of an "idiot" I am. 😉
You are correct about this having nothing to do with the age of a battery. It has everything to do with how much the device is used and recharged.
However, if you're seeing a 50%-66% CPU slow down, I would say your iPhone has other problems that have nothing to do with this issue. I don't care how old your battery is, it should never be throttled that much.
“In a press release issued on Wednesday, Apple said that the iOS 11.3 update this fall will show battery health, and recommend to users if their battery needs to be serviced. The capabilities will be available for iPhone 6 and later.“
So the iOS update will be released this Fall? Okay.
Apple can take a cut and use the cash to fight lawsuits from people who pressed the “deliberately brick my phone” button.