Alleged final iOS 11.3 release notes omit AirPlay 2, label battery features as beta

Posted:
in iOS edited March 2018
Leaked release notes for Apple's critical iOS 11.3 update indicate that when it arrives for devices beyond the sixth-generation iPad, it won't support AirPlay 2 -- and that even the company's promised battery health features are technically unfinished.




There's no mention of AirPlay 2 in the notes, shared in English form by developer Pierre Blazquez after a French translation was posted by Mac4Ever. The standard was in the first two 11.3 betas, but subsequently disappeared for reasons unknown.

Sources inside Apple not authorized to speak on behalf of the company told AppleInsider that the notes are "not complete," but refused to elaborate any further. AirPlay 2 is not enabled in the iOS 11.3 update that was released on Wednesday for sixth-gen iPad owners.

Once it's finished AirPlay 2 will let people stream audio from an iPhone or iPad to multiple devices simultaneously, such as HomePods and Apple TVs. Speakers will become supported in HomeKit, and in fact appear in the iOS Home app.

"iPhone Battery Health" features are listed as still in beta. Crafted in response to the ongoing battery throttling controversy, these not only provide better data on battery life but signal whether throttling is on, with an option to disable it except under extreme circumstances. If a battery degrades enough an iPhone may even prompt its owner to get the part swapped.

These features don't appear to carry over to iPads, though Apple is promising better "charge management" for iPads hooked up to power sources permanently or for long stretches of time, such as at a sales terminal.

Also listed as in beta are Business Chat for Messages and Health Records, the latter letting patients see immunizations, lab results and other items in the iOS Health app.

The release notes are otherwise as expected, for example mentioning the new animoji for iPhone X owners -- a bear, dragon, lion, and skull -- and support for ARKit 1.5, which lets augmented reality apps detect vertical surfaces and real-world artwork.

Some other improvements include sort filters for App Store reviews, and the ability to connect with friends in Apple Music for recommendations. Makers of HomeKit accessories will be able to take advantage of software authentication, lowering the barrier to entry.

Another missing item is Messages on iCloud, which not only stores conversations and attachments online but makes them visible even when switching to a new device. Apple did hint, however, that this might not be in the final iOS 11.3 update.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    seanismorrisseanismorris Posts: 1,624member
    My understanding was there features are expected in 11.4 not 11.3
    tdknox
  • Reply 2 of 14
    My understanding was there features are expected in 11.4 not 11.3
    Me too! dafuq!
    peterhart
  • Reply 3 of 14
    I understand deliberate delay so as not to jump the gun on new tech, but how can a company with such vast resources suck so much at delivering on its own, publicly-announced promises?

    If you're not ready, don't announce.
    If you're not sure if you're ready, don't announce.

    It's not "high standards" or "quality control" when you think something is ready for primetime and then have to back pedal; it's proof that there's a disconnect between at least two of your departments.
    tnewton50SendMcjakNameo_williamlondonaylk
  • Reply 4 of 14
    JanNLJanNL Posts: 327member
    Noticed today a lot of "features" are not available in iOS 11.3 on the new iPad, lot of differences with 11.3 beta... Like Messages in the cloud and battery settings.
  • Reply 5 of 14
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Writing a protocol to keep multiple audio outputs in sync across wifi would be a nightmare, not surprised Airplay 2 is taking a while.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 14
    ascii said:
    Writing a protocol to keep multiple audio outputs in sync across wifi would be a nightmare, not surprised Airplay 2 is taking a while.
    not if you have billions to spend and your pick of top talent.
    [Deleted User]williamlondon
  • Reply 7 of 14
    lukeilukei Posts: 379member
    ascii said:
    Writing a protocol to keep multiple audio outputs in sync across wifi would be a nightmare, not surprised Airplay 2 is taking a while.
    Except it already exists on MacOS...
    williamlondonaylk
  • Reply 8 of 14
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    I understand deliberate delay so as not to jump the gun on new tech, but how can a company with such vast resources suck so much at delivering on its own, publicly-announced promises?

    If you're not ready, don't announce.
    If you're not sure if you're ready, don't announce.

    It's not "high standards" or "quality control" when you think something is ready for primetime and then have to back pedal; it's proof that there's a disconnect between at least two of your departments.
    Did Apple said 11.3 or 11.3.x  to finalize stupid battery feature ? People read what they want to per how there brain is wired.
    edited March 2018 watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 14
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    tnewton50 said:
    ascii said:
    Writing a protocol to keep multiple audio outputs in sync across wifi would be a nightmare, not surprised Airplay 2 is taking a while.
    not if you have billions to spend and your pick of top talent.
    It feels like the kind of problem where one key insight could simplify it greatly, but in the absense of that it would just be a long list of special cases to deal with. And startups tend to be better at those kind of insights than deep-pocketed mega corps. But we'll see, I'm sure they'll get it in the end, one way or the other.
  • Reply 10 of 14
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    tnewton50 said:
    ascii said:
    Writing a protocol to keep multiple audio outputs in sync across wifi would be a nightmare, not surprised Airplay 2 is taking a while.
    not if you have billions to spend and your pick of top talent.
    It doesn’t work that way. You have available to you the talent which wishes to live in the Cupertino area, and which matches your requirements and your culture. Further, due to the ideas expressed in The Mythical Man Month, you can’t add infinite resources and expect linear improvement. In fact with too many cooks it actually impedes progress. 
    asciiwilliamlondonexceptionhandleraylk
  • Reply 11 of 14
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member

    lukei said:
    ascii said:
    Writing a protocol to keep multiple audio outputs in sync across wifi would be a nightmare, not surprised Airplay 2 is taking a while.
    Except it already exists on MacOS...
    It does not. Mac itunes supports multiple AP endpoints playing the same stream, but not multiple streams to different endpoints. 
    edited March 2018 williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 14
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    wood1208 said:
    I understand deliberate delay so as not to jump the gun on new tech, but how can a company with such vast resources suck so much at delivering on its own, publicly-announced promises?

    If you're not ready, don't announce.
    If you're not sure if you're ready, don't announce.

    It's not "high standards" or "quality control" when you think something is ready for primetime and then have to back pedal; it's proof that there's a disconnect between at least two of your departments.
    Did Apple said 11.3 or 11.3.x  to finalize stupid battery feature ? People read what they want to per how there brain is wired.
    Apple said "the spring" for the battery feature.

    And, regarding a smart-aleck emoji complaint that got moderated. Apple doesn't set what's included in the emoji standard, they recommend. A special interest group with the Unicode group does. The ones you were complaining about were proposed by Google.
    edited March 2018 watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 14
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator

    lukei said:
    ascii said:
    Writing a protocol to keep multiple audio outputs in sync across wifi would be a nightmare, not surprised Airplay 2 is taking a while.
    Except it already exists on MacOS...
    This isn't the same, this is just multiple audio outputs. Any sync between them is coincidence.
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 14
    wood1208 said:
    I understand deliberate delay so as not to jump the gun on new tech, but how can a company with such vast resources suck so much at delivering on its own, publicly-announced promises?

    If you're not ready, don't announce.
    If you're not sure if you're ready, don't announce.

    It's not "high standards" or "quality control" when you think something is ready for primetime and then have to back pedal; it's proof that there's a disconnect between at least two of your departments.
    Did Apple said 11.3 or 11.3.x  to finalize stupid battery feature ? People read what they want to per how there brain is wired.
    I was talking about AirPlay 2, brain surgeon.
    SendMcjakwilliamlondon
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