Tag: iOS

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When Will Apple Release the iOS 17.5 Beta?

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 29, 2024
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With iOS software releases, it is typical for Apple to be constantly iterating. When a new version of iOS comes out, a new iOS beta almost always follows the day after. iOS 17.4 was released on Tuesday, March 5, and no iOS 17.5 beta followed as is typical. So when might Apple provide the first iOS 17.5 beta?

iOS 17
It’s now been more than three weeks since the launch of iOS 17.4, and pauses like this are unusual, but not unheard of. Sometimes there are droughts because of major features, or holidays, and in this case, it could be both.

Apple is still navigating the app ecosystem changes that were introduced in iOS 17.4, and there are tweaks coming. Apple planned to allow third-party apps to be downloaded only from alternative app marketplaces, but now alternative apps will be provided directly from websites too. The option to download an app from a website has not been introduced as of yet, and it is an unexpected change, so it likely requires some behind the scenes work. There are also other potential changes that Apple must make in the EU as the European Commission investigates its compliance, another factor that may be eating up resources.

This weekend marks the Easter holiday, and holidays can sometimes cause betas to be pushed back too.

When considering these factors, it makes some sense that we haven’t yet had an iOS 17.5 beta. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said on Thursday that Apple’s “beta 1 development finishes next week,” which suggests that we could see a beta release next week or the week after.

Here are the wait times between .4 public releases and .5 first developer betas from prior years:

iOS 13 – 7 days
iOS 14 – 6 days
iOS 15 – 22 days
iOS 16 – 1 day

If iOS 17.5 is released on April 2, it will be 28 days between the prior release and the beta software, and if it comes a week after that, it will have been 35 days.

After the beta does go out, we’ll likely see a release sometime during the month of May. Prior .5 public releases have happened on May 18, May 16, April 26, and May 20.

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Tags Apple, Beta, iOS, Release

News

iOS 17.4 Seemingly Brings Qi2 Wireless Charging Support to iPhone 12

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 28, 2024
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iOS 17.4 brings support for 15W wireless charging with Qi2 to the iPhone 12, according to Macworld.

iphone 12 preorder purple
Qi2 is a next-generation wireless charging technology designed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and based on MagSafe. ‌MagSafe‌ was first introduced on the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and offers speeds of up to 15W. Third-party wireless chargers without ‌MagSafe‌ certification have been limited to maximum speeds of 7.5W, but Qi2 can reach the full 15W.

Last year, Apple enabled 15W speeds with Qi2 wireless chargers on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 via iOS 17.2. The iPhone 15 lineup already supported Qi2 upon launch, leaving the ‌iPhone‌ 12 as the only ‌iPhone‌ model with ‌MagSafe‌ without the faster charging capability when using Qi2 accessories.

Citing reader reports and its own tests, Macworld claims that the ‌iPhone‌ 12 is able to charge at 15W when using a Qi2 wireless charger after an update to iOS 17.4. When using a Qi2 charger, the device now displays the animation that only appears when 15W charging is active and tests with the Anker Qi2 MagGo Wireless Charger demonstrated charging speeds in line with ‌MagSafe‌.

Apple openly stated that iOS 17.2 brought Qi2 support to the ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌, but it did not make any such claim about iOS 17.4 and the ‌iPhone‌ 12. This may be because the ‌iPhone‌ 12’s wireless charging technology was built around the original Qi standard and ‌MagSafe‌ before Qi2 was finalized.

What to Expect From iOS 18 as ‘Biggest’ Update in iPhone’s History

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 27, 2024
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At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the “biggest” update in the iPhone’s history, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone.

Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple
“The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone’s software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade,” wrote Gurman, in a report focused on WWDC 2024. Apple recently said that its annual developers conference will run from June 10 through June 14, and iOS 18 will be a key announcement.

iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more customizable Home Screen and other user interface design changes, new features in apps like Apple Maps and Freeform, additional accessibility features, and more.

Smarter Siri and Generative AI

iOS 18 is rumored to have new generative AI features for Siri, Spotlight, Shortcuts, Apple Music, Messages, Health, Numbers, Pages, Keynote, and more, according to sources such as Gurman and The Information‘s Wayne Ma.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly teased that the company is working on generative AI, and plans to share details “later this year,” and Apple’s marketing chief Greg Joswiak also hinted at AI this week in a social media post about WWDC 2024.

Generative AI surged in popularity in late 2022, when OpenAI released ChatGPT, a chatbot that can respond to questions and other text prompts. The company has also expanded into generative AI tools for images and videos. Other companies like Google and Microsoft have also pushed into the generative AI space, and the technology is quickly evolving.

iOS 18 is not expected to include Apple’s own ChatGPT-like chatbot. Instead, Apple has reportedly held discussions with companies such as OpenAI, Google, and China’s Baidu about potential generative AI partnerships, which could lead to other chatbots being integrated into iOS 18, although Apple’s exact plans are unclear.

Some generative AI features might be exclusive to iPhone 16 Pro models, which are rumored to have a Neural Engine with “significantly” more cores.

More Customizable Home Screen

iOS 18 will feature a “more customizable” Home Screen, according to Gurman.

MacRumors exclusively reported that iOS 18 will finally allow users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid. This means that users will be able to create blank spaces, columns, and rows between app icons. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones, and now Apple is bringing it to the iPhone.

iPhone users can already customize the Home Screen with apps such as Shortcuts and Widgetsmith, which can be used to create “blank” app icons and widgets, but Apple’s official solution will be much more convenient.

We expect iOS 18 to include additional customization options beyond icon arrangement, as part of the biggest Home Screen revamp in years.

New Apple Maps Features

apple maps 3d feature
MacRumors recently revealed two potential new Apple Maps features coming with iOS 18: custom routes and topographic maps.

With the custom routes feature, Apple Maps users would be able to choose specific roads to travel on while navigating, for reasons such as familiarity or scenic views. This feature is expected to be available in the U.S. only at launch. Google Maps already allows users to create custom routes on the web, and then view them on an iPhone.

Topographic maps first debuted on the Apple Watch last year with watchOS 10, and code suggests that the feature will be expanded to the iPhone, Mac, and Vision Pro with iOS 18, macOS 15, and visionOS 2. These maps include details such as trails, contour lines, elevation, and points of interest for hiking and other outdoor uses.

RCS Support in Messages App

General Apps Messages
In November, Apple announced that it would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting “later” in 2024, so it will likely be an iOS 18 feature based on that timeframe.

RCS support should result in the following improvements to the default messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices:

Higher-resolution photos and videos
Audio messages
Typing indicators
Read receipts
Wi-Fi messaging between iPhones and Android devices
Improved group chats, including the ability for iPhone users to leave a conversation that includes Android users

These modern features are already available for iPhone-to-iPhone conversations with blue bubbles, via iMessage, and many of the features are also available in third-party messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Telegram. RCS support on the iPhone will extend the features to green bubbles in the Messages app.

Design Changes

iOS Design 1
Apple plans to update the design of the iOS user interface as “early as this year,” according to Gurman. He previously said that iOS 18 would have “major new features and designs,” but he has yet to provide any specific details.

More Rumors

For additional information, read our iOS 18 roundup.

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Tags biggest, Expect, History, iOS, iPhones, update

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Apple Watch Topographic Maps Could Expand to iPhone in iOS 18

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 27, 2024
No Comments on Apple Watch Topographic Maps Could Expand to iPhone in iOS 18

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Apple appears to be gearing up to add topographic maps to the Apple Maps apps in iOS 18, macOS 15, and visionOS 2, according to code reviewed by MacRumors.

watchos 10 maps app
First introduced with watchOS 10, topographic maps include trails, contour lines, elevation, and points of interest, features that are of use for hiking and other outdoor activities where accurate navigation is essential.

Since debuting topographic maps, Apple has been expanding support throughout the United States, and this year, Apple may be ready to bring it to iOS, macOS, and ‌visionOS‌.

Backend topographic maps code was introduced last year, but only ‌watchOS 10‌ had the feature. The code was dormant on iOS and macOS at that time, but in the backend files for ‌iOS 18‌, macOS 15, and ‌visionOS‌ 2, the code is active, suggesting an expansion.

The possibility of topographic maps follows our report yesterday on another possible ‌Apple Maps‌ feature, support for custom routes. With custom routes, users will presumably be able to create their own routes without being limited to Apple’s pre-selected options.

‌‌iOS 18‌‌ will be introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, June 10, and it appears there will be quite a few new features for ‌Apple Maps‌. For more details about the update, check out our iOS 18 roundup.

(Thanks, Nicolás!)

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Tags Apple, expand, iOS, iPhone, Maps, Topographic, Watch

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Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 27, 2024
No Comments on Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

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Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236.

General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple
The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS and the Apple Devices or iTunes apps on Windows at this time. Apple has not made the new builds available over the air in the Settings app on the iPhone and iPad.

It is unclear what changed between the builds, if anything, but any potential differences are likely very minor. For those curious, we have confirmed that the new builds do not contain any references to unreleased iPad models.

There have been sporadic reports on social media about iOS 17.4 and iOS 17.4.1 causing some iPhones to get stuck in a boot loop, so perhaps the new build will allow those devices to be properly restored, but this is merely speculation.

iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 were first released last week with bug fixes and security patches.

About an hour ago, Apple released a new version of iOS/iPadOS 17.4.1
New build number: 21E237
Old build number: 21E236
— Aaron (@aaronp613) March 27, 2024

iOS 18 Rumor: Apple and Baidu ‘Yet to Reach’ Generative AI Partnership

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 27, 2024
No Comments on iOS 18 Rumor: Apple and Baidu ‘Yet to Reach’ Generative AI Partnership

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Apple has yet to reach a generative AI partnership with Chinese company Baidu, according to a China Daily report citing sources familiar with the matter. Some earlier reports said the two companies had finalized an agreement following discussions. It is possible that the negotiations are still ongoing, but this is not confirmed.

iOS 18 Mock Siri Feature Baubles
If the partnership does happen, Baidu would likely power some of iOS 18’s rumored generative AI features in China only. Generative AI models must receive approval from the Chinese government, and Baidu’s Ernie chatbot is permitted in the country. Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbots are not available in China.

Apple has reportedly held similar generative AI partnership discussions with Google and OpenAI for the U.S. market, and likely other countries.

Apple has repeatedly teased that it has generative AI announcements to share later this year, and this likely refers to iOS 18. The software update is rumored to include new generative AI features for a range of iPhone features and apps, including Siri, Spotlight, Apple Music, Health, Messages, Numbers, Pages, Keynote, Shortcuts, and more.

iOS 18 will be previewed at Apple’s developers conference WWDC in June, so we’re just a few months away from learning about the company’s plans.

Whatsapp hits fast forward (and rewind) with a new video feature, rolling out to iOS and Android users very soon

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date March 27, 2024
No Comments on Whatsapp hits fast forward (and rewind) with a new video feature, rolling out to iOS and Android users very soon

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WhatsApp has been busy developing a video fast-forward and rewind feature, with the new feature arriving for iOS devices soon. The feature will apply to videos sent and received within the instant messaging app, with users able to double-tap the right side of the screen to fast forward and the left side of the screen to rewind the video currently playing by ten seconds.

According to Neowin, the feature has been in testing since last year, and works similarly to analogous features in mobile streaming apps like YouTube or Netflix. This feature will come included in Whatsapp by default once users update to the latest version via the App Store. You can read the full changelog for yourself if you’d like more details on what Whatsapp has changed for iOS users, but this is the headline item.

Some other standout features arriving in the popular messaging app are the ability to instantly record videos while in chats by long-pressing the camera icon next to the chat’s text field, and a revised design of the chat attachment tray.

Woman smiling widely and looking at her phone, while holding her hand up — (Image credit: Shutterstock/Ground Picture)

A whole bushel of new features, with more to come

The changelog’s full list of features will reportedly roll out to all users in the coming weeks, although it doesn’t make mention of Google Play – only iOS. Fortunately, Whatsapp users with Android can apparently already make use of the new quick forward/rewind feature, which tracks since the beta testing that was being done by Whatsapp took place on Android. All users can also skip forward or backward by opening the video and dragging the progress bar within the video player by the amount of time they’d like to skip.

The Video Messages instant video recording and messaging feature entered testing last year for iOS and Android, allowing users to instantly record and send videos up to a minute long. Previously it was somewhat hidden, located confusingly within the microphone instant record feature.

Neowin notes that there are more features in Whatsapp’s pipeline too, like Favorites for the Calls tab, allowing users to set the default media upload quality, the ability to filter group chats, enabling users to share status updates from companion devices, and more.

These are all interesting potential additions to the popular messaging app, although it seems that Whatsapp is currently not focusing on some issues around privacy that have users turning to competing encrypted messaging apps such as Telegram. That said, for existing users who are happy enough with Whatsapp’s performance and functionality, these sound like useful additions and I can see users positively receiving them.

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 26, 2024
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Apple may be planning to add support for “custom routes” in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors.

apple maps 3d feature
‌Apple Maps‌ does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple’s pre-selected options, but that may change in ‌iOS 18‌. Apple has pushed an ‌iOS 18‌ file to its maps back-end labeled “CustomRouteCreation.” While not much is revealed by the file except for the name, it does mention that this upcoming feature will be limited to the United States at launch.

Custom routes would allow users to set what specific roads they want to travel down, whether for scenic purposes or for the familiarity of a route. Route options beyond the default have been a highly requested ‌Apple Maps‌ feature for several years now, and other services like Google Maps allow users to create custom routes on a computer and then view them on an iOS device.

‌iOS 18‌ will be introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, June 10. For more details about the update, check out our iOS 18 roundup.

(Thanks, Nicolás!)

Apple Hints at iOS 18 AI Announcements Coming at WWDC 2024

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 26, 2024
No Comments on Apple Hints at iOS 18 AI Announcements Coming at WWDC 2024

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Apple today announced official dates for the 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to begin on Monday, June 10. In its announcements, Apple sometimes gives us minor hints on what to expect, and Greg Joswiak is making some not-so-subtle references to AI.

In a tweet, Joswiak said that the WWDC 2024 event is going to be “Absolutely Incredible,” and he deliberately capitalized the first two letters of each word, AI.

There have been multiple rumors suggesting that AI will be a major focus in iOS 18, macOS 15, and other operating system updates that are set to come out this year. Apple will add AI features to many of its built-in apps, and the company is in talk with Google and other companies about integrating an existing large language model (LLM) into ‌iOS 18‌.

Over the course of the last few months, Apple executives have confirmed Apple’s work on AI, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in February that Apple plans to “break new ground” on generative AI in 2024. “We believe it will unlock transformative opportunities for our users,” said Cook.

Cook in November confirmed that Apple was “investing quite a bit” in AI, and during Apple’s most recent earnings call, he said that Apple was spending a “tremendous amount of time and effort” on AI, with details set to come out later in 2024.

‌WWDC 2024‌ is set to take place during the week of June 10, and it will begin with a keynote event that will see the unveiling of ‌iOS 18‌ and other operating system updates.

iOS 18 Reportedly Won’t Feature Apple’s Own ChatGPT-Like Chatbot

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 26, 2024
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Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman today reported that Apple is not planning to debut its own generative AI chatbot with its next major software updates, including iOS 18 for the iPhone. Instead, he reiterated that Apple has held discussions with companies such as Google, OpenAI, and Baidu about potential generative AI partnerships.

iOS 18 Mock Siri Feature Baubles
Recent reports indicated that Apple has considered licensing existing chatbots, such as Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but Apple offering its own chatbot of some kind on iOS 18 had not been explicitly ruled out until now.

Gurman still expects AI to be a major focus at Apple’s just-announced WWDC 2024 developers conference. He reiterated that Apple plans to announce new AI features that “assist users in their daily lives,” but he did not provide any specific details. He has previously reported that generative AI will improve Siri’s ability to answer more complex questions, and allow the Messages app to auto-complete sentences. Other apps like Apple Music, Shortcuts, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are also expected to gain generative AI functionality.

Apple already promised that the company would share generative AI announcements later this year, and the company hinted at it again today. WWDC 2024 runs from June 10 through June 14, with video sessions to be shared on YouTube for the first time.

The first iOS 18 beta should be made available to developers following the WWDC keynote, and the update is expected to be released to all users in September.

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