Apple releases iOS 9.3, OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan, tvOS 9.2 and watchOS 2.2 -- here's what's new
Apple just released iOS 9.3, OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan, tvOS 9.2 and watchOS 2.2, following its Let us loop you in event, which, among other things, saw the unveiling of iPhone SE, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and new Apple Watch bands earlier today.
The latest batch of updates packs lots of changes, including security improvements and new user-friendly features but also bug fixes and better hardware support. Here is everything that you need to know.
The largest number of changes is in iOS 9.3, which, among other things, brings Night Shift mode, TouchID functionality in the Notes app, the ability to import Evernotes content into Notes, Wi-Fi Calling for Verizon customers, full-screen video playback on iPad using Apple Music, and support for multiple user accounts on iPads enrolled in the education program.
For those who are not familiar with it, Night Shift is a new mode which should basically allow you to sleep better. It sets the display to more yellowish tones, to minimize the effects that blue light has on your eyes right before going to bed. It is similar to f.lux, and other such tools, in this regard.
Apple has put a lot of effort into iOS 9.3, with the whole changelog being rather long. There is a larger number of bug fixes and improvements listed for Notes, News, Health, Apple Music, Photos, iBooks, Education, CarPlay, 3D Touch, Enterprise, Accessibility, Maps, as well as other areas of the operating system.
Worth noting is that Apple has patched a majority security bug in iMessage, which could have allowed hackers to decrypt media sent through the service. The whole list of security updates can be found here.
When it comes to OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan, Apple lists only a handful of additions, which add functionality to existing apps, fix some bugs, and improve compatibility and reliability for its USB Type-C adapters. You can read the complete changelog here, and take a look at the security updates included in the latest version of OS X here.
Like iOS 9.3, tvOS 9.2 also packs a lot of interesting changes. We have improved voice support via Siri, which now lets you, among other things, dictate usernames and passwords and find content in App Store, app folders, the ability to switch between recent apps by double-clicking the TV button on Siri Remote, support for iCloud Photo Library, and this includes Live Photos, the re-introduction of support for Bluetooth keyboards, Conference Room Display, and the listing of release notes in Settings, as the main highlights.
As far as watchOS 2.2 is concerned, Apple has added new functionality to the Maps app, support for additional dictation, system and Siri languages, and a higher frequency of heart rate measurements when stationary. It is designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV.
All of the aforementioned updates are available now.
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