Apple today made iOS 11.3 available to the general public after testing it privately the last few months.
First, iOS 11.3 provides iPhone users with more control over their phone’s battery performance. People can asses the health of their iPhone’s battery to see whether or not it needs to be replaced. The tool also allows people to turn off Apple’s power management function that is used to prevent battery shutdowns at the expense of speed. i
OS 11.3 introduces four new animoji for the iPhone X: a bear, lion, dragon, and skull, making for a total of 16. iOS 11.3 improves augmented reality for iPhones by expanding the ability to map surfaces to include horizontal and vertical surfaces. This means AR apps can place virtual objects on walls and doors, in addition to floors and tables.
Apple says the iPhone’s camera is now able to offer 50% greater resolution when shooting AR, and can take advantage of auto-focus for sharper results.
iOS 11.3 adds a new tool to iMessage that will allow iPhone owners to chat with select businesses. Some early adopters include Discover, Hilton, Lowe’s, and Wells Fargo. Through this new business chat feature, people can converse with service representatives, schedule appointments, and make purchases via Apple Pay.
iOS 11.3 adds a new Health Records feature that lets health providers share patient health data in an easy-to-digest format. Patients can collect their health records from various institutions and view them in a single place on the iPhone. The health records support notifications for lab results, medications, conditions, and more. Apple says this data is encrypted and password-protected.
Other features in iOS 11.3 include the addition of music videos to Apple Music, more video content within Apple News, software authentication for HomeKit devices, and support for Advanced Mobile Location so more accurate location data is made available to emergency services during 911 calls.
iOS 11.3 is free to download from Apple.
