Apple Releases iOS 12.4 With New Wireless Data Migration When Setting Up a New iPhone and Apple News+ Improvements
Apple will today release iOS 12.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 12 operating system that first launched in September 2018. iOS 12.4 comes more two months after the release of iOS 12.3, another major update that brought the new TV app.
The iOS 12.4 update is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings --> General --> Software Update. As with all iOS updates, iOS 12.4 is free to download, but it may take some time for iOS 12.4 to propagate to all iOS users.
During the beta testing process, there were no outward-facing features or major changes discovered in iOS 12.4. According to Apple's release notes, the update introduces a new iPhone migration option to directly transfer data from an old iPhone to a new iPhone, and it introduces enhancements to Apple News+. From Apple's release notes:
iOS 12.4 introduces iPhone migration to directly transfer data from an old iPhone to a new iPhone, includes enhancements to Apple News+ and improves the security of your iPhone or iPad. This update:
iPhone migration
- Introduces the ability to wirelessly transfer data and migrate directly from an old iPhone to a new iPhone during setup
Apple News
- Makes downloaded issues accessible in the My Magazines section, both offline and online
- Adds all publications in Apple News+, including newspapers, to the catalog at the top of the News+ feed
- Adds the ability to clear downloaded magazine issues by selecting History > Clear > Clear All
Other improvements and fixes
- Includes a security fix for the Walkie-Talkie app on Apple Watch and re-enables Walkie-Talkie functionality
This release also includes support for HomePod in Japan and Taiwan.
The update was believed to include support for Apple Card, laying the foundation for Apple's new credit card, though the release notes make no mention of this. It could still add the underlying framework for Apple Card, which is set to be launching this summer and could come at any time.
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Top Rated Comments
When people upgrade to a new phone, they tend to hang around in the store until their new device restores from an iCloud backup, which could take 15-20 minutes or more. A direct transfer from the old phone to the new will allow this step to be skipped, moving along customers more quickly.
This is just a hunch; I wouldn't be surprised if it was the main driver behind the feature though.
Also note that a credit card by itself doesn't necessarily get anyone in debt. People get themselves in debt because they don't use their credit cards responsibly.