Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new betas coming a month after Apple released the first betas.
iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.
Paired with the HomePod 14.4 beta that is only available to a limited number of testers, iOS 14.4 adds new HomePod mini functionality that takes advantage of the mini's U1 chip.
There are now visual, audio, and haptic effects when songs are transferred from a HomePod mini to a U1-enabled iPhone 11 or iPhone 12. When an iPhone is near the HomePod mini it begins a soft haptic touch rhythm that gets faster and faster as the iPhone gets closer until the interface to transfer a song between the HomePod mini and the iPhone opens.
This functionality will make handoff quicker and more reliable on a HomePod mini and an iPhone 11 or iPhone 12, all of which are equipped with U1 chips that let the devices better understand where they are in relation to one another.
In the Workout section of the Apple Watch app on iPhone there's a new "Time to Walk" feature that includes a toggle to "Add Newest Workouts to Watch." This suggests that Apple could be planning to add guided walking workouts in the watchOS 7.3 beta. "Time to Walk Workouts are downloaded when Apple Watch is connected to power and near your iPhone. Completed workouts are deleted automatically," reads the setting. This is not functional in the first beta of watchOS 7.3 and iOS 14.4, but could be activated later.
No other new features or changes were discovered in the first beta. The update likely focuses on performance improvements and bug fixes that weren't able to be addressed in the iOS 14.3 update, but it's also possible there are additional features that will be unlocked at a later date.
Update: iOS 14.4 includes a new setting to specify a device type for third-party Bluetooth-connected audio devices so that Headphone Audio Level measurements can be taken correctly. Apple tracks headphone audio levels to send alerts if music is playing at a level that has the potential to damage hearing health over time.
Tuesday January 26, 2021 10:26 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released a new 14.4 software update for the HomePod, with the update coming over a month after the 14.3 software release that brought performance improvements and bug fixes.
Today's update introduces new U1 Ultra Wide band functionality between the HomePod mini and devices that have a U1 chip like the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models.Software version 14.4 includes bug fixes and the ...
Apple today announced a range of new smart home features for HomePod mini, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, as well as third-party Siri integration on accessories for the first time.
Siri on the HomePod now supports making commands to control content on an Apple TV. The HomePod mini can also be set as a default output for an Apple TV.
SharePlay will work with the Apple TV through FaceTime on...
Following the conclusion of today's keynote event that saw the unveiling of new versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, Apple has made the first betas of iOS and iPadOS 15 available to developers for testing purposes. Registered developers can download the profile for the first iOS and iPadOS betas from the Apple Developer Center, and once the profile is installed, beta updates...
Thursday December 17, 2020 10:09 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 updates to public beta testers, one day after providing the beta to developers.
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the iOS and iPadOS 14.4 updates over the air after installing the proper certificate from the Public Beta website on an iOS device.
Paired with the...
Apple today announced that the HomePod mini can be set as a default speaker output on the Apple TV 4K starting later this year. Apple also announced that the HomePod mini will be available to purchase in Austria, Ireland, and New Zealand starting later this month, followed by Italy later this year. The speaker first launched in November 2020.
In March, Apple announced that the full-sized ...
Wednesday December 16, 2020 9:00 pm PST by Juli Clover
The iOS 14.4 beta that was introduced today didn’t appear to include any new features, but an accompanying HomePod 14.4 beta will introduce new HomePod mini functionality that takes advantage of the U1 ultra wideband chip in the device.
The HomePod beta software is not made available to developers like iOS and macOS software and is instead provided to a limited number of Apple-selected...
Tuesday April 20, 2021 12:09 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today announced that the HomePod mini will be launching in additional countries in June, including Austria, New Zealand, and Ireland.
Pricing is set at €99 in Austria and Ireland, and $159 in New Zealand, with the usual space gray and white color options.
HomePod mini first launched in October 2020 in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan,...
Wednesday June 2, 2021 10:08 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 7.6 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming one week after the release of the first beta.
To install the watchOS 7.6 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7.5 beta can be downloaded through the...
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 7.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta approximately a week after the release of the second beta.
To install the watchOS 7.5 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7.5 beta can be downloaded through the...
Wednesday June 2, 2021 10:10 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second betas of new iOS and iPadOS 14.7 updates to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the first iOS and iPadOS 14.7 updates.
iOS and iPadOS 14.7 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.
The new iOS and iPadOS 14.7 updates may be focused on...
Top Rated Comments
Build number please.
I want my grey colours to look grey not yellow/green. ?