iOS 14.4 Release Candidate Now Available For Public Beta Participants - Forbes

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iOS 14.4 RC

Anthony Karcz

Good news Apple Public Beta Program participants, after a short 2-release cycle, Apple is nearly ready to release iOS 14.4 to the public. Barring any emergency last-minute changes, iOS 14.4 RC will be the version that's released to the public in the next seven days. 

That's right "RC" not "GM." Apple's retired the old Golden Master designation and will be using Release Candidate going forward for releases that are near-final. 

Developers got a peek at the release notes and there were a few new items that hadn't previously been called out. Let's take a look.

What's New

The first three items weren't mentioned (or discovered) during the iOS 14.4 beta cycle but are mentioned in the release notes. Conversely, the other features aren't mentioned in the release notes but we already knew they were coming.

• You can now classify Bluetooth audio devices as speakers, car stereos, headphones, hearing aids, or other.
• Your iPhone 12 series device will now alert you when non-genuine camera parts are in use (handy for when you've had repairs done).
• The camera can now scan smaller QR codes.
• HomePod Mini handoff has been enhanced (though the official release notes don't mention this. They're likely waiting until an update is available for the Mini itself).
• In the Set Wallpaper shortcut you can now set the image to perspective zoom (i.e. the faux 3D effect).
• In Accessibility settings you have an option to control apps directly with VoiceOver via the Rotor Actions setting. Oddly, this still seems to deselect options when you scroll away or leave the screen. 

What's Broken/What's Fixed

Surprisingly enough, the official release notes actually mention quite a few fixed bugs! These weren't mentioned at all in previous beta build release notes. 

• Image artifacts no longer appear in HDR photos taken with iPhone 12 Pro.
• The Fitness widget will display updated Activity data.
• Typing is no longer delayed and word suggestions appear as expected in the keyboard.
• The keyboard displays in the correct language in Messages.
• Audio stories from the News app in CarPlay now resumes after being paused for spoken directions or Siri.
• Enabling Switch Control in Accessibility no longer prevents phone calls from being answered from the Lock Screen.

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What's Next?

There's no mention of the new Items tab anywhere in the iOS 14.4 release notes. That makes sense, given that we still haven't seen the mythical AirTags as of yet. It's unlikely Apple will reveal that before their new hardware is ready. 

So when might we see AirTags? It's hard to say. We've been anticipating their release since mid-2020. But with Covid playing havoc with manufacturing and development schedules worldwide, all bets are off at this point. The fact that there are software features hidden in iOS to support them makes me think that their release will be sooner rather than later. Probably no later than Q2 of this year. Maybe sooner. 

Could we see more of the elusive Items tab in iOS 14.5? We'll find out when that public beta cycle starts sometime in the next 7-14 days. If you're interested in trying out the program, now is a great time to do so. 

Late-cycle iOS betas are usually bug-free and don't come with the same headaches that early builds do. Go to the Apple Beta Software Program page from your iOS device to get started. 

I'll be back soon with iOS 14.5 beta news.

The Link Lonk


January 22, 2021 at 08:00PM
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iOS 14.4 Release Candidate Now Available For Public Beta Participants - Forbes

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