Apple Releases iOS 8.3 To The Public, It Has New Emojis.


 


After a lengthy beta test, Apple AAPL -0.06% has released iOS 8.3 to the public today. You can download and install the update by going to Settings > General > Software Update. This update includes several new features and design enhancements. 
Some of the most anticipated features in iOS 8.3 are the new racially diverse emojis, wireless CarPlay support and Messages app improvements.
Apple said that it has improved the performance for app launch, app responsiveness, Messages, WiFi, Control Center, Safari tabs, third-party keyboards, keyboard shortcuts and the simplified Chinese keyboard. Here is a breakdown of some fixes that have been addressed in iOS 8.3:
WiFi / Bluetooth Fixes
A number of WiFi and Bluetooth fixes have been addressed in iOS 8.3. The update fixes the issue where you are continuously asked to input your login credentials. It also addresses the issue where some devices disconnect intermittently from Wi-Fi networks. An issue that causes hands-free phone calls to become disconnected has been fixed. And the issue where audio playback could stop working with some Bluetooth speakers has been fixed.
Orientation / Rotation Fixes
iOS 8.3 fixes several orientation and rotation features. The update addresses an issue that prevents the screen from rotating back to portrait after rotating to landscape. The update also fixes an issue where the device orientation appears upside down after pulling the iPhone 6 Plus from your pocket. And the issue of apps rotating incorrectly after switching in the multitasking mode has been fixed.
Messages App Fixes
The Messages app has received a number of fixes. iOS 8.3 fixes an issue that causes group messages to split sometimes. It fixes an issue that sometimes removes the ability to forward or delete individual messages. iOS 8.3 has added the ability to report junk messages from the Messages app directly. And you can filter out iMessages that are not sent by your contacts too.
Family Sharing
iOS 8.3 fixes a bug where certain apps would not launch or update on your family members’ devices. It also fixes a bug that prevents family members from being able to download certain apps for free. In the iOS 8.3 changelog, Apple said that it increased the reliability for “Ask to Buy” notifications.
CarPlay Fixes
Apple has fixed CarPlay issues where Maps would come up as a black screen or rotates incorrectly. There is also an issue that has been fixed where the keyboard could appear on the screen when it is not supposed to.
Enterprise Fixes
Apple has improved the reliability of installing and updating many enterprise features in iOS 8.3. The time zone of the Calendar events created in IBM IBM +0.12% Notes have been fixed. iOS 8.3 fixes a problem that causes web clip icons to become generic after restarting. An issue that causes the unreliability of saved passwords for web proxies has been fixed. Apple iOS 8.3 adds the ability to edit Exchange out-of-office messages separately for external replies. In terms of Accessibility settings, Apple fixes issues that caused Speak Screen, VoiceOver and the Braille Screen Input to become unreliable under certain circumstances. The iPhone 6 Plus now has italic and underline format options in the landscape keyboard. And now you can remove shipping and billing addresses used with Apple Pay.
Siri Knows More Languages
Siri now has additional language and country support. Here is a list of the additions: English (India, New Zealand), Danish (Denmark), Dutch (Netherlands), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Swedish (Sweden), Thai (Thailand) and Turkish (Turkey). Some of the dictation languages that have been added are: Arabic (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates) and Hebrew (Israel).
New Emojis
I believe that the most interesting feature in iOS 8.3 is the redesigned Emoji keyboard. You can now select from over 300 new characters with many new skin tone options. The diversity in the previous Emoji keyboard version was lacking because there was just an Asian man wearing a gua pi mao cap and an Indian man wearing a turban, but there were no black people represented. Apple also added many more relationship- and gadget-related Emojis. For example, there are now same-sex relationship Emojis like families with two mothers and two fathers. Some of the gadget Emojis that have been added includes a representation of the iPhone 6 and an Apple Watch (as a replacement to the traditional watch). Emojis for 32 more country flags have also been added to the keyboard. Here is what the new Emoji keyboard looks like:
IMG_2368 copy
Apple added the full details of the iOS 8.3 changes on its support website. Let us know what you think of the changes, if you have updated to iOS 8.3, in the comments of this article!


forbes.

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