iOS 14.2: these are the new features for iPhone and iPad

As already described during the beta phase, iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 for example bring more than 100 new emojis. These include animals, food, faces, household objects, musical instruments and gender-neutral emojis. Apple has also added eight new wallpapers, available in both light and dark modes.

Apple has also worked on music recognition using Shazam. This feature can now be added as a standalone tile in Control Center, for example. The music recognition does not only work with the help of the built-in microphones. It can now also recognize songs that are played, for example, within apps via connected headphones.

For iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max owners, Apple offers a magnifying glass feature that can detect people nearby and measure the distance to them. The LiDAR sensor is used for this accessibility feature. The update also brings support for the new leather sleeves for iPhone 12, but Apple has not yet announced an exact delivery date for these.

• iPhone 12 Pro can help the blind get around safely with LiDAR

iOS 14.2: New features for AirPods and HomePod

Owners of AirPods now also get an optimized charging for their headphones. Apple has already introduced a similar feature for the iPhone some time ago. The goal of this new charging process is to delay battery ageing. The feature observes the personal use of the AirPods and finishes a full charge just before you need the headphones again.

Apple has also added warnings for headphones that are set too loud. A message now warns when this could lead to hearing damage.

Also new is the so-called Intercom feature, which can be used in combination with the HomePod. An update to version 14.2 of the operating system is also available for the HomePod. With this, for example, voice messages can be sent from the iPhone to all HomePods in your home. This is done either by voice command via Siri or via the Home app.

The HomePod can now also be used for playback in stereo, surround sound and Dolby Atmos in conjunction with Apple TV 4K. For this purpose, there is also a suitable update for the small set-top box in the form of tvOS 14.2.

iOS 14.2 and watchOS 7.1: bugfixes for activities and more

Part of iOS and iPadOS 14.2 are of course also a number of bug fixes. One of them is a fixed bug that caused the viewfinder of the camera to stay black from time to time. In some cases, no content was displayed in the photo widget. Netflix users also sometimes complained that the screen remained dark when playing videos.

Athletes using the iPhone and Apple Watch to track their activities also occasionally found that GPS routes and health data were not synchronized between the two devices. These and many other bugs have been fixed with the updates for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch – watchOS 7.1 is available for download here.

iOS 12.4.9: Updates for older iPhones and iPads

In addition to the updates for current devices, Apple has also released new software versions for older iPhones and iPads. For example, iOS 12.4.9 for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6/6 Plus and iPod touch (6th generation) is available for upgrade. Similarly, iPadOS 12.4.9 is also available for iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3 and iPad Air.

At the same time as the above-mentioned updates, Apple released another pre-release version of macOS Big Sur: macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 Release Candidate is available to developers. Apple no longer uses the description "GM seed", but now uses "Release Candidate" instead. The availability of this version also indicates that Apple will be taking care of the Mac extensively at the upcoming event.

Source: Apple