This year Apple start off with a major revelation by announcing one of the most important and surprising stories for this coming week. Cupertino in a surprise move unveiled shining new OS versions for both its iOS as well as tvOS, both being still in beta stage. Cupertino showed versions iOS 9.3 and tvOS 9.2, both of which now include features that unbelievably were not already part of the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV packages respectively.
IOS 9.3 beta incorporates Night Shift that now finally utilises the device’s geolocation and clock features to establish sunrise and sunset in the user’s locality. The inclusion of Night Shift in its repertoire might be one of the most important iOS UX improvements in a number of years. If the device determines that it is nighttime the screen automatically removes blue light from its spectrum, according to studies blue light increases difficulties in falling asleep.
In what will be good news to students and educators alike, iPad in its new beta version now delivers multi-user support via its Classroom app, allowing teachers to take advantage of the new app by launching all student apps simultaneously. Classroom facilitators can then guide what their students are viewing on their iPad via content directly under the facilitator’s control. It even allows educators to project any student’s efforts from their tablet onto an Apple equipped television screen.
In addition another new inclusion into iOS 9.3 beta is its Touch ID that is now directly supported in its Notes native app, this allows for improved customisation in its News app, the native Health and numerous other apps have also been seen to with a variety of improvements.
In further great news tvOS 9.2 beta finally saw the restoration of a major omission generated in its third and fourth generations of Apple TV; it once again now offers support for Bluetooth keyboards. In addition, the new tvOS allows for a new Podcast native app, a new folder support function, and a number of other minor upgrades.
In what could possibly be one of the best breakthroughs to users of non-native apps is the new iOS 9.3 beta’s ability to hide its native apps. Apple announced its intention to release the two new OSs early this spring.