The company said in a press release that it will launch its long-awaited iOS 14.5 software, but did not specify on what day. It will be able to unlock your device without removing a mask when using an Apple Watch, a major change in data privacy and new emojis, including a less graphic syringe amid the global launch of the Covid-19 vaccine. It will also include support for its new AirTag Bluetooth trackers.
As expected, Apple (AAPL) introduces a new requirement for users to explicitly allow apps to track them on the Internet, a move that revealed Facebook, which relies on data collection to target ads.
The company said the requirement could affect advertising revenue, but raised its objections to the potential harm to small businesses. In December, Facebook published advertisements in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, saying the demand could be “devastating” for millions of small companies advertising on its platform. It also organized a press event to identify small businesses that opposed the change and launched a new hashtag to discuss it.
In addition, iPhone users will soon be able to unlock their smartphones without having to take off their face masks, but first they will need an Apple Watch. Face ID usually recognizes when someone is wearing a mask and triggers the display of the access code entry screen.
Now, an iPhone will be able to communicate with a synchronized Apple Watch when the phone is picked up to use Face ID. The devices must be in the immediate vicinity, and upon authentication, the iPhone will automatically unlock and the Apple Watch will vibrate. Apple quietly tested this feature in February.
And it wouldn’t be a significant software update without the inclusion of multiple emojis. Among the new additions: a burning heart, a face with wrinkled eyes, the ability of both women and men to have a beard and a syringe without drops of blood.
iOS 14.5 will also allow users to report traffic accidents directly within Apple Maps, a crowdsourcing tool similar to the popular Google Waze app. Users will also be able to select from additional voice options for Siri, which will no longer be the default for a female voice.
The company also announced on Tuesday a new iPad Pro, AirTag, a refurbished Apple TV, a purple iPhone and more.