Monday, March 10, 2014

Apple releases iOS 7.1 with CarPlay support, Siri and Touch ID improvements

By: AppleInsider Staff

Monday, March 10, 2014 1:00 PM

Apple on Monday released iOS 7.1, the most significant update to its mobile platform in six months, featuring tweaks to the user interface introduced in iOS 7, fixes for lingering bugs, and new features such as support for the new CarPlay infotainment center.




The newly released iOS 7.1 is identified as build 11D167. As first revealed by AppleInsider last month, the update is said to improve Touch ID fingerprint recognition for iPhone 5s users.

iOS 7.1 also includes a new manual setting for Siri, allowing users to hold the home button on their device to have the system listen, and let go when they are done speaking, as opposed to having Siri automatically detect when a user has finished speaking. The update also allows users to subscribe to iTunes Match directly from their device, allowing for ad-free listening to iTunes Radio.

Owners of the iPhone 4 should also see improved performance with iOS 7.1, while those who buy a compatible vehicle will be able to take advantage of CarPlay. Events can also be displayed in month view, iPhone 5s users can have the camera automatically enable HDR photos, and FaceTime call notifications are now synced across devices through iCloud.


 



Pre-release versions of iOS 7 have been supplied to developers for testing since last November, making it a particularly lengthy beta period. A mid-March release for iOS 7.1 has been expected for some time.

Release notes accompanying the update state that it includes "improvements and bug fixes." According to Apple, those are:
CarPlay
iOS experience designed for the car
Simply connect your iPhone to a CarPlay enabled vehicle
Supports Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and 3rd-party audio apps
Control with Siri and the car's touchscreen, knobs, and buttons
Siri
Manually control when Siri listens by holding down the home button while you speak and releasing it when you're done as an alternative to letting Siri automatically notice when you stop talking
New, more natural sounding male and female voices for Mandarin Chinese, UK English, Australian English, and Japanese
iTunes Radio
Search field above Featured Stations to easily create stations based on your favorite artist or song
Buy albums with the tap of a button from Now Playing
Subscribe to iTunes Match on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to enjoy iTunes Radio ad-free
Calendar
Option to display events in month view
Country specific holidays automatically added for many countries
Accessibility
Bold font option now includes the keyboard, calculator, and many icon glyphs
Reduce Motion option now includes Weather, Messages, and multitasking UI animations
New options to display button shapes, darken app colors, and reduce white point
New Camera setting to automatically enable HDR for iPhone 5s
iCloud Keychain support in additional countries
FaceTime call notifications are automatically cleared when you answer a call on another device
Fixes a bug that could occasionally cause a home screen crash
Improves Touch ID fingerprint recognition
Improved performance for iPhone 4
Fixes display of Mail unread badge for numbers greater than 10,000

Continued user interface refinements

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