Apple announces iOS 11.3 update with fix for iPhone throttling
Apple just announced iOS 11.3 (available in beta today and public release this spring) with a boatload of new features worth getting excited about.
The most notable update is the addition of a controversial power management switch that will let iPhone users turn off any performance throttling. Oh, and there's also four new Animoji for the iPhone X.
SEE ALSO: Why Apple's upcoming iPhone battery update is a bad idea
As promised, the latest iOS update will give iPhone users detailed insight on the health of their batteries, as well as a switch that'll let them turn off performance slowdowns. Apple says these two features will be found under the Battery section within the Settings app.
How the feature works exactly is still a mystery. Though it'll be available in the public release, Apple hasn't added it to the beta version of iOS 11.3 yet.
Interestingly enough, Apple's website only says the power management setting will only be available for "iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus."
Mashable reached out to Apple to see if the setting will be added for iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X (the batteries will eventually age, too), but a company spokesperson said it didn't have anything further to add beyond the post.
The iOS 11.3 update also comes with four new Animoji: a dragon, bear, skull, and lion — all of which should make for even more entertaining Animoji karaoke videos.
Apple Music is also getting music videos. You know, in case you've been waiting for that.
ARKit will also get a major boost. Apple says version 1.5 of the augmented reality platform will bring the ability to place virtual objects on vertical surfaces such as walls and doors -- and make the software useful for scanning things like posters and seeing virtual objects sprout out of them. ARKit currently only lets you place objects on horizontal surfaces such as tables and floors.
A new "Business Chat" feature in Messages will also let users converse with a "service representative, schedule an appointment or make purchases using Apple Pay.
Discover, Hilton, Lowe’s and Wells Fargo will be among the first to support it.
Another major feature coming to iOS 11.3 is something called "Health Records" which'll let users see all their medical data their various medical providers and receive "regular notifications from their lab results, medications, conditions and more."
There are a few smaller updates related to Apple News and HomeKit. You can find full details for iOS 11.3 here.
Update: This article has been updated to include a comment from Apple.
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
