Apple has seeded the first developer beta of iOS 11.3 to members of its developer community, and the download is available right now. Apple previewed the new features coming in iOS 11.3 this morning, including a battery health monitor to help clear up confusion from the iPhone slowdown scandal.
In addition, the update also includes new Animoji for Messages, a new version of ARKit and a Health Records feature that will make it easier than ever for iPhone owners to check their medical data at any time.
The new Animoji include a lion, skull, bear, and dragon, which brings up the total Animoji count to 16. There’s a new way for businesses to interact with customers through the Messages app, much like Facebook has introduced ways to communicate with businesses through the Messaging app.
Depending on your interest in AR experience, the arrival of ARKit 1.5 might be the highlight of iOS 11.3. In addition to horizontal surfaces, ARKit will now be able to recognize and place objects on verticals surfaces, like walls and doors. It can recognize the position of a sign or a poster, which Apple says can be utilized for interactive museum exhibits or bringing movie posters to life. Plus, the view from the camera now has a 50% greater resolution and auto-focus.
The most anticipated features of iOS 11.3 focus on the battery. Once the update has been applied, users will be able to go to Settings > Battery and check the health of their battery. Apple will also recommend if the battery needs to be serviced. A future version of the developer beta promises to bring a toggle that will let you disable performance limitations, which should arrive next month.
Right now, anyone on the developer beta profile should see the update as an over-the-air update option. Just go to Settings–>General–>Software Update, and you should be prompted to download and install the update.