Apple has seeded the second beta version of iOS 9.3 to both developers and the general public. Among the updates included is a feature that seemingly allows the Smart Connector of the iPad Pro to update the firmware of accessories.
Several users have reported that the Logitech Create keyboard case of the iPad Pro has been suffering from lagging issues and dropped keystrokes. A firmware update to the keyboard case is said to fix these problems, but the news is that the update is being pushed out to the accessory in a unique way.
Stefan Wolfrum, a German developer, said that upon the installation of the iOS 9.3 second beta on his iPad Pro, he was prompted to allow the installation of the update to the Logitech Create keyboard case the following day.
Wolfrum noted that iOS 9.3 beta was responsible for pushing out the update to the keyboard case's firmware through the Smart Connector of the iPad Pro.
A member in the official forums of Apple news website MacRumors confirmed the feature, as his Logitech Create keyboard case also received the firmware update when it was plugged into an iPad Pro that was powered by iOS 9.3 second beta.
MacRumors also said that it was able to recreate the steps that led to the firmware update for the Logitech Create keyboard case by updating the iPad Pro to iOS 9.3 second beta and then plugging in the accessory to the tablet.
Once the accessory is connected, a pop-up notification alerted users to an accessory update asking for permission to update a smart connector accessory. The update takes somewhere between 30 seconds and 40 seconds, though there is no indication on what changed with the update once it is completed.
The ability of the iPad Pro's Smart Connector to transmit both power and data has made accessories such as the Logitech Create keyboard case possible, but the update feature on the iOS 9.3 second beta displays the first instance of firmware updates for accessories being pushed out through the Smart Connector.
It is unclear, however, whether the new version of the iOS included the firmware update or whether it downloaded the update from a server.
