After months of beta testing, Apple has finally released iOS 8.3 to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users around the world. Siri is now available in a number of new languages, but the most eye-catching update is a new suite of emojis that include lots of racially diverse characters.
There are more than 300 new emojis, and the human characters come in six different skin colors representing different ethnic groups. In addition to the extra emojis, the main update is that Siri is now available in seven new languages: Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Thai and Turkish. The speaking assistant also comes with improved speech synthesis, resulting in a more natural-sounding voice.
As usual, there are a whole range of minor bug fixes and updates, and Apple claims iOS 8.3 boasts improved performance. Siri can now start calls on speakerphone if asked to do so. Users can also change their iTunes authentication details, allowing them to download free apps without entering a password. There are also some updates to the Messages app. Users can now report iMessages as junk and can separate messages from contacts and unknown numbers.
As was flagged, the update includes wireless CarPlay, which lets users connect their iPhones to their CarPlay systems without a cable. There's also support for Google two-factor authentication that makes it possible to add Google accounts without the need for app-specific passwords.
iOS 8.3 was also notable because it was the first version of iOS to be released as a public beta earlier this year. Apple is expected to do the same with iOS 9 in the summer.
The iOS update is Apple's second operating system release of the day after it launched Yosemite 10.10.3 for Mac users earlier. The update comes with a new Photos app to replace iPhoto and Aperture. Photos stores low-resolution images in the app and saves the full file to the iCloud Photo Library. The iCloud library is now also accessible through your other Apple devices via the iOS 8.3 update. And of course, the 300 new emoji are also available on Yosemite.
