The release candidate for iOS 16.4, the final version of the software before its public release, has arrived. And with it clear evidence of the new AirPods, which were found Aron.613 (Opens in a new tab) on Twitter.
Buried within the iOS 16.4 Release Candidate code are references to AirPod model “A3048” and never-before-seen AirPods case “A2968,” and it’s vague as to what they could be referring to. The current AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2 are only a year and a half and six months old, respectively, so it seems too early to upgrade here. There have been claims that Apple is working on new AirPods Lite, or AirPods Max, but it is currently believed that they will arrive next year.
Another option is that this would be the USB-C version of the AirPods or AirPods Pro currently available. With the iPhone 15 rumored to be moving away from Lightning ports later this year, that will follow Apple’s desire to ensure its most popular iPhone accessories are similarly updated.
iOS 16.4 Noise Canceling
This is not all the novelties that the release candidate was hiding. There are also some last-minute feature additions, the biggest being sound isolation for cellular calls (via PhoneArena (Opens in a new tab)).
Noise isolation technology is common to many phone brands’ devices, like Clear Calling on the Pixel 7, and helps reduce background noise while you’re talking so the person on the other end can hear you better. This was already a feature for other iOS services like FaceTime and WhatsApp, but Apple seems set to bring this to other iPhone calls.
Apparently, sound isolation is not enabled by default. It’s something you have to turn on in Control Center under Microphone mode while on a call, but it should stay on by default, navigating to how it behaves on FaceTime and other apps.
Other miscellaneous fixes that the release candidate brought us include the Photos Duplicates app which is now able to identify duplicate photos in albums shared via iCloud, a fix for the Ask to Buy error on parent devices when child devices request purchases from the App Store, and the latest fix for an issue affecting thermostats Using Matter smart home standard.
iOS 16.4 will likely be the main final set of additions to iPhones until the iOS 17 beta hits WWDC 2023 in a few months. So be sure to keep up with the new iOS 16.4 features introduced in the update, including new emoji, more accurate always-on display settings, and other small iOS software improvements.
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