On Monday, Apple
updated its various OS platforms to the fourth developer beta for the respective systems, with public-tester betas of OS X and iOS likely to appear in the next day or two. For OS X, the fourth beta of the imminent 10.11.4 update has no immediately obvious changes, but the update generally will bring several changes. The fourth iOS 9.3 beta sports another change to the Night Shift icon, a feature that adjusts the color temperature of the display. The new watchOS and tvOS betas also offer minor changes, with all four expected to be release on or around a rumored mid-March Apple event.
The OS X beta continues to improve on new features seen in earlier betas, including the ability of the Notes app to import from text files (plain and rich) and Evernote or other note-taking services. The beta also further enhances the ability to share Live Photos to social media and through the Messages app, changes that are also in the latest iOS 9.3 beta. That update will bring the color-shifting sleep and eye fatigue aid Night Shift, as well as the ability to add secure notes in the Notes app, which can be unlocked with a passcode or Touch ID. Also improved is the 3D Touch feature, now augmented with more Quick Actions.
When using the forthcoming watchOS 2.2 update, users on iOS 9.3 will be able to pair multiple Apple Watches to a single device, and there are other improvements for iBooks on iOS (now able to support PDFs through iCloud), CarPlay (new Maps and Apple Music features), and Verizon customers will see support for Wi-Fi calling. There is also a new educational enhancement for teachers and administrators using iPads and iTunes U in classrooms.
The watchOS update, which along with the others could be released in time for a rumored mid-March event that would see new Watch accessories and possible fashion partnerships (alongside rumors of a revamped four-inch iPhone model and possibly a new "iPad Air 3"), has previously added an all-new Apple Maps view and Glance, along with enhanced information from Yelp, and the ability to set destination targets like "work" or "home" that can be instantly navigated to.
The tvOS 9.2 beta 4 for the fourth-generation Apple TV includes updated Apple TV remote firmware in the new beta, but also build upon features introduced in previous betas, such as a redesigned app switcher, folder support, the restored ability to use Apple and third-party Bluetooth keyboards, iCloud Photo Library support, voice dictation support for login, and Siri support for searches in the Apple TV App Store. "Conference Room" mode has also been restored from previous releases.
All the new betas are available from the developer portal on Apple's website, or through registered developer accounts on the Mac and iOS App Stores. Identical versions of the OS X and iOS betas are generally made available for pre-registered public testers within a day or two, unless serious bugs are found.
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