Apple was on the receiving end of some sharp criticism from concerned customers after they admitted that they had been slowing older iPhones. While the reason behind the slowdown was supposedly put in place in order to protect aging phones from random shutdowns due to battery issues, the majority of their user base was up in arms due to the lack of transparency regarding the slowdowns. The new update to Apple’s mobile operating system will introduce a new feature that gives users the option to disable the throttling of older phones, and the iOS 11.3 beta 3 update is a much-anticipated release.
The iOS 11.3 beta 3 update will be the latest in a line of beta testing rollouts ahead of the official release of Apple’s new operating system update. There are usually a number of updates released in quick succession, although iOS 11.3 beta 2 took a look a little bit longer to release due to the need to iron out a number of details. Moving forward, we should see the iOS 11.3 beta 3 update and subsequent builds to release in around 1-week intervals.
With the initial release of the iOS 11.3 beta 1, there were a number of problems that became readily apparent as a large number of people got their hands on the phone. The two-week gap between the iOS 11.3 beta 1 and beta 2 gave Apple the chance to address the majority of the problems, and the iOS 11.3 beta 3 update and further releases should just be a series of minor bug fixes and tweaks.
For this reason, it’s rather unlikely that we’ll see anything groundbreaking that we haven’t been expecting from the operating system thus far. Expect the iOS 11.3 beta 3 update and the betas afterward to refine Apple’s existing plans for the upcoming operating system rather than introducing anything substantial.
The release of iOS 11.3 is quite important for Apple if they’re to win back the goodwill they had lost due to the lack of transparency regarding the issue with the iPhone throttling. By launching a successful update that restores the full performance to affected older phones, they may start to repair some of the damage that was done to their image.
Whether or not the slowdowns were solely due to the battery has been called into question, but it appears as if it’s a problem that the company couldn’t ignore any longer. As a manufacturer notorious for exacting strict control over their operating systems and devices, it’s a welcome change that they’re giving users the ability to keep using their phones as normal with the knowledge that crashes may be a real possibility.
With iOS beta 3, users will be able to continue to test the battery management feature that will provide owners of older iPhones more accurate information on the status of their battery. When a slowdown goes into effect, the customer will be made aware rather than left in the dark. Additionally, there’s a new indicator that gives a better picture of the health of the iPhone battery.
Due to it being made with lithium-ion technology, the capacity of modern iPhones’ power supply starts to deplete over time. With a combination of notices regarding battery health as well as the option for users to opt out of the battery-preserving features should make the iOS 11.3 beta 3 update and the eventual full release a win for consumers.
