Apple has released iOS 7.1 for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The updated version of the iOS 7 gets CarPlay integration as a major new feature. Apart from the new input, the iOS 7.1 update brings manual control on Siri, improved Touch ID fingerprint recognition, fix for homescreen crash bug and some other minor changes. The update is also designed to improve the performance of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s with better responsiveness.
Apple iOS 7.1 update for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch
Apple iOS 7.1 has CarPlay integration which allows drivers to pair their iPhone devices with supported in-car systems. Apple announced its partnership with some of the popular automobile brands earlier this month which are set to introduce CarPlay support in their vehicles. Through CarPlay, drivers can directly access to Maps, Phone, Messages, Music and some third-party apps.
Apple introduced Siri as its voice assistance across all the iOS running devices in 2011. Until now, Siri did not featured any manual controlling to listen to the voice commands but manual controlling is now added to enhance user experience. Users just need to hold the home button when speaking a command and releasing of the button stops the voice recognition.
Unlike iOS 7, iOS 7.1 automatically enables HDR mode on the iPhone 5s to take pictures with clearer and sharper colors. Users were earlier required to switch to the HDR mode within camera to take shots with high dynamic range in but the update enables the mode by default on the iPhone 5s.
In addition to the some notable improvements, the iOS 7.1 update has some improvements on preloaded features, including iTunes Radio, Calendar and Accessibility, and some refinements are also available for improved user interface.
Here is the complete change log of iOS 7.1:
CarPlay
iOS experience designed for the car
Simply connect your iPhone to a CarPlay enabled vehicle
Supports Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and 3rd-party audio apps
Control with Siri and the car’s touchscreen, knobs, and buttons
Siri
Manually control when Siri listens by holding down the home button while you speak and releasing it when you’re done as an alternative to letting Siri automatically notice when you stop talking
New, more natural sounding male and female voices for Mandarin Chinese, UK English, Australian English, and Japanese
iTunes Radio
Search field above Featured Stations to easily create stations based on your favorite artist or song
Buy albums with the tap of a button from Now Playing
Subscribe to iTunes Match on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to enjoy iTunes Radio ad-free
Calendar
Option to display events in month view
Country specific holidays automatically added for many countries
Accessibility
Bold font option now includes the keyboard, calculator, and many icon glyphs
Reduce Motion option now includes Weather, Messages, and multitasking UI animations
New options to display button shapes, darken app colors, and reduce white point
Miscellaneous
New Camera setting to automatically enable HDR for iPhone 5s
iCloud Keychain support in additional countries
FaceTime call notifications are automatically cleared when you answer a call on another device
Fixes a bug that could occasionally cause a home screen crash
Improves Touch ID fingerprint recognition
Improved performance for iPhone 4
Fixes display of Mail unread badge for numbers greater than 10,000
Continued user interface refinements
Users can easily download the iOS 7.1 update on their iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch by going through Settings > General > Software update. The iOS 7.1 update is strongly advisable to download on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s.