14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has just shipped the new iOS and watchOS beta builds to developers ahead of the public launch expected later this spring.
The builds published today are iOS 14.5 developer beta 1, iPadOS 14.5 developer beta 1, watchOS 7.4 developer beta 1, and tvOS 14.5 developer beta 1.
All builds are available today for developers enrolled in Apple’s testing program.
What’s new in these builds
While Apple hasn’t yet published the official changelog for these new builds, it’s believed iOS and watchOS users would get major improvements, including a new way to unlock an iPhone when an Apple Watch is paired.
This is something that comes in very handy for users out there, especially because everybody’s wearing a mask these days, thus using Face ID is quite inconvenient. So theoretically, those who have an Apple Watch would be able to unlock their iPhones without having to turn to the passcode or remove their masks.
Keep in mind, however, that these are just preview builds available right now, so it remains to be seen how the feature would be improved by the time they get the go-ahead for production devices.
In the meantime, iOS 14.5 also comes with support for dual-SIM5 G, as well as new capabilities that allow Siri to call emergency services with just a voice command. AirPlay 2 support for Apple Fitness+ is also included, and so is compatibility for new Xbox and PlayStation controllers.
Overall, iOS 14.5 looks to be quite a major release for all supported iPhones, and just like before, it’ll work on the iPhone 6s and newer. Not all capabilities might be available for older models though, but let’s just wait for official information from Apple in this regard, and then we’ll post follow-up articles in this regard.