RCS for Business Messaging, various bug fixes Chris Mendez | usagoldmines.com

On Monday, Apple made the discharge candidate model of iOS 18.1 available to builders, forward of the software program’s public launch on October 28. Much like previous developer betas, Monday’s launch candidate introduces assist for a brand new software program characteristic and contains key bug fixes.

Along with the assorted points the replace resolves, the RC model of iOS 18.1 enhances the prevailing enterprise messaging characteristic by including assist for the RCS protocol.

Enterprise Messaging, beforehand referred to as Enterprise Chat, made it attainable for customers to speak with companies immediately inside the Messages app, by way of iMessage.

This characteristic was initially launched as a extra handy manner of communication, versus customers counting on electronic mail and corporations’ proprietary web-based chat programs.

iOS 18.1 additional improves the Enterprise Messaging characteristic by including RCS assist. RCS, quick for Wealthy Communication Companies, is a textual content messaging protocol that provides better compatibility with Android units, and in addition brings substantial enhancements over conventional SMS messages.

RCS is now obtainable for Enterprise Messaging in iOS 18.1.

Whereas Apple already introduced RCS assist for Messages with the general public launch of iOS 18, the corporate’s iOS 18.1 launch candidate makes it attainable to make use of the RCS protocol in enterprise chats as nicely.

With RCS, movies and GIFs keep their full high quality when despatched from iPhone to Android and vice versa, whereas group chats, learn receipts, and typing indicators additionally work between the 2 platforms.

Together with the enhancements to Enterprise Messaging, the iOS 18.1 replace additionally introduces numerous bug fixes. The replace resolves a frequent restart problem affecting units within the iPhone 16 vary, amongst different issues.

iOS 18.1 resolves a difficulty reported by a number of iPhone 16 house owners, the place the units would repeatedly freeze up and restart themselves throughout regular day-to-day use. The bug was mostly encountered on iPhone 16 Professional and iPhone 16 Professional Max items, which might typically crash even when in standby mode.

iOS 18.1 fixes a difficulty with random restarts on units within the iPhone 16 vary.

In response to the iOS 18.1 RC launch notes, published by Apple on Monday, the replace addresses a couple of different bugs beforehand current inside the iPhone working system:

Fixes a difficulty in Podcasts the place unplayed episodes are marked as performed.

Fixes a difficulty the place movies recorded at 4K 60 whereas the gadget is heat might expertise stutter whereas scrubbing the video playback in Photographs.

Fixes a difficulty the place digital automotive keys could not unlock or begin a car with passive entry after restoring from a backup or transferring immediately from one other iPhone.

iOS 18.1 shall be launched to most people on October 28, 2024, every week after the roll-out of Monday’s launch candidate model. Whereas AirPods Pro 2 will receive a brand new listening to support characteristic with the discharge, the primary focus of iOS 18.1 is Apple Intelligence, which makes it attainable to edit and summarize textual content or modify images by way of the usage of generative AI software program.

It is price declaring, nonetheless, that Apple Intelligence options are solely obtainable for units with an A17 Professional chip or newer, or iPad and Mac units with an M1 or newer Apple Silicon chip.

Whereas iOS 18.1 introduces quite a lot of Apple Intelligence options, akin to email categorization and summarization, Good Replies, and Writing Instruments, some AI-related enhancements, akin to Image Playground, will solely make their debut with future iOS releases later in 2024.