A significant part of the Apple experience is the routine firmware updates. Apple often prides itself with its ability to provide seamless firmware updates to keep your device smooth. Keeping up with tradition, Apple has released iOS 12.1 IPSW Update for iPhones and iPads. The new iOS updates bring forth a plethora of new features and bug improvements. Fortunately, the complete changelog is now available on Apple’s website. Let’s see what the new update has to offer.
Apple iOS 12.1 IPSW Update Changelog
iOS 12.1 introduces Group FaceTime, adds over 70 new emoji, and includes support for Dual SIM with eSIM for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. This update also includes bug fixes and improvements.
Group FaceTime
- Adds support for video and audio calls with up to 32 participants simultaneously
- Encrypted end-to-end so your conversations remain private
- Start Group FaceTime right from a group Messages conversation, or join an active call at any time
Emoji
- Over 70 new emoji, including new characters with red hair, gray hair and curly hair, new emoji for bald people, more emotive smiley faces and additional emoji representing animals, sports and food
Dual SIM support
- Introduces Dual SIM with eSIM which allows two numbers in one device for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
Other improvements and fixes
- Introduces Depth Control in Camera preview for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
- Improves cellular connectivity for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
- Adds the ability to change or reset your child’s Screen Time passcode using Face ID or Touch ID
- Fixes an issue where the sharpest reference frame was not always selected in front-facing photos for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
- Resolves an issue that caused messages to be merged into one thread when two users were signed in with the same Apple ID on multiple iPhones
- Addresses an issue that prevented some voicemails from appearing in the Phone app
- Resolves an issue in the Phone app that could cause phone numbers to appear without their corresponding contact name
- Fixes an issue that could prevent Screen Time from reporting specific websites in the activity report
- Addresses an issue that could prevent adding or removing family members from Family Sharing
- Adds a performance management feature to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down, including the option to disable this feature if an unexpected shutdown occurs, for iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
- Adds the ability for Battery Health to inform users that it is unable to verify if a genuine Apple battery is in iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
- Improves reliability of VoiceOver in Camera, Siri, and Safari
- Fixes an issue that could cause MDM Device Enrollment to report an Invalid Profile error for some enterprise users
- Fixes an issue where some iPhone XS devices did not immediately charge when connected to a Lightning cable
- Resolves an issue that could cause iPhone XS devices to rejoin a Wi-Fi network at 2.4GHz instead of 5GHz
- Restores the original position of the “.?123″ key on the iPad keyboard
- Fixes an issue where subtitles may not appear in some video apps
- Addresses an issue where Bluetooth could become unavailable
Apple iOS 12.1 IPSW: Group Facetime, Dual Sim Support and Emoji
Now that you read the official changelog let’s what these new features entail. Previously Apple’s highly acclaimed video conference service, Facetime, could only work between 2 people. So you will understand how monumental this change is when now in iOS 12.1 you will be able to simultaneously connect with up to 31 other people for a group call. Moreover, now all your communication over facetime would end-to-end encrypted meaning its more secure now. For convenience, Apple has also made it so that anyone can join and leave during a call.
There is also the addition of 70 new emojis if that is something you use often, however, the more important addition is the support for dual sim. The recently released, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR feature Dual SIM with a nano-SIM and an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that allows you to activate a cellular plan from your carrier without having to use a physical nano-SIM. This feature was advertised heavily with the launch of the aforementioned phones, however, they were not supported until now. So yes you can now use 2 numbers on your iPhone as long as its one of the 3 recently launched iPhones.
This is all for now, let us know if you have any questions or thoughts in the comments below.