It’s about time! It took a few weeks longer than promised but Apple have at last put out a new upgrade to its iOS 7.1. It should be your first order of business to upgrade your iPhone and iPad, not to mention that this update comes accompanied by a bunch of neat new tweaks and improvements.
First and foremost comes CarPlay, formally referred to as iOS in the Car. With iOS 7.1 your iPhone now solidifies its support for better reception in its in-car calling, tweaks to music reception, maps and messaging through Siri. Better yet, Apple’s way cool Digital Assistant now offers users more natural-sounding voices speaking U.K. English, Australian English, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. Additionally, you’ll be able to make impulse purchases to your heart’s content and purchase albums off your iTunes Radio Now Playing List.
After some criticism from the security geeks out there, TouchID now offers a better biometric reader for improved fingerprint recognition. As stealing iPhones on the street is the most ‘popular’ crime committed on American streets, being up to snuff is de riguer.
As I use my camera a lot, there’s a very useful HDR mode setting that includes a setting that enables HDR improvement for anyone using iPhone 5S and up. Hi-def res? Can’t beat that with a baseball bat.
Do you use too many devices simultaneously? FaceTime call notifications can now be automatically cleared when you answer a call on a different device. This will at least streamline and simplify some of your issues.
If you’re as dependent on your calendar as I am every blessed morning, Calendar now offers an improved ‘gets back’ list view on its month view. You can also have city and country and add specific holiday and explanatory notes for various locations.
There are also improvements in accessibility options that have been adapted to allow the use of a far bolder font, darker (and therefore clearer) keyboard and app icons. You’ve also got the advantage of reduced motion options in the Parallax Motion feature, which applies to weather, messages and multitasking user interface animations.
The devices eligible for this upgrade to iOS 7.1 include iPhone 4a, iPad 2 and 5th generation iPod touch devices. To set the update in motion, please follow these instructions.
1. Tap your ‘Settings’ icon: It looks like a giant gear!
2. Tap ‘General.’
3. Tap ‘Software Update.’ Please take note: You have to be connected via Wi-Fi to get the update. If you’re not already, swipe upward from the bottom, tap the ‘Wi-Fi’ icon to connect and swipe down when you’re finished.
4. Tap ‘Download and Install’ beneath the iOS 7.1 update alert.
5. Tap ‘Agree’ to the new Terms and Conditions. This will trigger your download and a progress bar will show you how much time you have to wait.
6. Tap ‘Install.’ Your phone will restart. A progress bar will inform you how much time you have left.
Downloading and installation time will vary, depending on the quality of your Wi-Fi connection and how many people are accessing Apple’s servers.
