Apple released a number of new beta versions for developers last night, including iOS 14.4. The HomePod mini is the main beneficiary of the update.
Apple released the first beta of iOS 14.4 yesterday. However, the build seems to contain few new features. It focuses more on bug fixes and performance improvements. But the HomePod mini benefits.
iOS 14.4: Apple delivers improved Handoff experience
HomePod betas are usually not made available to the public but only to selected developers. One of these testers has now Reddit reported. In iOS 14.4 – for iPhone and HomePod mini – the Handoff experience is significantly improved. This is due to the built-in U1 chip. When the HomePod mini was introduced, Apple stated that an update “later this year” would bring visual, audible, and haptic effects when transferring songs from one device to another. Personalized listening suggestions should also appear on the iPhone when the device is placed next to the HomePod mini. Controls are immediately available without having to unlock the iPhone. Now the time has come. This very feature is set to arrive in iOS 14.4. According to the tester, the iPhone begins to give gentle haptic feedback near the HomePod mini, which becomes faster the closer the iPhone gets to the small Siri speaker.
Which devices benefit from this Handoff experience?
As soon as iOS 14.4 is released to the public, devices that have a U1 chip will benefit from it. As a reminder, ultra-wideband (UWB) is a short-range wireless technology that uses less power but allows for very precise location determination - especially indoors. The so-called U1 chip was originally introduced in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. Today it can be found in iPhone 12 models, the Apple Watch Series 6 and the HomePod mini. Accordingly, only two iPhone generations will benefit from the new feature for the time being. (Image: Apple)
