Apple just dropped the iOS 11 beta 4 for developers worldwide, and it brings quite a few changes in tow. This time around, Apple tweaked the Night Shift, unleashed new icons for default apps, and brought back the ‘swipe to dismiss’ functionality for notifications on the lock screen.
With big changes made in the beta 3, we were prepared for minor tweaks in this week’s update, however, the smartphone giant has taken us pleasantly by surprise by introducing some major design changes in the fourth beta of iOS 11.
The biggest highlight of this week’s update is the revamped app icons for Notes, Contacts, and Reminders. Although the changes made are relatively subtle, it points towards Apple adding more consistency and detail to the app icons.
One of the best features to have been added in the iOS 11 is the new lock screen notifications system. Similar to older versions of the iOS, you can again swipe to dismiss notifications. Other features introduced in the beta 4 include customizable Control Center, peer-to-peer Apple Pay payments in the Messages app, and a new Do Not Disturb feature designed to help users stay focused while driving. Siri, Photos, and the Camera app also seem to be receiving minor refinements and more features.
The beta 4 is currently available for download to only registered developers and will eventually roll out to the public beta channel. We are still a few months away from the official launch of the iOS 11 in September.
Meanwhile, Google has announced the fourth and final Android O Developer Preview today. As usual, the preview is first available to devices like the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, and the Android Emulator. Since this is the last preview, we can expect the initial roll out of the Android O to similar to the latest preview update.
This fourth preview brings in some new and refined features introduced in the developer preview 3. Google has now gone back to bringing in notification dots with adaptive colouring, and there will also be no notifications for media apps. The latest update also includes smaller text on the lock screen.
The highlight of this final preview is the easter egg which is nothing but a moving octopus on-screen. Although we don’t know the purpose of this octopus, it grows in size each time the easter egg is opened, and we have to wait for the final Android O release to figure out what it exactly is.
The devices enrolled in the beta will automatically receive the Android O when it will be launched later this summer.
