It has been a week since Apple made iOS 8.3 available to developers for beta testing. Even then, the update had several features that got past their sight. The newly-discovered features involve greater hands-free control on Siri and downloading free apps.
With iOS 8.3, users can ask Siri to make a call on speaker, which was not possible with iOS 8.2. The version of the personal assistant and knowledge navigator in the previous build disregards the "on speaker" command.
On the other hand, there is a new password setting for purchases and downloads that allows users to turn off the password requirements for free apps and downloads in the App store. This setting is especially beneficial to users of older devices who do not have Touch ID fingerprint sensors or those who like to go about their shopping without flashing their fingerprints for authorization.
The feature also puts up options "Always Require" and "Require After 15 Minutes" for users making purchases from the iTunes Store, App Store or iBooks Store. This one, however, is not new as it already exists in the Restrictions menu.
It is important to note though that the "Require Password" setting is currently unavailable in the beta. Tapping it would display a message that says "Cannot connect to iTunes Store." However, the final build should make it fully functional, or at least the penultimate beta will.
At the moment, Apple is on the third beta testing for the much-awaited iOS 8.3. There is a slew of cool new features waiting for Apple patrons. In the previous betas of the build, developers revealed the wireless CarPlay feature. It is also full of emoji goodies, offering a new emoji picker and ones with different skin tones. There are also new flags, the icons for the Apple Watch, and some other computer emoji are integrated there.
Lastly, Apple reworked the spacing of the keyboard so users will not accidentally tap the space bar when they mean to type in a period.
