The iOS 14.4 beta that was introduced today didnāt appear to include any new features, but an accompanying HomePod 14.4 beta will introduce new HomePod mini functionality that takes advantage of the U1 ultra wideband chip in the device.
The āHomePodā beta software is not made available to developers like iOS and macOS software and is instead provided to a limited number of Apple-selected testers. One of those testers shared the details on Reddit, along with screenshots, which were highlighted on the MacRumors forums.
When the āHomePod miniā launched, Apple said that an update ālater this yearā would bring visual, audible, and haptic effects when songs are transferred from one device to another. Personalized listening suggestions are also designed to appear on the iPhone when next to the āHomePod miniā, complete with instant controls that are available without having to unlock the āiPhoneā.
According to the Redditor, when an āiPhoneā is near the āHomePod miniā, it begins a soft haptic touch rhythm that gets faster and faster as the āiPhoneā gets closer until the interface to transfer a song between the āHomePod miniā and the āiPhoneā opens.
Starts the process when youāre like⦠12ā away from the āHomePodā? When it works correctly. First beta is pretty buggy and may not be the best one to explain
Basically when your phone gets 12ā away from the āHomePodā the banner shows and any minuscule phone movements result in haptic feedback which gets stronger as you move towards the āHomePodā. If you move away it gets weaker, get too far away and it stops and the banner goes away.
Get closer and closer and the haptics will get stronger until itās so close that you must purposely be doing it and want to engage in handoff, at which point the banner expands into the full platter shown in the last photo.
This functionality will make handoff quicker and more reliable on a āHomePod miniā and an iPhone 11 or iPhone 12, all of which are equipped with U1 chips that let the devices better understand where they are in relation to one another.Related Roundup: HomePod miniBuyer’s Guide: HomePod Mini (Buy Now)
This article, “Upcoming HomePod 14.4 Software Update to Add New HomePod Mini U1 Features” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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