Apple Releases New Betas for iOS and AirPods
Apple has released the beta for iOS 26.4 ahead of a scheduled event on March 4. Concurrently, the company issued new beta firmware for AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Pro 3, which is now available to the public for feedback. The updates are expected to improve connectivity and audio quality across the devices.
- The March 4th "special Apple Experience" will be held simultaneously in New York, London, and Shanghai, with speculation pointing to a series of press release announcements in the days leading up to the hands-on events. - Rumors for the March 4th event include the launch of a new, colorful, low-cost "MacBook E", a new affordable iPhone 17e, and updated models of the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iPad. - The iOS 26.4 beta introduces several new features, including support for video podcasts in the Apple Podcasts app, AI-generated playlists in Apple Music called "Playlist Playground," and end-to-end encryption for RCS messages. - For the first time, third-party AI services like ChatGPT and Gemini will be accessible through CarPlay in iOS 26.4, allowing users to interact with these chatbots hands-free. - The new AirPods beta firmware is exclusive to models with the H2 chip, which includes AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Pro 3. - Features being tested in the AirPods beta firmware are expected to refine functionalities introduced with iOS 26, such as improved voice isolation for clearer calls, camera remote controls, and smoother automatic switching with CarPlay. - Stolen Device Protection is now enabled by default in the iOS 26.4 beta, enhancing security for iPhone users. - The AirPods beta firmware unifies the build number for the supported models to 8B5034f, a common practice for Apple during beta testing phases.
