Today, Apple announced that it will be releasing iOS 12.1 tomorrow, and it will be supported by all devices that support iOS 12. The update includes a range of new features for all devices.
For one thing, there are 70 new emoji included in iOS 12.1. These include characters with red and white hair, curly hair, and no hair, making the selection of characters more inclusive as usual. There"s also a cupcake, a kangaroo, a lacrosse stick, and much more.
Another new feature is Group FaceTime calling, so you"ll finally be able to video chat with multiple people at the same time. This feature was originally in the iOS 12 betas, but it was scrapped in favor of iOS 12.1. It will automatically detect who is speaking and highlight that person, and people can join the call without being disruptive by adding a silent notification. As always, the calls are end-to-end encrypted.
Naturally, there are new features that are exclusive to the iPhone Xs, Xs Max, and Xr as well, including Depth Control and Dual SIM. Depth Control adds to the ability that the devices have where you can adjust the blur after taking the picture. Now, you"ll be able to do it in preview. Dual SIM is exactly what it sounds like, allowing users to use two SIMs at once, one of them physical and one of them an eSIM.
iOS 12.1 will roll out on October 30 at 10am Pacific Time. Presumably, it will be accompanied by watchOS 5.1 and tvOS 12.1. macOS 10.14.1 Mojave doesn"t seem to be on the same schedule, but that"s a possibility as well.