Apple news: iOS 11.3 brings ARKit 1.5, health records feature, improved battery life statistics, new animoji, and more

Apple to release new iOS 11.3 update for its products this coming springReuters/ Regis Duvignau

Many iPhone users got a glimpse of the upcoming iOS 11.3 update with a short preview by Apple. New features and performance improvements are coming to iPhones this spring.

The 11.3 update brings the ARKit 1.5 to improve the augmented reality (AR) function of the smartphone. Apple wrote the ARKit 1.5 will provide "even more immersive AR experiences that better integrate with the world and giving them the tools to power a new generation of AR apps."

The Health application is also getting an upgrade with Apple adding a function able to keep track of health and medical records such as allergies, clinical vitals, conditions, immunizations, lab results, and more. The battery life and entire performance of iPhones are also getting upgrades this spring. The update will provide detailed battery health statistics to help users monitor the condition of their battery and to determine if it "needs to be serviced." A power management feature is also coming for users to manipulate and balance the full extent of their smartphones' maximum performance.

New animoji characters are also coming to messages. Lion, dragon, bear, and skull animoji are coming to the iPhone X. There are also changes coming to various applications with 11.3 slated to go live this spring. Some big changes are also coming to music videos, Apple Music, Apple News, Homekit, and more.

There will also be a new function wherein the "Support for Advanced Mobile Location (AML) to automatically send a user's current location when making a call to emergency services in countries where AML is supported."

According to Wccftech, 11.3 will determine if Apple has fully addressed major issues of previous operating system updates with improved power and system management.

The 11.3 operating system update will be available for iPhone 5s as well all iPad Pro and iPad Air. Owners of iPod Touch 6th generation and iPad Mini 2 and later editions will be able to download the update.

Apple reminded its users that "some features may not be available on all devices or in all regions or all languages."