iOS 10.3 Adds Cinema Mode, Battery Bug Fix; Apple To Release 24 Updates Before iOS 11 September Debut [Video]
According the Forbes, in a pair of tweets, famed Apple leaker Sonny Dickson revealed once again he has his finger on the pulse as he revealed iOS 10.3 will begin testing on January 10th. Sonny also said the release will centre on the introduction of a new feature called 'Theatre Mode'.
Theatre Mode will be added to the Control Center on iPhones and iPads and its icon will be popcorn shaped. Little is known at this stage how Theatre Mode will work.
As the name suggests, it could be related to movie playback, but instead Dickson believes it is going to be a form of enhanced Dark Mode. The introduction of this will be a welcome addition for many Apple users who like to watch movies and video clips using their devices.
The patent that was filed in 2012 explains that the new mode could disable the ringer, switch off notifications for incoming calls and messages, and dim the screen when watching movie. The mode could be enabled manually or also activated automatically using GPS coordinates and WiFi base station triangulation to determine the location of the iPhone.
Apart from this possible "cinema mode," iPad and iPhone users are primarily hoping that the iOS 10.3 will solve the battery issue that has recently bugged several Apple devices. A recent software update reportedly drained batteries of iPhones and this led to shutdowns even when some still had 30 percent battery left.
Many Apple device users are hopeful that the next iOS update will introduce fixes to the problems in the previous software. However, Forbes report also mentioned that, Apple is clearly intent on delivering iOS 10 updates at a breakneck pace.
iOS 10.3 will be the eighth iOS 10 update in four months. A release rate that is faster than any iOS generation in history and would put Apple on course for 24 iOS 10 updates before iOS 11 debuts in September 2017.