iOS 9.3: New Specs & Features

What will you see in Apple iOS 9.3? (Getty)

After six released betas of iOS 9.3, the new OS is finally here. It’s going to feature a number of great improvements that are getting Apple fans excited. And thankfully, it won’t be limiting the Apple Pencil functionality as originally feared. In fact, the new iOS 9.3 is already available.

Here’s what you need to know.

Night Shift Will Reduce Eye Strain

The new iOS 9.3 will bring some much-needed changes, including reducing eye strain. When you’re using an iPhone, especially at night, eye strain can be a huge issue. The new OS has Night Shift, a Flux-like feature that adjusts the color temperature of your phone’s display so that eye strain is diminished. In fact, you can set night shift to automatically adjust the colors on your display at night, so it doesn’t disrupt your sleep and increase eye strain.

According to iOS 9.3 beta testers, Night Shift and Flux appear to be about the same tint. But some may find the brightness of Night Shift may still too bright for reading before bed. Night Shift may not work in low power mode, but it doesn’t seem to put too much a strain on the iPhone’s battery.

Additional Enhancements Include Touch ID Notes & Better Security

Things don’t end with Night Shift. The new iOS will feature Touch ID Notes and Wi-Fi calling for Verizon. It will also have new CarPlay features. You’ll also get full screen video in podcasts and Apple Music for iPad. A double arrow in the top-right corner lets you use the full-screen option.

Apple is improving the security of its Notes app, allowing you to password protect your Notes and unlock them using Touch ID. To do this, just tap the lock button in Share Actions and choose a passphrase. This won’t show up on your device until you update it.

There were a lot of rumors that 9.3 would have even greater security enhancements, and we’re not sure yet what happened with those rumors. Beta testers reported that if you have 2FA enabled, Apple will encrypt iCloud data against the user device’s passcode beginning with 9.3. This means that Apple would no longer have the key to decrypt iCloud backups. This would be a huge step for Apple, likely precipitated by recent events with the FBI. We haven’t heard news that this is available on the released 9.3, however.

The Apple Pencil Will Keep Full Functionality

Apple Pencil functionality is here to stay. One of the biggest questions on fans’ minds is whether the new iPad will support Apple Pencil. The answer is yes. The iPad will have updated display technology to support the Pencil, 9to5Mac reported. Just recently, Apple fans were becoming upset about the Apple Pencil after new betas took away a lot of the Pencil’s functionality. Apple released a statement that the newest beta would restore all the Pencil’s functionality and there was never a plan to limit what the Pencil could do.