Apple has released the fourth version of iOS 15.4 in beta last week. , This indicates we are close to the public release date. It is said to have a gender-neutral Siri voice option and anti-stalking notifications for AirTags, among other things. Moreover, New emoji, Face ID upgrades, and the long-awaited debut of Universal Control are also said to be included in the update.
Anti-Stalking Feature:-
In the newest beta of iOS 15.4, AirTags acquire Apple’s promised anti-stalking features. The ability of Apple’s miniature personal trackers to correctly locate the whereabouts of a personal item such as luggage or keys has resulted in high demand. Regrettably, there have been several reports of people utilizing AirTags to stalk others. Bad actors can trace the position of their victims by placing an AirTag on an unsuspecting person.
Apple was fast to respond to the privacy concerns raised by AirTags, announcing a slew of new security features. The corporation has indicated that it will supply law enforcement with a suspicious AirTag’s Apple ID. Aside from that, Apple has announced many improvements that will make it more difficult to utilize AirTags for criminal purposes. When a user receives a notice regarding an unfamiliar device, they can utilize the loudest tone to assist them to recognise an AirTag. Apple will also employ Precision Finding to inform consumers of unwanted trackers tracking them. This will allow iPhone users to find an AirTag that does not belong to them but is on their property with accuracy. Unfortunately, the feature will be available on the iPhone 11, 12, and 13.
In iOS 15.4, Apple also addresses the perplexing “unknown accessory detected” notice that has caused customers to worry. This signal has been sent to iPhone users who are traveling with unknown AirPods and third-party gadgets, but the ambiguous language prompted many to fear they were being monitored by an AirTag. Apple will now inform customers of the precise attachment that has been spotted nearby to make things simpler. Users will also no longer be able to turn off safety alarms when a tracker is discovered in iOS 15.4.
Gender-neutral voice option for Siri:-
Apple has created a new Siri voice that doesn’t sound masculine or feminine, and it’s currently accessible in the beta version. The tech giant has taken another step away from the accusation that digital assistants have traditionally reinforced unjust gender stereotypes by introducing a gender-neutral voice.
Industry analysts and experts have argued for years that the advent of voice assistants with female-sounding names — such as Alexa, Siri, and Cortana — who also speak with female-sounding voices, signaled that women should be the ones to do your bidding at any time and sometimes even take your insults. A United Nations survey also singled out female voiced-assistants for their meek, flirtatious, and coy demeanors.
Developer Steve Mosser discovered a connection to a gender-neutral Siri voice in earlier iterations of the iOS 15.4 beta, but this week he observed that the fifth American Siri voice, with the filename “Quinn,” was introduced to Beta 4.
Quinn is a gender-neutral name of Irish origins that has been used for both girls and boys over the years. The filenames of the voices aren’t displayed end-users; instead, they’re referred to in the user interface as Voice 1, Voice 2, Voice 3, and so on.
Apple commissioned a member of the LGBTQ+ community to record the new voice. Its natural sounds are provided by Neutral Text to Speech (Neural TTS) technology. Neural TTS is used by all English-speaking voices, as well as voices in six languages (French, Korean, German, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese ). While going to set up your device and selecting their favorite Siri voice, Siri users have a total of 16 languages to pick from.
In the transfer of dialogues on the new Siri voice, an Apple spokesman stated, “We’re delighted to launch a new Siri voice for English speakers, providing people more options to pick a voice that speaks to them.”
“As part of Apple’s long-standing commitment to producing services and products that better represent the variety of the world we live in, we released two additional voices and eliminated the set voice default last year.”
“We aim to make the experience seem as customized as possible because millions of people across the world rely on Siri every day to help them get things done,” he stated.
How can I get the iOS 15.4 beta?
To get started, you’ll need to join Apple’s Beta Software Program. When you’re in the program, go to Apple and get the configuration profile. The current beta version should be available by navigating to Settings > General > Software update and selecting Download and Install.
Due to the unstable behavior and bugs in beta versions, we only suggest this to be installed on a tester or secondary device.
Conclusion:-
Apple hasn’t just concentrated on Siri’s voice when it comes to inclusivity, but on what the virtual assistant says. Apple has included Siri replies regarding Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate during the last several years, as well as forceful answers to abusive gender or sexuality-based comments. Speak Screen, Dictation, and Voice Control are among Apple’s more accessible voice functions. Also, the Anti-Stalking feature will add great value to users in the coming update.