Apple began rolling out iOS 15.4 earlier this week, along with iPadOS 15.4, watchOS 8.5, macOS Monterey 12.3, tvOS 15.4, and HomePod Software 15.4. More information about the update can be found here, but the most notable feature is the ability to unlock your phone with Face ID while wearing a mask. A nice gesture for people who don't possess an Apple Watch - Face ID with a mask was first introduced in iOS 14.5 last year for iPhone users who also owned an Apple Watch. However, the new Face ID only works on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models, and it is slower and less secure. So consider that a partial victory.
The lack of feature availability may be the least of iOS 15.4's problems, as an increasing number of consumers are experiencing poor battery life following the OTA. Things like the iPhone 13 Pro Max have a half-day battery life. Alternatively, an earlier iPhone 11 loses 80 percent of its battery charge in 24 hours with two hours of screen on time. As well as other comparable stories.
Of course, this is not a universal problem, and some temporary battery issues are to be expected following an update. And, while iOS 15.4 may not appear to be a significant update, it supposedly includes 39 vulnerability patches. Still, these battery drain estimates appear to be a little excessive. Some customers believe Apple has begun to use the maximum 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate far more frequently. It seems believable, but it can't be the whole storey because ProMotion is only available on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, and these aren't the only devices affected. Let's hope the problems are rectified quickly.
Aside from the unfortunate battery issues, iOS 15.4 includes over 100 new emoji from the Emoji 14.0 set, a new voice option for Siri as well as the ability to provide time and date information offline, EU Digital COVID Certificate support in vaccine cards in Apple Wallet, improvements to Safari web page translations with support for Italian and Chinese, Podcasts app improvements, and much more.
