Apple’s iOS 14.3 has arrived, giving iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max owners the ProRAW feature that was promised when the devices were announced. Other features in this update include search improvements for the Apple TV app, support for Fitness Plus — Apple’s new subscription-based workout service — and the recently announced AirPods Max headphones.
iPhones have long been able to capture RAW images, but doing so has meant giving up the benefits of all the computational magic that happens when shooting a standard image with the native camera app. ProRAW is designed to address that: it’s a format that combines the computational benefits of Apple’s image processing with the post-processing flexibility of a RAW file.
In iOS 14.3, Apple is flipping the ProRAW “on” switch for iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max — and those two devices only. With the update installed, ProRAW image capture and editing will be enabled in the native camera and photos apps.
This update also addresses an irritating bug where some users weren’t getting notifications for new incoming messages. And on the lighter side, Siri gets an update with hundreds of animal, instruments, and vehicle sounds. The new feature works on HomePod, iPhones and iPads; just ask Siri what sound a humpback whale makes and you’ll get a demonstration. If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, you’ll also get a visual to go along with the audio.
As 9to5Mac points out, 14.3 also makes it easier to customize app icons since home screen shortcuts no longer need to open the Shortcuts app. Other iOS 14.3 highlights include the ability to record video at 25fps, updates to Apple TV app search and a new Apple TV Plus tab, front-facing camera mirroring in still photos for devices from the iPhone 6S and newer, and new Cycle Tracking features in the Health app.
