Latest iOS 12.2 Beta Indicates AirPod 2 Siri Support, Subscription News Service Coming

Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 12.2 to developers Tuesday. The update indicated Siri support for the AirPods 2 and a forthcoming subscription Apple News Service. It also included new Animoji, extended Apple News to Canada and introduced AirPlay 2 and HomeKit TV support for third-party TVs (via MacRumors).

Apple News Developments

Some of the features in the new beta had been seen before in an earlier beta version. For example, it seems pretty clear now that Canada will join those in the U.S., UK, and Australia in having access to the curated Apple News service in iOS 12.2. Articles will be available in both English and French. We also knew HomeKit TV support was coming. However, there were also indications of the expected Apple News subscription service in the latest beta.

Controversial AT&T 5G Claims

Somewhat controversially, some AT&T users saw a new “5G E” in the 12.2 beta. The iPhone does not yet support 5G, while AT&T does not yet have a fully 5G network. Earlier in February, Sprint said it was suing AT&T for this branding.

Icons and Animoji

Apple Pay Cash and the Wallet app have been giving an update in the new beta version. This is perhaps not a surprise, given Apple is expected to put more focus on financial services in the future. Other icons had been tweaked too, and Downtime was customizable by day.

The latest beta also had new Animoji for use in Messages and Facetime. These include a shark, a giraffe, a boar and an owl.

The iOS 12.2 beta can be downloaded by registered developers from the Developer Center.

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