Roger Fingas
The second beta of iOS 9.3 allows iPad Pro owners to update the firmware on some accessories by way of the Smart Connector, AppleInsider can confirm.
A German developer and iPad Pro owner, Stefan Wolfrum, recently noticed that the beta prompted him to update the firmware on his Logitech Create keyboard when he attached it, Cult of Mac reported. Doing so in fact solved problems the keyboard can experience with lag or dropped keystrokes.
The new support was later verified in testing by AppleInsider, using the same keyboard. Once an update is underway, the process should take under a minute with progress marked as a percentage.
Apple has previously advertised the Smart Connector's ability to transmit both power and data, but has never mentioned the possibility of updating firmware through it.
The second public beta of iOS 9.3 was released on Wednesday. Other features of the forthcoming update include more 3D Touch actions, individually encrypted notes, and a Night Shift mode that changes the color temperature of a display after sunset.
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2 Comments
I think we're just beginning to see the potential of the smart connector and the plans Apple has for it.
If it transmits data, why is it surprising that it can be used for firmware updates? A USB key can be used for firmware updates, as can almost any other mechanism or device that transmits data. The author of this article seems awfully excited about something which is so trivial and obvious it's really not worth reporting.
It's like somebody getting a new coffee mug and then weeks after the excitement has died down about his new mug, he calls all his friends and says "OMG!!! I just realized I can also drink TEA and HOT CHOCOLATE out of it!!!"