Apple iOS 7.1 arrives with some important updates

Apple has released the new iOS 7.1 update which includes several important changes, including Apple’s CarPlay.

CarPlay

Apple CarPlay allows you to interact with iOS 7 through your car (only in select vehicles). This new feature was announced last year at WWDC. CarPlay will allow users to send and receive messages, make phones call and interact with Siri using a dashboard touchscreen.

 

CarPlay has been on display at the Geneva Motor Show with Ferrari, Hyundai, Honda, Volvo and Mercedes Benz, all of which have confirmed that they will be releasing cars with CarPlay this year.

Call Screen

The other major update you may have already noticed is the update to Apple’s calling screen which used to have a ‘swipe to answer’ display but it has now been replaced with simple ‘hang up’ or ‘answer’ buttons (see below). 

Calendar

The Calendar has been reverted back to the favoured iOS 6 layout which allows you to see events in ‘Month’ format (see below).

 

Siri

This iOS 7.1 update allows users to decide when Siri should stop listening. Before the update Siri would try to detect when you stopped talking and quickly provide an answer, which could be annoying if you got cut off and had to continuously re-ask the question. Now, when you talk to Siri you have to hold down the home button and simply release when you’ve finished.

This update also includes “more natural soundings” voice options for Siri’s UK English, Australian English, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese voices.

Other changes

Smaller changes to the iOS 7.1 update include changes to FaceTime, Mail, the camera and iTunes as well as a few interface tweaks.

iOS 7.1 is now available for download!