Earlier this week, Apple launched a brand new 9.7-inch iPad, and, a day later, released iOS 11.3 for the new device ahead of the public launch for both the software and the hardware.

Now, on what is expected to be the wide release of iOS 11.3, developer Pierre Blazquez has published several images on the social network Twitter, all of which reportedly include the release notes for iOS 11.3. These were allegedly obtained directly from Apple’s servers, but, as always, without an official announcement on Apple’s part, take all of this with a grain of salt or two.

That being said, if these are indeed accurate release notes for the upcoming software update, there are a couple of interesting aspects. First, to get it out of the way, all of the things we expected to find in iOS 11.3 –thanks to the beta seeds ahead of the public launch– are right there, including the new Animoji for iPhone X owners, the new battery health feature (which will remain in a beta version even with the public release of iOS 11.3), and the addition of ARKit 1.5, which will include new features for the augmented reality platform.

Here are the final Release Notes for iOS 11.3 😊 (English version, French version is on @Mac4ever!) #Apple #iOS #iPhone #iPad #Leak pic.twitter.com/ftGY3iBG9E

— Pierre Blazquez (@pierre_blzqz) March 29, 2018

There are some noteworthy omissions, though. As noted today by MacRumors, the release notes do not include any mention of Messages on iCloud, the feature that Apple announced back in September of last year, which will allow better syncing of iMessages across devices by way of iCloud. That feature was actually switched on in the later betas of iOS 11.3 and macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, so it’s curious that it’s being left out of the final release.

Unsurprisingly, though, is the fact that AirPlay 2 is not listed in these release notes. Apple launched the feature in January of this year, with one of the early beta seeds of iOS 11.3, but in February removed the feature altogether. There is no word on when this new feature will be officially rolled out, but if these release notes are any indicator, it won’t be with the public launch of iOS 11.3.

Here is the list of new features noted in the release notes for the upcoming iOS 11.3:

Augmented Reality

• ARKit 1.5 allows developers to place virtual objects on vertical surfaces, such as walls and doors, as well as on horizontal surfaces.
• Supports the detection and integration of images, such as movie posters or works, into augmented reality experiences.
• The real-world view perceived through the camera has a higher resolution as part of the augmented reality experience.

iPhone Battery Health (Beta)

• Displays the maximum capacity and optimal battery performance capability of the iPhone.
• Indicates whether the Performance Management feature, which dynamically handles maximum performance to avoid unexpected shutdowns, is enabled, and provides an option to disable it.
• Recommends replacing the battery when necessary.
• To learn more about batteries and performance, visit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208387

iPad Charging Management

• Maintains battery status when the iPad is plugged in for extended periods of time, such as when used in a kiosk or point-of-sale system, or stored in a charging cart.

Animoji

• Four new Animoji available on the iPhone X: lion, bear, dragon and skull.

Privacy

• When an Apple feature wants to use your personal information, an icon now appears with a link to access detailed information about how your data will be used and protected.

Business Chat (Beta) — US Only

• Communicate with companies to easily ask questions, schedule appointments, and make purchases inside the built-in Messages app on iPhone and iPad.

Health Records (Beta) — US Only

• Access health records and view lab results, immunizations, and more in a consolidated timeline in the Health app.

Apple Music

• Provides a new experience in video clips, including a Revised Video Clips section featuring exclusive video playlists.
• Find friends with similar tastes through Apple Music’s improved suggestions, which list the genres that the users and mutual friends follow.

News

• The main titles now always appear first in “For You.”
• Watch the best videos selected by News editors.

App Store

• Four options now allow you to sort the customer reviews on the product pages: the most useful, the most favorable, the most critical or the most recent.
• The Updates tab now shows the version of the app and the size of the file.

Safari

• Promotes the protection of privacy by notifying usernames and passwords until they have been selected in a web form field.
• Presents warnings in the smart search field when the user interacts with password entry forms or credit card data on unencrypted web pages.
• Automatic filling of usernames and passwords is now available in apps’ web views.
• By default, articles shared via Mail from Safari are now formatted using Reader mode, if the drive is available.
• In Favorites, folders now have icons for the bookmarks they contain.

Keyboards

• Adds two Shuangpin keyboard layouts.
• Supports connected physical keyboards using Turkish F layout.
• Improves Chinese and Japanese keyboards for better accessibility on devices with a 4.7-inch or 5.5-inch screen.
• Allows you to return to the keyboard with a simple touch after the dictation.
• Fixes a problem that could cause the capitalization of the first letter of some words by the automatic correction feature.
• Fixes an issue on the iPad Pro that prevented the iPad Smart Keyboard from working after connecting to a captive Wi-Fi hotspot.
• Fixes a problem that could cause undesirable activation of the digital layout on the Thai keyboard in landscape mode.

Accessibility

• The App Store now supports accessibility options “Bold Text” and “Large Font” for customizing the display.
• Smart Reversal now supports images on the web and in Mail messages.
• Enhances the RTT experience and supports RTT service for T-Mobile.
• Improves app selection on the iPad for VoiceOver users and selection control.
• Corrects a problem with the incorrect description of the Bluetooth status icon and the Bluetooth icon by VoiceOver.
• Fixes a problem that may prevent the end of call button from appearing in the Phone app when using VoiceOver.
• Fixes an issue preventing access to an app’s built-in ranking with VoiceOver.
• Fixes a problem that may cause distorted audio playback when using real-time listening.

Other Enhancements and Fixes

• Supports AML technology, which provides more accurate location data to emergency services during an emergency call (in countries where this technology is available).
• Supports software authentication, which provides developers with a new way to create and activate HomeKit-compatible accessories.
• Podcasts now plays episodes with a single tap, and you can tap Details to learn more about each one.
• Improves search performance for users with long notes in Contacts.
• Improves the performance of Handoff and the universal clipboard when both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
• Fixes a problem that may prevent incoming calls from activating the screen.
• Fixes a problem that may prevent or prevent voicemail playback.
• Fixes an issue that prevents opening a web link in Messages.
• Fixes a problem that may prevent users from returning to Mail after previewing an attachment to a message.
• Fixes a problem that could cause the deleted screen to reappear on the locked screen.
• Fixes a problem that can cause the time and notifications to disappear on the locked screen.
• Fixes an issue that prevents parents from using Face ID for approving purchase authorization requests.
• Fixes a problem that could prevent updating of the current weather conditions in Weather.
• Fixes a problem that could prevent the synchronization of contacts with a vehicle directory when connected via Bluetooth.
• Fixes a problem that may prevent an audio app from playing content in a vehicle while it was in the background.

iOS 11.3 is expected to arrive for iOS devices later today.

Our Take

There is no way of knowing if these release notes are the real deal just yet, but, we should find out soon as Apple will more than likely launch iOS 11.3 to the public later today. Tomorrow, Friday, March 30, is a holiday in the United States, so it wouldn’t make much sense to launch the software update on that date.

Are you looking forward to iOS 11.3?