iOS 4.3 adds Wi-Fi hotspot capability, boosts Safari performance

By Nick Mokey Published March 2, 2011

Along with a slimmer, faster iPad 2, Apple used Wednesday press event in San Francisco to launch a long-awaited iOS 4.3 update. The firmware upgrade will introduce personal Wi-Fi hotspot capability, AirPlay enhancements, better Java performance in Safari, and more.

Personal hotspot capability will allow iPhone 4 users to share a 3G connection with other devices via Wi-Fi, matching a long-standing ability of Google’s Android. It will support up to five devices at once: three Wi-Fi, one Bluetooth and one USB. Of course, Apple (and carriers) haven’t yet announced what it will cost users for the privilege.

Recommended Videos

Along the same Web-surfing lines, Apple has tuned up Safari with its Nitro JavaScript engine, a feature the company has touted on the desktop version of the browser for years. Apple claims it will double the speed of JavaScript execution, which should help speed up browsing on sophisticated sites that make heavy use of JavaScript.

Media sharing between iPhones, iPad and other devices will also become easier with improvements to AirPlay and iTunes sharing. The AirPlay update will allow users to stream data from third-party apps and websites, allowing an Apple TV to play music from say, an iPhone 4 running the Slacker app. Apple TV will also play previews from iTunes and videos from the Photos app, and photo slideshows on the device will get the benefit of new slideshow transition effects.

Home media sharing features will allow music and video to seamlessly stream back and forth between iOS devices when they’re connected via Wi-Fi, playing music stored on an iPod Touch, for instance, from a nearby iPad.

Finally, for iPad users, iOS 4.3 will allow the lock switch to function as a mute button, and introduce FaceTime support for use with the front- and rear-facing cameras in the iPad 2. Besides basic video chat capabilities, users will be able to add effects to video on the fly, like simulated infrared vision and distortion.

Apple will launch the iOS 4.3 update on March 11, the same day the iPad 2 ships, for free. It will run on the iPhone 3GS and 4, iPad and iPad 2, and third- and fourth-generation iPod Touch devices.

Topics

Editor in Chief

As Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team covering every gadget under the sun, along with…

Mobile

How to use iOS 18 FaceTime gestures (and what they look like)

Video reactions in macOS Sonoma, with the balloons effect in use.

Apple iOS 17 brought FaceTime gestures to the iPhone last year, livening up the FaceTime experience for all users. FaceTime gestures are even more useful now with iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence. Once it’s set up correctly, you’ll be able to send 3D animations to your friends and family during FaceTime video calls. You’ll even be able to trigger the animations with physical gestures.

Getting your phone ready for action doesn’t take much time or effort, but we put this guide together to walk you through the process nonetheless.
How to make a FaceTime gesture in iOS 18

Mobile

I hate the new Photos app in iOS 18

Photos app on iOS 18.

When Apple launched the iPhone 16 line, it also released iOS 18 to the masses after months of betas. Though the biggest feature of iOS 18 is Apple Intelligence, which didn’t actually launch until the iOS 18.1 release, there are plenty of other things that iOS 18 brings to the table. That includes RCS messaging, more home screen customization, a revamped Control Center, and more.

One app that got a significant redesign in iOS 18 is the Photos app. After around a decade of mostly the same design and what I would call muscle memory, the new Photos app is, well, quite jarring — and I'm not a fan.
The new Photos app is messy
The old Photos app Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

Mobile

A hidden iOS 18.1 upgrade made it harder to extract data from iPhones

A person holding the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

Apple Intelligence was the most notable upgrade that arrived on iPhones with the iOS 18 series of updates. But it seems Apple reinforced the security protocols in the background that could prevent bad actors from gaining unauthorized access to iPhones that haven’t been unlocked in a while by their legitimate owner.

Earlier this month, 404Media reported that law enforcement officials are troubled by iPhones that are mysteriously rebooting. Citing a report courtesy of officials in Michigan, the outlet notes that the reboots are hampering the ability to access what’s stored on the phones through brute-force unlock methods.