Apple has published detailed release notes for the iOS 4.2 updates released yesterday.
In addition to listing those new features which had already been widely publicised — AirPlay, AirPrint and iPad folders and multitasking — the release notes reveal improvements to FaceTime on the iPhone and new iPod touch and a long list of enhancements to the iPad.
FaceTime users can now initiate calls with voice control or from a text message, and calls can now be made using Bluetooth accessories. iOS 4.2 for iPhone and iPod touch also provides new SMS/MSS tones, with the ability to set different tones for each contact, and new parental controls.
The list of iPad iOS 4.2 changes is much longer because this is the first version of iOS 4 that runs on the largest of Apple’s mobile devices. They include Mail’s unified inbox and threaded messages and support for opening attachments in third-party apps, as well as Game Center, improved location privacy, the new parental controls and enhancements to enterprise features, notably Microsoft Exchange, third-party mobile device management tools and wireless distribution of enterprise apps.
Apple has also tweaked Safari’s search, with the addition of inline find, a much requested feature. When a search term is entered, the list of web results is appended with suitable matches on the currently displayed web page — as the image shows. Inline find is implemented on all three iOS devices.
Both updates are available via iTunes.
