Apple previews iOS 11.3, including battery health, new Animoji, and medical records (Updated)

In a rare step likely forced by the iPhone-slowing battery debacle, Apple today offered a public “preview” of the spring release of iOS 11.3, including a new battery health monitor and other features. Notably, the battery health functionality will come in “a later iOS 11.3 beta release” rather than the initial beta, which is scheduled to be released today.

According to Apple, iPhone 6 and later models will gain “new features to show battery health and recommend if a battery needs to be serviced.” For iPhone 6 through iPhone 7 Plus models, but apparently not iPhone 8 or X models, users will also be able to see if dynamic performance management — the feature that can dramatically slow down battery-impaired iPhones in the name of stopping random shutdowns — is turned on, and manually turn it off.