iOS 15.4 is set to release next week

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Next week, Apple will release its highly anticipated update. The update, which has been in alpha since January, comes with an array of exciting new features and improvements to the overall user experience.

It may become available as an update on March 18th, but Apple doesn't know an exact release date. On the same day Apple's new iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro with sleek green finishes are available. It would only make sense to launch the update on the same day that each phone ships with the new software.

The Face ID feature in the new version of the operating system works surprisingly well, and it's possible to use it on a phone with a mask on. If you have an Apple Watch, Apple tried to address the face mask issue by creating a feature that bypassed Face ID and instead verified your identity using it. The new update should make the process ofunlocking your phone a lot easier while wearing a mask and shouldn't require you to type in your password or have an Apple Watch strapped to your wrist.

With the new Tap to Pay feature, compatible phones will be turned into payment terminals. Square's card readers that plug directly into iPhones might be replaced by more merchants using their phones as digital cash register. Apple Pay and other digital wallet can be used to make payments.

The new safety feature for AirTags, Apple's item- tracking device, was introduced in the latest version of the software. The anti-stalking features Apple released in February were built upon in the update.

There is a fifth American voice for Siri, which Apple has confirmed belongs to a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

The first generation iPhone 6S will be compatible with any device that supports iOS 15. The full list of compatible devices can be found here.