In April, Adobe officially released the latest version of Magento; 2.4.4. This latest update includes plenty of improved features, performance enhancements, and minor bug fixes. Let’s see what’s new...
Key Highlights:
- 6x order processing performance
- 250 known issues fixed for better performance
- Support for Elasticsearch 7.16 & OpenSearch 1.2
- Secure HTTPs by default for enhanced security
- PHPUnit upgraded to v9.5
- Supports PHP 8.1
PHP 8.1 is Now Supported
PHP is a widely-used open source scripting language. The previous version of Magento only supported PHP 7.4 which will stop being supported in the coming months. Magento 2.4.4 now supports version 8.1 which allows for faster creation of classes, easier debugging, less code and much more.
OpenSearch Support
Adobe has added support for an additional search and analytics suite, OpenSearch. Now, Magento users will have the option to use either OpenSearch or ElasticSearch, however those using Adobe 2.4.4 on cloud will have to transition from ElasticSearch to OpenSearch.
Vendor Bundled Extensions
Previous versions of Magento came with a number of modules which weren’t really necessary for most basic Magento 2 sites. The Magento 2 core platform is now much lighter and the only vendor bundled extension that comes with 2.4.4 is PayPal-owned Braintree.
Performance in Magento 2.4.4
Magento 2.4.4 has the ability to process up to 60,000 orders per hour vs the previous 10,000. This is a massive improvement and gives businesses peace of mind when it comes to holding flash events and Black Friday sales.
Other performance enhancements in Magento 2.4.4 include:
- Introduction of AsyncOrder feature
- ‘Enable Inventory Check On Cart Load’ configuration option to skip the inventory check at the checkout stage
- Magento 2.4.4 supports deferring total calculation during checkout for enhanced sales rules processing.
- PWA Studio v.12.3.0 is now compatible with the Adobe Commerce 2.4.4 version
Security Enhancements
As well as improving compliance with with the latest security best practices, the Adobe dev team have worked on a number of security enhancements in Magento 2.4.4 including:
- Session IDs are no longer stored in the Magento database
- OAuth access tokens and password reset tokens are now encrypted when stored in the database
- Google reCAPTCHA support added to coupon codes
- Secure URLs (HTTPS) now enabled for storefront and admin by default
- Developers can now limit the size and number of API resources that can be requested by the user through Web API.
Accessibility
Accessibility enhancements improve the experience of users with limited vision or with limited cognitive and learning abilities. These improvements include:
- Tooltip links with text and accurate, task-focused, visible labels for fields and inputs
- Admin buttons now have unique, accessible, and descriptive purpose in adherence to AA standards
- Icon images that convey meaning now provide a textual alternative
- Enhanced contrast in Admin buttons and form fields to a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 with opposing colours
- Merchants can now add Alt Text to images within Pagebuilder
This post offers an insight into some of the enhancements in Magento 2.4.4. For a full list of features and bug-fixes, take a look at the official Adobe release notes for Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source.
Here at Develo we offer proactive and reactive Magento support to provide a seamless experience for your team and customers. As well as continuous development and ongoing support, our packages also include ongoing Magento development, upgrades and security fixes.
Looking for help upgrading your Magento to 2.4.4?
Rebecca is a Project Manager and Marketing Specialist who has been working in eCommerce since 2012 and has been with Develo since 2022. She became certified in Digital Marketing in 2015. Rebecca enjoys the diversity of digital marketing, no two days are the same and the evolving nature of marketing means she is always learning something new! Outside of work she can be found walking her cocker spaniel or playing netball!
Develo is a leading Magento agency and eCommerce web development company based in Birmingham, in the UK, serving clients globally since 2010. We provide our Learn articles to share knowledge of magento web development, web app development and more to the wider web developer community. To extend your team with our white label web developers, collaborate or consult with us on your project contact us here.
