The latest release of React Apollo, version 2.1, introduces a new render prop API and improved TypeScript support, making it easier to develop React applications with GraphQL. The new `Query`, `Mutation`, and `Subscription` components use the render prop pattern to simplify data fetching and updating in React apps. Additionally, the `ApolloConsumer` component provides a way to access the Apollo Client instance directly via the render prop function, reducing code needed for simple local mutations. The release also includes revamped documentation and tutorials, improved search functionality, and contributions from various team members. Future plans include integrating React Suspense into React Apollo and releasing a new major version compatible with async strict mode in React 16.3.