With WWDC only a week away, whispers of new iOS 16 features are starting to circulate. iOS 16 for the iPhone and iPadOS 16 for the iPad will be the next major releases of Apple's software platforms. We've compiled a list of all the latest iOS 16 rumours and expectations, including new features, release dates, and more. iOS 16 will be revealed during Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, as is customary. This year's WWDC will be a (primarily) virtual event, taking place from June 6 to June 10. To begin off the event, Apple will deliver a keynote talk on June 6, and it is during this keynote that we anticipate to get our first peek at iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. Following the announcement of iOS 16 during the WWDC keynote, Apple will make the first betas available to developers. Developer betas are usually available within a few hours of the keynote concluding. Following that, Apple will release a public beta that will be available to all iPhone and iPad owners sometime in July. Every year, one of the most common concerns is whether Apple would continue to support outdated iPhone and iPad models. Apple maintained compatibility with all of the devices that were supported by iOS 14 with the introduction of iOS 15 last year. According to an early report, iOS 16 would discontinue support for the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and the original iPhone SE this year. As of now, this is only a rumour, and it's unknown whether it will come true, however the source of the story did properly state compatible iOS 13 and iOS 14 devices. The iPhone 6s and iPhone SE, which are said to be getting dropped, were introduced in late 2015 and early 2016, respectively, so they've had more than six years of software upgrades. While some users had hoped that iOS 16 would be the first substantial makeover in years, that does not appear to be the case. According to Bloomberg, iOS 16 will not have a "end to end revamp," implying that the overall design would stay unchanged this year. The last time Apple completely redesigned iOS was with iOS 7, a change that drew a lot of flak and was drastically toned back throughout the beta testing phase. Apple has made incremental modifications to individual apps and features of iOS since then, but we haven't seen a comprehensive redesign since iOS 7. Despite the lack of a makeover, Bloomberg claims that iOS 16 will be a "pretty major" update across the board. Notifications appear to be one of the areas of attention this year. The alleged focus on notifications is intriguing because Apple has made significant modifications to the iOS notification system in the previous two years, including the addition of features such as Notification Summary and Focus Modes. Apple, on the other hand, appears to be dissatisfied with the way notifications are implemented across iOS and is preparing further changes for this year.
Furthermore, according to Bloomberg, iOS 16 will have new health-tracking tools as well. In recent years, Apple has made the Health app and its interaction with the Apple Watch a focal focus of software upgrades, and it doesn't appear that will change this year. New health-related features in iOS 16 are likely to be linked to new health features in watchOS 9. This year, watchOS 9 will bring "significant enhancements to exercise and health tracking," according to Bloomberg. Ahead of the release of Apple's first mixed reality headset, iOS 16 is said to lay the framework for a slew of AR and VR capabilities. Apple, on the other hand, is unlikely to show off its new headgear until later this year at the earliest. iOS 16 may offer new capabilities for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which will be introduced later this year. According to Mark Gurman, iOS 16 "builds in future capability for an always-on lock screen." Apple was said to be developing an always-on display for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro, however the feature was cancelled. The always-on display, according Apple rumours, would allow users to see information on their iPhone display at all times. These "widgets" would be centred on clearly visible notifications like messages and weather data. Finally, the only rumour about iPadOS is that Apple is working on a new multitasking interface. Changes to the WebKit architecture hint that iPadOS 16 will have a new "multitasking mode" that will allow for the first time on the iPad to have freely resizable windows. In just a few days, Apple will reveal all of iOS 16's features at WWDC 2022. In the meanwhile, it appears like iOS 16 will be a minor update, with Apple concentrating on quality-of-life enhancements rather than dramatic cosmetic changes. Personally, I'd want to see Apple overhaul notifications in a way that makes it much clearer and simpler to see your most recent alerts without the uncomfortable grouping that now exists. I'm also looking for big upgrades to the Home app and HomeKit in general, as well as updates to home screen widgets, particularly in terms of interaction.
iOS 16 is expected to be launched on June 6, 2022, and delivered to the general public in September 2022. What are your expectations for iOS 16? What's on your wish list right now? Let us know in the comments section!
