Apple’s iOS 16 updates are like clockwork, with a new iPhone-focused update each yr since the inception of the iPhone to assist improve the experience on offer.
Apple’s latest official release, iOS 15, added with it a number of much-needed changes to the notification system, as properly as the introduction of the Focus system, an overhauled FaceTime ride, and more, however it is safe to assume Apple is difficult at work on iOS 16 in the back of closed doors.
We round up all the latest rumors and leaks about Apple’s next big iOS update, iOS 16, proper here.
When will iOS 16 be released?
iOS 15 was released in September 2021, so it’ll be some time before iOS 16 will grace our iPhones. But with that being said, we do have a very good idea of when it’ll be announced and when it’s likely to be released because Apple tends to stick to the same schedule every year
What’s that schedule? Apple tends to first announce the next version of iOS at its every year developer-focused WWDC event that takes vicinity in early June, probably alongside new versions of iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS.
It’ll then seed a beta version of the software program to developers (and keen public beta testers) over the summer earlier than being released in September, usually alongside the next-gen iPhone.
With that being said, we’re assured that we’ll get our first look at iOS 16 in June 2022, with a usual release in September 2022 alongside the iPhone 14.
How much will iOS 16 costs?
As with every iOS update ever, iOS 16 will be a free upgrade for supported iPhone users.
Which iPhones will support iOS 16?
While Android smartphones provide two or three years of OS upgrades – and even that’s a relatively new thing – Apple is very good at making its mobile operating system reachable to as many smartphones as possible.
Take the iPhone 6s for example; it was once released in 2015, at the same time as Samsung’s Galaxy S6. While Apple included the iPhone 6s in its iOS 15 update, the Galaxy S6 didn’t get an improvement to Android 8, let on my own Android 12.
Of course, it’s far too early to know for sure which iPhones will be capable to get the iOS 16 update. We think about it’ll depend, in part, on how an awful lot of power the operating system needs to run.
If it’s more demanding than iOS 15 then it’s possible that the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus could drop off the list, but even if that happens, there are plenty of iPhones that’ll almost certainly get the update.
Here’s a list of supported devices for iOS 15, and we imagine it’ll be very similar, if not identical, for iOS 16.
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11
- iPhone SE (2020)
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8 Plus
- iPhone 8
- iPhone 7 Plus
- iPhone 7
- iPhone 6s
- iPhone 6s Plus
- iPhone SE (2016)
Latest iOS 16 rumors
With the reveal of iOS 16 nevertheless quite some time away, it’s challenging to say exactly what Apple has planned. But, as with most upcoming tech releases in 2021, there are already whispers and even leaks that supply us with a rough idea of what to expect.
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Redesigned app icons
We have been treated (if you can call it that) to an entire range of new app icons in macOS Monterey, and sources suggest we should be about to see the same in iOS 16. While the Apple Maps and Weather app icons bought a facelift in iOS 15, bigger changes are allegedly planned for iOS 16 – that’s in accordance with iDropNews, anyway.
The publication doesn’t reveal its sources but suggests that it has been told that Alan Dye, VP of Human Interface Design at Apple, has been working on the new icons with his team for around a year.
Though no specifics had been provided, the site claims that the design trait of the updated icons will be “very similar” to the macOS Monterey icons. That ought to mean a modern take on the unique iOS app icons, which had more depth and texture than the overhauled seem introduced in iOS 7.
Of course, it’s well worth taking this with the usual pinch of salt, as plans ought to very properly change at this early point.
Interactive widgets
While Android users have been able to enjoy widgets since its inception, Apple was fairly late to the widget game, only rolling out the functionality in iOS 14 in 2020. Even then, the functionality was notably limited compared to its Android brethren, with no interactive elements available. Tapping a widget on an iPhone will instead take you to the app, which isn’t always necessary.
Well, if the latest rumors are to be believed, that’ll all change with iOS 16. The rumor comes from leaker @LeaksApplePro, who teased the introduction of interactive widgets on Twitter along with a leaked image showcasing the “big widgets” with codename InfoShack at Apple HQ.
Per the image, there seem to be interactive icons for music, stopwatch, flashlight, Apple TV, and more.
The leaker says they shall provide an update quickly however noted that “there is a lot of work to do so there should be modifications to this throughout the coming months” so it is some distance from a finalized feature at this stage.
The question is, is it legit? It’s currently up for debate, with online commenters pointing out that the Apple TV icon is different from that in iOS 15. While that is true, let’s no longer forget that Apple is additionally rumored to be redesigning app icons in the subsequent big update – that should additionally extend to Control Center/widget icons.
Upgraded AR/VR capabilities
Whispers about Apple’s augmented reality plans have been circulating for years, and it looks like the company might be prepared to announce something in late 2022 – if modern-day rumors are to be believed, anyway.
But whilst some are banking on full-blown Apple AR Glasses, it sounds like it’ll be a high-end AR/VR headset, blending the real and augmented worlds into one. While small print are short on what to count on in terms of content, rumors suggest you’ll use your iPhone to control various elements of the experience.
So, we assume to see some variety of AR/VR headset controls built into iOS 16 in a similar way to the Apple TV remote being accessible by way of the Control Centre.
It’s additionally possible that Apple will replace ARKit, its API for AR app development, to consist of new features and functionality.
Meta-owned Oculus is rolling out mixed reality support to the Quest 2, permitting the headset to realize objects in the real world and interact with them, and it’d be great for developers of iOS apps to provide something similar ahead of the release of the dedicated hardware.
