Apple unveils iOS 16 with revamped lockscreen and big changes to iMessage

80

Apple kicked off its annual developer conference by unveiling its next-generation mobile software, iOS 16, with new features that will let users personalize their iPhone lock screens, change how they text friends through iMessage and deepen how its smartphones integrate with cars.

These and other updates, which were unveiled at its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, show how Apple continues to push to ensure its devices — the iPhone in particular — remain central to our daily lives and the many products we interact with. But while these updates will likely appeal to many Apple device users, the event was also notable for what was not announced: a new product.

In recent days, some industry watchers had held out hope that Apple could offer an early look at a platform thought to be called RealityOS. The system, according to rumors, could power a mixed reality headset — a wearable device that’s said to be capable of both VR and AR — which Apple has been rumored to be working on for years.

Instead, the focus was on a number of functional, if not sexy, product updates: more multi-tasking features on Mac software, the introduction of Apple’s Weather app on iPad and the unveiling of the company’s next-generation M2 chip.

“While some may be disappointed at the lack of radical new hardware in areas such as AR, Apple’s investment in silicon will play a defining role in future product categories, such as a head-worn device, where power and performance must be finely balanced,” said Ben Wood, chief analyst at market research firm CCS Insight.

Here’s a closer look at some of the updates coming to Apple’s most important products. The updates are expected to be available to users in the fall.

Revamping iMessage, the lock screen and notifications

Apple is breathing new life into some iOS tools that haven’t been updated in years.

Perhaps the buzziest changes are coming to iMessage, including the ability to edit or unsend messages and to mark messages as unread. The company said these options are among the most requested features from users.

iOS 16 new lock screen

Apple also teased several new options to better customize the lock screen and improve the notifications experience. iPhone users will be able to add widgets on the lock screen to get information at a glance, such as upcoming calendar events and the weather, and track “live” activities, including an Uber ride’s progress or updates on a sports game. And the software will offer more personalized wallpapers for the lock screen and the ability to shuffle options throughout the day.

Expanded CarPlay options

Apple’s updates extended to its broader ecosystem of products and services, from payments and passwords to cars.

The newest version of CarPlay will be packed with customized widgets controlled by the iPhone and capable of running across all of a car’s screens, from the center screen to the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. As with Apple’s other updates announced Monday, there will also be more support for widgets and more personalization options, including various gauge cluster designs.

New payment and health features

Apple said iOS users in the US will be able to spread payments over 8 weeks on Apple Pay, similar to a “buy now, pay later” service, tapping into a growing payment method for consumers.

The company also continues to bet on health features. The Apple Watch will soon support new custom workouts features, including heart rate zones and data on a runner’s stride. In addition, enhanced sleep tracking will monitor when a user goes in and out of light and deep sleep. A new medications app will let users track, manage and understand the medications people take and notifies users when to take them.

Apple also unveiled a tool called Passkeys, which is intended to replace passwords by using Touch ID or Face ID to authenticate across apps and devices.

New MacBooks and the M2 chip

While the event focused on software, Apple did make some hardware announcements.

Apple introduced a thinner, lighter and faster MacBook Air designed around its new M2 in-house processor. The 13.6-inch MacBook Air is 25% brighter than before, supports MagSafe charging and features an enhanced front-facing camera with twice the resolution of the previous model. With an 8-core CPU, Apple said the M2 chip promises 18% greater performance than its M1 chip.

New MacBook Air

The processor also comes with a 10-core GPU — double that of the M1 — along with 25% better graphics performance. The M2 is also coming to a new 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The MacBook Air starts at $1,099 and the MacBook Pro starts at $1,299.

Apple also teased its latest Mac software, called OS Ventura, which offers a handful of multi-tasking features, such as the ability to share Safari tabs with friends and family, hand off FaceTime calls to other devices, and use an iPhone as a webcam with a new product called Continuity Camera. (CNN)

 

80 thoughts on “Apple unveils iOS 16 with revamped lockscreen and big changes to iMessage

  1. 820897 253338This was an incredible post. Truly loved studying your site post. Your data was very informative and valuable. I believe you will proceed posting and updating frequently. Searching forward to your subsequent 1. 563492

  2. Wonderful blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers? I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m totally confused .. Any recommendations? Many thanks!

  3. Hi, I do believe this is an excellent website. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will come back once again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to help other people.

  4. Hey there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this site? I’m getting fed up of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform. I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.

  5. Hi there, I found your web site by means of Google at the same time as searching for a comparable topic, your site got here up, it appears good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

  6. Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the images aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same results.

  7. I’m not sure where you are getting your info, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more. Thanks for fantastic information I was looking for this information for my mission.

  8. I will right away grab your rss as I can not in finding your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Please permit me realize so that I may subscribe. Thanks.

  9. Does your site have a contact page? I’m having problems locating it but, I’d like to send you an e-mail. I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it develop over time.

  10. I have been surfing online more than three hours lately, yet I never found any fascinating article like yours. It’s lovely value enough for me. In my opinion, if all site owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the net shall be much more useful than ever before.

  11. Thank you for any other informative blog. Where else may just I am getting that kind of info written in such a perfect approach? I have a project that I am simply now running on, and I have been at the glance out for such information.

  12. Hello! I just would like to give you a huge thumbs up for the great info you’ve got here on this post. I’ll be coming back to your blog for more soon.

  13. Greetings! Quick question that’s entirely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My site looks weird when viewing from my iphone 4. I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able to correct this problem. If you have any suggestions, please share. Thanks!

  14. Howdy! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog. Is it very hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast. I’m thinking about setting up my own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any points or suggestions? Appreciate it

  15. Usually I do not read article on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to take a look at and do so! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thank you, quite great article.

  16. My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find nearly all of your post’s to be what precisely I’m looking for. Do you offer guest writers to write content available for you? I wouldn’t mind producing a post or elaborating on a few of the subjects you write regarding here. Again, awesome web site!

  17. Fascinating blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where you got your design. Cheers

  18. Hi my family member! I want to say that this article is awesome, great written and come with almost all significant infos. I’d like to see more posts like this .

  19. My spouse and I stumbled over here coming from a different website and thought I might as well check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you. Look forward to finding out about your web page yet again.

  20. First off I want to say great blog! I had a quick question that I’d like to ask if you don’t mind. I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your mind before writing. I have had a hard time clearing my mind in getting my thoughts out. I do enjoy writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are generally wasted just trying to figure out how to begin. Any suggestions or tips? Appreciate it!

  21. I am extremely inspired together with your writing skills and alsosmartly as with the format on your blog. Is this a paid subject matter or did you customize it yourself? Either way stay up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to see a nice blog like this one nowadays..

  22. Hi would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with? I’m planning to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a difficult time selecting between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique. P.S Apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

  23. Simply wish to say your article is as amazing. The clearness in your post is simply spectacular and i can assume you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please continue the rewarding work.

  24. I am really loving the theme/design of your weblog. Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility problems? A handful of my blog visitors have complained about my website not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Safari. Do you have any suggestions to help fix this issue?

  25. Hi would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with? I’m planning to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a tough time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique. P.S Apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

  26. It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d most certainly donate to this superb blog! I suppose for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will talk about this blog with my Facebook group. Chat soon!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *