Every year, people anticipate the next big thing that Apple has to offer, especially in the iPhone, iPad, and Macbook lineups. However, along with the excitement for the devices is the latest update to iOS, Apple’s operating system for its devices.
While the current devices run on iOS 15, many are eager to see what iOS 16 has to offer. During WWDC, it was announced that the upcoming update would bring the most significant change to iPhones – the always-on display on the lock screen.
The always-on display is a feature that has long been absent from the iPhone lineups but has been available on Android phones for years.
The feature allows a portion of the phone’s screen to light up, even when locked, to alert users of notifications like messages, calls, or emails.
Initially, the AOD feature was planned for the iPhone 13 lineup, but they decided to push the plans further. Another factor to the late update is how much energy the AOD can drain from the battery.
While it was absent on the phones, the AOD feature was available on the Apple Watch Series 5, but the only downside was that the brightness had to be kept dim.
The long-awaited display feature and iOS 16 also offer a lock screen customization option. It allows users to customize their screens, so they will only see what they want when they glance at their locked screen.
However, the software is currently in its beta stages and will be set to release in the fall.
Although the prospect of finally getting an always-on display is exciting for many, it may not be available to the regular iPhone 14 and instead be added to the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max models.
Apart from the AOD, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests the iOS 16 will include improvements to how the system handles multitasking and windowing. He pointed out a tweet by developer Steve Troughton-Smith that says Apple is likely in the process of engineering iOS so users can resize app windows, which will benefit iPad users.
Read also: Apple Discontinue iPod Production
Opinions expressed by NY Weekly contributors are their own.
