The launch of iOS 16, Apple’s new iPhone operating system for 2022, is just a week away, and we’re starting to get a clear idea of what to expect.
Well-respected filter Mark Gurman, in his regular Bloomberg newsletter, has predicted that the iOS 16 update will include a complete overhaul of the iPhone’s lock screen, the interface that appears when the device is turned on but has not yet been unlocked. It currently only shows the date and time, the quick access buttons for the flashlight and the camera, and (if applicable) the playback media controls. But Gurman expects “significant improvements to the lock screen, including widgets that have widget-like capabilities.”
Widgets are the interactive blocks that are in view today (since the release of iOS 14) on the iPhone’s home screens and provide instant access to basic application or system functionality. . The Batteries widget shows the power levels of connected devices, for example, while the Find My widget shows the location of the selected contacts or items. Gurman does not specify how a wallpaper would have this kind of functionality, but whatever it looks like, it will be simple: the bare details of the day’s appointments in Calendar, perhaps, or minimal information about the weather.
In part, this is for reasons of visual economy: it’s important not to overwhelm the user with weird information unless they’re specifically looking for it, but in part it’s because Gurman also expects this revamped lock screen to offer permanent functionality. This means that, like the screen of recent Apple Watch models, you don’t have to lift or touch it to show a basic interface – the bare minimum of information will be displayed on the screen all the time.
To ensure that this doesn’t massacre battery life, Gurman predicts that the always-on version of the lock screen will have a “significantly” reduced refresh rate; We assume that also, as in the Apple Watch, it will be attenuated and simplified aesthetically, with some visual elements removed and others changed from animation to static.
The Apple Watch Series 5 always has an active screen, but as you can see on this Mickey Mouse face, the images are dimmer and less detailed when you “sleep.”
Michael Simon / IDG
All of this is appealing – the always-on screen is a perpetual entry in the wish lists of iPhone owners and was expected to appear last year, but you’re still not too excited. According to Gurman’s predictions, it won’t be available as a retrospective update like most iOS features, and it won’t even work on all new iPhones this year; It will only work on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, according to him. In other words, it will be another point of differentiation of additional sales between the Pro models and the boring iPhone 14.
Has Gurman made that prediction correct? Most likely, but don’t bet on your house. No matter how much you read and respect the filter, it is still wrong in some things: AppleTrack currently assigns an accuracy score of 86.5% more than impeccable. And in this case you will notice that it is covered with the words “if the function ends up making the cut” with respect to the always active lock screen.
In any case, we’ll find out exactly what Apple has in store for the iPhone at the WWDC 2022 conference on June 6th. Macworld will cover all ads as they happen, so join us here for a fun and expert review day. .