Posted: June 17, 2022 2:15 PM
Photo curtesy of Apple
iOS 16 was introduced at WWDC, the beta is out and there are a lot of new features. But which ones are actually good? And which ones are bad? In this blog post, I'm going to break it all down for you.
In this video I'm going to be talking about the good, the bad, and the ugly of iOS 16. Now, I know there's been a lot of hype around this update, so I wanted to make sure that I covered everything so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to upgrade when it’s released later this fall.
iOS 16 - The Good - new features and updates:
Apple’s mobile software, iOS 16, has some great new features that users will love. Some of the best new features include a new way to customize your Lock Screen. Users can browse a gallery of many options with different backdrops, different ways of displaying the time and date, switching between different lock screens if you’re tired of looking at the same one day-in and day-out. You can customize the font, color, and placement of different elements to make your Lock Screen unique. My favorite feature is the multilayered photo effect that allows you to place an image in front of the time to make the photo really stand out. Another favorite and it’s finally coming to the iPhone, widgets on the Lock Screen. Now users can input information on their iPhone Lock Screen similar to the way you customize the Apple Watch. I think this feature is a hint to what’s coming - AOD - Always On Display for the Pro iPhone 14 models.
Another new feature, users can now enjoy looking at their customized lock screen without the clutter of notifications. In iOS 16, notifications look better and also roll in from the bottom of your lock screen. In my opinion, this new way of rolling in the notifications from the bottom is due to the rumored larger iPhone 14’s on the way. It’s much better to reach your notifications if they’re rolling in from the bottom.
Users will now be able to finally edit messages. How many times have you sent a message and sent another to correct the one you sent? Not only will users be able to edit, now you can unsend a message for up to fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes is plenty of time to think about that break-up message you just sent to your significant other! Another useful feature, you will be able to now mark a message as unread and an option to recover recent deleted messages.
The Mail app will receive some much needed new features like undo send, follow-up, and remind me.
Passkey is a new feature and is a nice to have feature. Any update that will make log in and password experiences less intrusive, is a welcomed feature.
In the Maps app, users will now have the option to input multiple stops along a driving route that will sink to your devices.
There are new Apple Pay & Wallet features. Apple, in my opinion, will soon become a Bank - mark my words. Now in iOS 16 users will be able to set up a pay later option using Apple Pay. Another cool feature, having the capability to share your home or car key using the key sharing feature in the Wallet app.
Camera features were not discussed during WWDC, but according to the Apple website, iOS16 will provide improved quality when recording in Cinematic mode. I use this feature and can’t wait to try it out.
The star of the show, in my opinion, is CarPlay. The demonstrations showcased during WWDC was amazing. CarPlay, in supported vehicles that will be announced in late 2023, will cover all of a driver’s screens inside the vehicle. The instrument cluster and main console screens will be fully integrated allowing for a seamless experience between your car and Apple’s software. This is a huge clue that one day we could see an Apple Car. It’s a smart move for Apple to upgrade CarPlay in this fashion because they’ve had trouble with employee turnover within their Project Titan initiative.
Those are just a few of the Good features in iOS 16
Here are a few “BAD” features of iOS16 (all speculation and my own opinion).
1. Unfortunately, not all of the changes in iOS 16 will be welcomed. Some users may want more Lock Screen options - comparing it to Android!
2. I’m not sure if anyone uses the Focus features! I could be wrong. I’ve used this feature at times and to be honest, I ignor it and continue what I’m doing.
3. Will the look around feature in Maps live up to Google? We will soon find out. I suspect we’ll see some glitches in this new feature.
4. You’re forced to subscribe to Apple News to get your favorite sport team updates. This is free with ESPN if you use your local cable subscription.
5. We have to wait a year to take advantage of the new CarPlay UI. Once it’s available, will your favorite car company have the option available?
6. I have a question about the key sharing feature. Can you quickly remove the key sharing feature in Wallet if you realize you shared it with the wrong person?
7. Is it just me - did Game Center receive any updates? Maybe it’s just me. I’m not really a gamer. No one games on iOS or the Mac anyway. Maybe that’s why there’s no real updates to Game Center..
Okay, here’s the “Ugly” of iOS16. There are still no real Siri enhancements.
Why do we not have any real Siri enhancements? The new features previewed on Apple’s website describe the following new features:
- Easy Shortcuts setup - You can now run shortcuts with Siri as soon as you download an app, no setup required. Really!
- Emoji in texts - Insert emoji when sending messages with Siri. Useful but, again, really!
- Call hang up - now I can yell “Hey Siri, hang up” during a call. Why wasn’t this feature introduced years ago?
- Automatically send messages - skip the confirmation step when sending messages. Is this a toogle feature that you’ll need to enable in settings? Or do you have to yell ”skip this step.”?
- Hey Siri, what can I do here? No the question is, Hey Siri, what can you do?
- Expanded offline support - this is only useful with HomeKit features and voicemail.
Despite some of the flaws, iOS 16 is a solid update that brings some great new features to Apple's mobile devices. Overall, the good outweighs the bad, and users who upgrade to iOS 16 will be happy with the new features and improvements.