iOS 16: Rumours, New Features, Release Date Predictions, And Everything We Know So Far

iOS 16 is still a way off, but with the rumour mill spinning around the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15, you can't help but wonder what's heading our way in the near future.

Nothing transforms your experience with a phone more than a slick new operating system, which has an impact on both the user experience and the phone's functionality itself.

Here we'll delve into all things iOS 16, from rumours to leaks, to predictions of what we could expect in the future.

iOS 16 Release Date Predictions

iOS 15 released on September 20, 2021, meaning that the likely release date for the next iOS would be this September. This also aligns with the iPhone 14 rumoured release date, which is tipped for the same month.

It all makes sense to us. Not only will be getting a brand new iPhone, but a swanky new operating system, depending on which iPhones it works on...

What iPhones Will iOS 16 Work On?

So with all new iOS updates you'll find that they work on a number of versions, up to a point. That means that if you're still holding onto that iPhone 5S you may be out of luck.

The iPhones that work with iOS 15 are everything from the iPhone SE (2016) to the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

It's likely this will be the same for iOS 16, but we can't be certain just yet.

iOS 16 Rumours

What we're really interested to know about is what new features will be heading our way, but alas, we only have a few rumours to go on.

That being said, they're still exciting if they do turn out to be true, and not farfetched enough for us to rule them out completely.

According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurnam, iOS will bring changes to the notification system. This appears to have been corroborated by the some code found in Apple's latest beta software too.

But what changes should we expect? Well, details are thin on the ground, but Gurnam appears to think it will be a 'fairly significant enhancement across the board'.

One change could be to its love it or hate it 'focus mode', which was introduced in iOS 15. According to 9to5Mac, this was deduced by looking into the codes of a MacOS 12.4 beta.

We'd like to see what they're planning, and wonder just how they'll improve upon what we (or should I say 'I') have found a somewhat lacklustre feature.

It could well be the case that the more superficial changes, are the ones that make all the difference as we'll see...

New Icons?

One of the most notable changes the new iOS 16 could make is to do with their icons. Change them, and you get a whole new look and feel to your chosen iPhone.

And it looks like some reports are suggesting this could be the case, although since they don't have a source we'd take it with a pinch of salt.

The folks at idropnews claimed that the new icons will reflect the changes to the Apple Maps and Weather icons that happened with iOS 15.

Take a look below for what we're talking about - it's a real improvement in our eyes.

According to the article, VP of Human Interface Design at Apple, Alan Dye, and his team have been working on these for about a year now.

These are small, but meaningful changes, adding in some 3D elements alongside some subtle gradients that give the icons a little more depth. Compositionally speaking, they also look more balanced and less busy.

Interactive Widgets

Ah, widgets...something which until iOS 14 was largely Android territory. Widgets basically show you current information, from weather to news, or anything else connected to an app.

If you try going onto one of your widgets now, and tap it, you'll be taken directly to the app. That's okay, we guess, but surely if you wanted to go directly to the app, you'd just bring it up straight away?

According to @leaksapplepro we may be seeing some changes to this, in the form of 'big widgets', that are said to be interactable.

A tweet from leaksapplepro shows an image of what this could look like, featuring a stop watch, music player, and the weather.

Hole Punch Display Optimisation

According to the same article from idropnews, iOS 16 could bring with it some optimisation for iPhone with hole-punch displays.

For those who may not be familiar, hole-punch displays are screens which have a selfie camera 'punched out' of the screen itself.

This is said to allow for more screen real-estate, which would make sense as solid improvement on the existing iOS 15.

AR/VR Upgrades

This year could be a big one for VR and AR, especially with the likes of PSVR 2,Project Cambria, and Meta Quest 3 waiting in the shadows!

But it's not secret that Apple is venturing into this space too, so it's not surprising that iOS 16 is claimed to have various optimisations to accommodate Apple VR and AR.

Make sure to check back in with us soon as we're on high alert for any more iOS 16 rumours and leaks over the coming months.

Read More: iPhone 15 - Everything We Know So Far