iOS

Apple iOS 16: Eligible devices, features, release date, and more

By Joshua Benjie

Posted on July 15, 2022

Apple has officially announced the 2022 Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC), which will take place between June 6 and June 10. There, the company traditionally shares plans for macOS, iPadOS, and iOS next fall.

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If the patterns are still in place, Apple will be announcing iOS 16, the next major update coming to Apple iPhones. It is expected to be a major update, with tweaks to operating systems and the operating system as a whole.
Apple iOS 16 interface

iOS 16 Release Date

Apple’s iOS 16 is expected to break the cover at Apple’s WWDC 2022 on June 6. Like Google’s I/O in May, the company will share several key features of the next update before launching its first developer testing and beta release. Not all of iOS 16’s features will be available for testing immediately, but the company is likely to make at least many of them available.

After initial testing by developers and a beta launch in June, Apple will release the full public version of iOS 16 in September or October, usually at the same time as the next iPhone model which is the iPhone 14 series.

iOS 16 Eligible Device

Apple is known for supporting its iPhones for a longer period of time than its Android competitors. For instance, the Pixel 3 and 3a won’t get Android 13 this fall, while the older iPhone X and XS will get iOS 16.

Currently, iOS 15 is supported on all iPhones running iPhone 6S and above. There are rumors that Apple will remove the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, and SE (2016) from the list. If true, iOS 16 can be expected to work on devices with iPhone 7 and above. With the iPhone 7 turning six years old, Apple will continue to outdo its Android rivals, most of which support phones with a full three-year range.

The latest Apple iOS 16 software will also come pre-installed in the iPhone 14 series, which can be launched in September or October this year.

iOS 16 Eligible Device List – List

iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 8
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone X
iPhone XR
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPod touch (7th generation)
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone SE (2nd generation)
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone SE (3rd generation)
iPhone 14 series –[Pre-installed]

iOS 16 Expected Feature

We know a little bit about iOS 16 at this point. Apple has announced some of the accessibility features it plans to bring later in the year. Add Door Detection, a feature designed to help visually impaired users roam the site.

It will use the LIDAR scanner introduced by Apple on the iPhone 12 Pro to help locate doors, share the status of the door, and how to communicate with the door. The Door Recovery feature will also be able to read the text on the door, which is useful for transmitting information such as room numbers and entry doors.

Like Google Pixel phones, you will be able to use Live Captions to keep up with videos if you can’t hear well. “Users can easily follow any audio content – whether on the phone or on the FaceTime phone, using a video conference or social media app, streaming media content, or having a conversation with someone close to them,” explains Apple.

In addition to Apple pre-shared, some leaks added a bit of color to iOS 16. One leak, from a source that doesn’t have Apple’s main reliable leak base, has revealed that Apple may be working on compatible iOS widgets.

This may be similar to Android phones, where actions can be performed using widgets rather than apps or notifications. While iOS introduced widgets with iOS 14, those are more similar to Windows 8 live tiles than the rich widgets you can find on Android. Treat this as a wish list until further notice.