Apple plans to release iOS 16.2 in December, according to Bloombergby Mark Gurman and a report on the update enabling 5G support in India. The update remains in beta testing for now, with many new features and changes already discovered.
iOS 16.2 introduces a number of new features, including Apple’s new Freeform whiteboard app, two new lock screen widgets for sleep and medication, the ability to hide wallpaper and notifications on iPhone 14 Pro’s always-on screen, Live Activity improvements, a new Home app architecture, and more.
Freeform application
iOS 16.2 includes Apple’s new Freeform digital whiteboard app on the iPhone. The app provides an endless canvas where you can draw and insert sticky notes, text boxes, shapes, photos, videos, links, PDFs, and more. The app is also available on iPad and Mac, and you can collaborate with others in real time via FaceTime and iMessage.
Freeform is more useful on the iPad given that the device supports the Apple Pencil, but you can still use a capacitive stylus on the iPhone.
Two new lock screen widgets
There are two new lock screen widgets for sleep and medicine in iOS 16.2. With the Sleep widget, you can view your most recent sleep session and sleep stages, while the Medication widget gives you quick access to your medication schedule.
New always-on display options
Starting with iOS 16.2, you can hide wallpaper and notifications in always-on display mode on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. As a result, the lock screen has a solid, minimal black appearance in always-on mode, similar to Android.
The new “Show Wallpaper” and “Show Notifications” toggles are located in the Settings app under Display & Brightness → Always On Display.
Live Activities: Sports scores via the Apple TV app
iOS 16.2 adds Live Activity support for sports scores through the Apple TV app. This feature allows iPhone users to view live scores of MLB, NBA and Premier League games at a glance on the lock screen and in the dynamic island on iPhone models. 14 Pro.
During a Premier League game, for example, the dynamic island displays a live updated scoreboard with the number of goals scored by each club. When you long press, the dynamic island expands to show elapsed time and play-by-play action. When an iPhone 14 Pro is locked, and on all other iPhone models, the score is displayed in a lock screen banner.
To test the feature with an iPhone on the iOS 16.2 beta, open the TV app and tap the “Follow” button for a supported game. Apple says the feature is available for NBA and Premier League games for users in the US and Canada, and for MLB games for users in the US, Canada, Australia, UK, Australia. Brazil, Mexico, Japan and South Korea.
Live activities: more frequent updates
Live Activities will update more frequently on iOS 16.2 when a new “More Frequent Updates” option is enabled, allowing users to view more up-to-date information, but Apple warns that this setting can drain battery power your iPhone faster.
It’s unclear what the refresh interval is for Live Activities currently, but the new option will be even faster, which would be useful for tracking the arrival of an Uber vehicle or Starbucks delivery order. once these apps support the feature.
New Home Application Architecture
After updating to iOS 16.2 and opening the Home app, an app update is available with a new underlying architecture. Apple says the new architecture improves app performance, efficiency and reliability for controlling smart home accessories. This comes after the Home app added support for Matter accessories in iOS 16.1.
Unintentional emergency SOS call report
If you accidentally trigger an SOS emergency phone call, iOS 16.2 lets you report the incident to Apple and share iPhone diagnostics.
5G in India
iOS 16.2 will enable support for 5G networks in India on iPhone 12 and later, starting with carriers Airtel and Reliance Jio.
#iOS #iPhone #expected #launch #December #features