The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple’s annual developer and software-oriented conference, is less than two months away. As in previous years, Apple is likely to introduce major updates to all of its operating systems, including watchOS 9, iOS 16, iPad OS 16, macOS 13, and tvOS 16, bringing new features and a more refined experience to existing devices.
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While rumors about macOS 13 and tvOS 16 remain purely speculative, there are growing signs from reliable sources that we can expect some specific features in watchOS 9, iOS 16, and iPadOS 16. Now MacRumors has brought a summary of new features.
watchOS 9
watchOS 8 brings ID and keys, a redesigned Home app, new workout types, Mindfulness apps, sleep tracking updates, a portrait mode watch face, focus mode, and more in the Wallet app. From what we know so far about watchOS 9, it looks like Apple will focus on several system features, as well as improvements to health monitoring, activity tracking, and exercise apps.
System characteristics
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Update an existing watch face
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Low-power modes use less battery power to run certain apps and features
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The collision detection feature, similar to fall detection, is capable of identifying car crashes by measuring sudden changes in G-forces, contacting emergency services, and sending location data
Health monitoring
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Improved health tracking
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Improve atrial fibrillation detection by calculating “stress,” which is a measure of the length of time a person is in atrial fibrillation over a period of time
Activity and exercise app improvements
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Improved activity tracking
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More workout types
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Other metrics for running workouts
Ming-Chi Kuo said that watchOS 9 may drop support for the Apple Watch Series 3 because its computing power will not be able to meet the requirements of the new operating system. Therefore, watchOS 9 is only available for the 2018 Apple Watch Series 4 or newer devices.
The Apple Watch Series 3 was released in September 2017, almost five years ago. It’s the oldest device to support the latest version of “watchOS 8,” but its S3 chip lags significantly behind the Apple Watch SE’s S5 chip and the Apple Watch Series 7’s S7 chip in performance. The Apple Watch Series 3 is also the only remaining Apple Watch with an older, thicker design, with large bezels and edges around the display.
Following last year’s iOS 14.6 and watchOS 7.5 updates, Apple Watch Series 3 users had to unpair and re-pair the device from their linked iPhone when updating watchOS because the Apple Watch didn’t have enough internal storage to complete the update on its own.
While major new versions of Apple’s operating system are typically released at WWDC in June, the updates themselves typically don’t release to the public until the fall, and Kuo believes Apple will discontinue the Apple Watch Series 3 and launch a new Apple Watch model.
iOS 16
iOS 15 introduces a redesigned notification system and focus mode, spatial audio and SharePlay in FaceTime calls, live text, ID in the Wallet app, and new privacy features, as well as redesigns for Safari, Maps, Weather, and Notes. iOS 16 is gearing up to address notifications again while adding a slew of improvements to the Health app.
System characteristics
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Enhanced notifications
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Collision detection, same as watchOS 9
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Initial support for Apple Mixed Reality devices
Health app
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Extended sleep tracking
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New medication management feature that scans pills and reminds them to take them
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New Features for Women’s Health
Apple Music
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Optional Apple Music app for classical music, specifically for classical music metadata
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Primephonic based user interface UI
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Improvements in “Sight, Hearing, and Touch”
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Redirect to Apple Music Classical option from tracks in the Apple Music app
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Supports lossless and spatial audio
Signs of the Apple Music Classical app have been spotted in the iOS 15.5 beta code. Apple Music Classical is almost certain to appear in iOS 16, but it’s possible that it will debut at an earlier date. For example, Apple could launch a new app at WWDC but make it immediately available with an update to iOS 15.
According to reports, iOS 16 will have built-in support for Apple’s long-rumored mixed reality device, laying the groundwork for the new device. That means Apple “could theoretically preview technical aspects of an AR device or its software at WWDC without showing the full device,” Gurman noted.
iOS 15 supports the same devices as iOS 13 and iOS 14, with the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and first-generation iPhone SE being the oldest supported devices. It’s unclear if “iOS 16” will eventually drop support for these older devices with the A9 chip.
iPadOS 16
Not much is known about iPadOS 16 right now, but it will likely get most of the new features of iOS 16, as well as some iPad-specific enhancements.
System characteristics
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New multitasking interface
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Enhanced notifications, same as in iOS 16
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Apple Music Classic app, same as in iOS 16
In recent years, Apple has significantly improved the multitasking experience in iPadOS, enhancing features such as Slide Over, Split View, and the Dock. For example, iPadOS 15 adds a new multitasking menu at the top of the app, as well as a center window, a new multi-window frame, and a more intuitive split-screen browsing experience. The exact further improvements to multitasking in iPadOS 16 are unclear.
Release date
Apple is expected to preview watchOS 9, iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, and tvOS 16 at WWDC22, which is scheduled to kick off on Tuesday, June 7. Beta release for developers on the same day. Apple may make it available to public beta testers later in the summer.
After beta testing is complete, the new operating system will be released to the public in the fall along with new hardware products like the iPhone 14/Pro. While watchOS 9, iOS 16, and iPadOS 16 may be released at the same time, new versions of macOS are usually released later.
