Apple OS – What’s in and what’s not?

The Worldwide Developers Conference has concluded and apart from the new MacBooks and M2 processor, it’s the stage to showcase the new versions of the operating systems in the Apple ecosystem. This includes iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and WatchOS. 

More than the new features, what’s significant in this year’s event is the range of devices that will be unsupported. Apple used to stop support for a dated device one by one with each release but this year, they’ve axed multiple generations of a device. It’s understandable on the Mac side of things since they want to transition everything to Apple silicon as fast as possible, but it’s questionable when it comes to the iPhones. 

Whatever the reason may be, Apple won’t change their mind now. Let’s see what’s new in their software and which devices get to retain their support. 

iOS 16

The latest iteration of the operating system for iPhones will be available sometime around September of this year. Unlike the versions before it that slowly axed models, iOS 16 will only support iPhone 8 and newer. That means the iPhones 6S, 6S Plus, SE 1st gen, 7, and 7 Plus are already at the end of their life. 

1. Lock Screen

• multi-layer effect for better visuals
• new Lock Screen gallery
• new Live Activities
• Notifications now roll up from bottom part of screen
• Focus is now connected to Lock Screen

2. Messages

• Users can edit or recall a message 15mins after sending it
• Recover recently deleted messages up to 30 days after deletion
• SharePlay in Messages, allowing you to enjoy movies and songs in sync with who you’re chatting with.

3. Mail

• Schedule emails
• Cancel emails a few moments after sending

4. Live Text is now expanded to include videos

5. Visual Look Up cuts the subject of a photo to paste onto other apps like Messages

6. Next-Generation CarPlay – use multiple screens to interact with the vehicle and will allow it to control radio, climate, etc. 

To see everything new with iOS 16, you can check out the preview in this link. 

macOS Ventura

With all the Ace Ventura memes aside, Apple has further strengthened the integration of the ecosystem into the Mac with the new software. 

1. Stage Manager – automatically organizes open apps and windows so user can see everything in a single glance without clutter

2. Continuity Camera – allows Mac users to use their iPhone as webcam

3. Handoff now in FaceTime, allowing you to start one call in an Apple device and seamlessly continue it in another

4. Messages can now edit or undo recently sent messages, mark messages as unread, and recover recently deleted messages.

5. Spotlight receives an updated design that makes navigation easier, with better integration with other Apple devices. 

6. Safari now has passkeys for more secure browsing across websites. They work with FaceID and TouchID for biometric verification and are stored on the device only. 

7. Gaming is improved as upcoming titles are slated later this year. This includes EA’s GRID Legends, Capcom’s Resident Evil Village, and No Man’s Sky.

Just like with iOS 16, macOS Ventura lets go of a big chunk of previously supported products. It will only be available to Macbook (2017), Macbook Pro (2017), Macbook Air (2018), iMac (2017), iMac Pro, Mac Pro (2019), Mac mini (2018), and Mac Studio. To see the nitty gritty of the new features, you may visit this link. 

iPadOS 16

With the iPad treading between two paths – one as a standalone device and another as a support device, the new OS strengthens the device’s purpose as a support more than anything. It received the same improvement in Messages and Mail like in iOS and macOS, but where it deviates is the new features it has for collaboration and as a secondary device. 

1. Freeform – a new app that has a blank canvas for collaboration with others users and can be used with the Apple Pencil.

2. New Weather app – better animations and makes use of the full screen of the device and not just a ported iOS app. 

3. Reference Mode – enables the 12.9-inch iPad Pro to match color requirements in specific workflows.

4. Display Zoom  will now allow you to increase pixel density of the display so you can view more in the app

5. Virtual Memory Swap – storage can be used to expand the available RAM up to 16GB.

6. Stage Manager – same functions as in macOS but with iPad Pro M1 and iPad Air M1, it will allow for full external display support of up to 6K resolution. 

iPadOS 16 will be available for iPads released in 2015 or newer. This includes the iPad Air 3rd gen, iPad 5th gen, iPad Mini 5th gen, and iPad Pro 1st gen. See its full list of new features here.

watchOS 9

The smallest iDevice was not forgotten as it also received a fair amount of tweaks. Along with new designs, health and performance apps were improved for better everyday use. 

1. 4 new Faces – Lunar, Playtime, Metropolitan, Astronomy

2. Workout app improvements with introduction of Custom Workouts that will include work and rest intervals

3. New running metrics like stride length, ground contact time, vertical oscilation. 

4. Sleep Insights will allow the watch to detect when the user is in REM, Core, or Deep Sleep. 

5. Medications – improved to help set lists, schedules, and reminders for medicine intake. 

The new watchOS 9 has limited support for Watch Series 4 but Series 5 and newer are fully supported. All features of the new software can be seen here.