iOS 16, which is codenamed "Sydney" and is set to be unveiled at WWDC in June, will include "significant" improvements to notifications and new health tracking features. However, a fundamental redesign of the interface is not expected.
In its latest edition of the “Power On” newsletter reported Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on iOS 16 and watchOS 9, which he calls "major upgrades." It's the first time Gurman has reported on the upcoming operating systems since Apple announced the WWDC 2022 keynote for June 6. Starting with iOS 16, the Bloomberg journalist expects "pretty significant improvements across the board, including an update to notifications and new health tracking features."
iOS 16: No redesign of the interface to be expected
As for the redesign, Gurman doesn't think Apple will "completely redesign the iOS interface, even though it hasn't changed much since iOS 7." One interesting hint concerns a possible new iPadOS multitasking interface. With iPadOS 15, Apple has made it easier to use multitasking features, but not in the way that professional users expected. Perhaps iPadOS 16 could finally change that. In addition to iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, Gurman says the Apple Watch could receive "important upgrades to activity and health tracking."
Will Apple introduce rOS?
The journalist had previously said that this will be a great year for the Apple Watch, with three new watches set to be introduced this year. Finally, Gurman confirms that it is unlikely that Apple will announce anything around the much-discussed mixed reality headset, although iOS 16 is likely to be full of them. He writes:
As far as I know, a June reveal of the mixed reality headset is still unlikely, but I've heard that the beta versions of iOS 16 - codenamed Sydney - are full of references to the headset and how it interacts with the iPhone. This suggests that the headset will launch during the iOS 16 cycle, which begins in June and will last until iOS 17 is released in fall 2023. But it could also mean that Apple could preview its upcoming augmented and virtual reality software sooner. We might even get a glimpse of the headset's rOS, short for Reality Operating System.
Apple will unveil iOS 16 along with iPadOS 16, macOS 13, watchOS 9 and tvOS 16 at WWDC 2022, which officially takes place from June 6 to 10. (Image: Apple)