Apple offers glimpse at upcoming changes to iPhone software

Apple on Monday provided a peek at upcoming tweaks to the software that powers more than 1 billion iPhones and rolled out two laptops that will be the first available with the next generation of a company-designed microprocessor.

As usual, Apple spent most of the opening day of its annual developers conference touting the next versions of software for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac computers instead of the sleek devices that established it as a technology trendsetter and the world's most valuable company.

The iPhone’s next operating system, called iOS 16, will revamp the look of the device's lock screen and make make mostly minor improvements to the current software. The software updates have become increasingly important in recent years as iPhone owners have started to hold to their existing devices for longer periods of time than they once did.

One of iOS 16’se most noticeable differences will occur on the iPhone lock screen. The new software, which will be released this fall as a free download, will allow users to anchor their favorite apps as small widgets on the lock screen.

The new software also will enable the lock screen to display live notifications, such the status of a Uber ride on its way to pick up a passenger. Other authorized notifications will come in from the bottom of the screen instead of the current distribution from the top in an effort to avoid clutter on the display.

The iPhone’s messaging system will be revamped so texts can be edited after they are sent or even rescinded in their entirety if the sender has a change of heart. Those options will only be available when both users are using Apple’s messaging app for texting.

The Apple Pay service that's part of the iPhone's digital wallet is adding a new financing feature likely to be popular as soaring inflation rates squeeze more household budgets. The option will allow consumers to stagger the cost of any purchase made through Apple Pay over four installments completed within a six-week period with no additional fees. Similar financing is already offered through digital services such as Affirm, whose stock price sank by more than 5% Monday after the news about Apple Pay came out.

Several of the new features for Apple's Macs and iPads are designed to make it easier to sync with the iPhone for things like making video calls. Other tools will enable more apps to run side by side to perform multiple tasks on the same screen.

Helping people toggle from one Apple device to another is one of the main reasons that the company began making Macs that run on the same kind of chips that power the iPhone and iPad in late 2020.

Now Apple in putting the next generation of its Mac chip in it two most popular laptops, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, which the company said will be available in stores at some point next month. The MacBook Air will sell for $1,200 and the MacBook Pro will sell for $1,300.

The event was held at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California.

Image: AP Photo/Noah Berger