What iOS 16 and Android 13 Tell Us About the Future of Smartphones
Your iPhone or Android phone is poised to become even more intertwined with your non-digital existence. That’s one of the big lessons from Apple’s iOS 16 and Android 13 ; the newest mobile software updates due later this year. which will be released later this year. Both companies aim to turn your phone into an electronic wallet where you can keep your legal identification, putting your phone closer to your identity than ever before.
Both iOS 16 and Android 13 include a slew of new features and changes; some of which are more significant than digital wallets and faster connections; (such as Apple’s Safety Check tool for safeguarding domestic violence victims and Google’s new privacy upgrades). The overlap between the two operating systems, on the other hand, highlights the phone’s evolving significance in our lives. According to recent pronouncements from Apple and Google; what happens surrounding your phone will be just as essential as what happens on your phone.
The closer our phones are to everyday necessities like wallets, credit cards, vehicles, and household appliances; the more difficult it will be to break free (or switch between iPhone and Android). The idea isn’t new; the industry has been moving in this way for quite some time. However, Apple’s and Google’s respective methodologies have been fine-tuned in iOS 16 and Android 13; which would likely speed up such attempts.
Replacing the physical wallet
Both Apple’s iOS 16 launch and Google’s Android 13 preview highlighted the digital wallet. The most notable update to Apple Pay is the addition of a new feature called Apple Pay Later ; which divides the cost of a transaction into four equal installments over the course of six weeks. With iOS 16, you may utilize identity cards saved in Apple Wallet to verify your age in apps. Last year, Apple implemented support for digital IDs for the first time.
During its I/O conference last month; Google unveiled a substantial update to its Wallet app, bringing it up to speed with Apple. Like Apple Wallet, the new Google Wallet will hold personal papers such as payment and transportation cards; immunization records, boarding permits, and student IDs. Google is also collaborating with government organizations to make digital IDs more accessible.
When taken together, Apple’s and Google’s improvements reflect yet another step toward their shared goal of making traditional wallets obsolete — a development that will surely lead to us being ever more reliant on mobile devices.
Replacing the physical wallet cont’d
Google reaffirmed this goal just before announcing the new features at Google I/O in May.
“In reality, there are just two items I don’t leave house without these days: my phone and my wallet,” Sameer Samat, vice president of product management for Android and Google Play, remarked on stage. “Can my phone, therefore, take the place of my wallet?”
Corey Fugman, Apple’s senior director of Wallet and Apple Pay, said something similar at Monday’s WWDC address.
“We’re working hard on our aim to replace your real wallet with Apple Wallet,” he stated.
People have already accepted the concept of using smartphone-based payment applications to replace actual credit cards. According to an eMarketer forecast from 2021, the adoption of in-store mobile payment systems like Apple Pay is likely to reach 50% of all smartphone users in the US by 2025. Apple’s new Pay Later feature, as well as Google’s renewed focus on its own mobile wallet, may make leaving your wallet at home even more appealing.
Your phone is with you at all times
Apple and Google intend to make our phones more helpful offline in everyday life by replacing the wallet. Both businesses also unveiled smartphone camera apps that might make exploring real-world attractions easier. Increased interconnection between mobile devices and household appliances, automobiles, and speakers is another major subject.
Both Apple and Google feel that the camera will continue to play an important part in how we interact with the environment. With iOS 16, you’ll be able to use a new camera option in Apple’s Convert app to translate text into multiple languages. The business demonstrated how technology might be used to translate an entire restaurant menu into a foreign language during its WWDC keynote presentation. By pressing on text in a photo, you’ll be able to monitor a flight or convert money.
At Google I/O, Google announced “scene explorer,” an ambitious extension of its Lens program that effectively takes its search skills to the actual world. When you wave your phone’s camera across a shelf of items, it will overlay information and ratings on the screen to assist you in making the best decision. Prabhakar Raghavan, Google’s head of search, gave the example of being able to locate nut-free snacks or scent-free lotion in a real store.
Your phone is with you at all times cont’d
The execution may alter, but the principle remains the same. We’ve become accustomed to ordering food, cabs, and home supplies at the touch of a phone button. Now, Apple and Google want our phones to play a role in completing those activities in the real world as well.
Google and Apple have also developed their visions for turning our phones into a hub for other items in our surroundings. Google demonstrated how Android 13 will improve your phone’s ability to connect to other devices by allowing for faster pairing, automatic audio switching between devices, and easier message sync between your phone and PC. It also unveiled a new split-screen interface for Android Auto, which could help with multitasking while driving.
With a revamped Home app for the iPhone, Apple made it easier to manage HomeKit devices. The vehicle, though, is possibly the most significant place where Apple intends to expand the iPhone’s reach. Apple previewed a new version of its CarPlay software that appears like a whole operating system for cars, replete with app icons, widgets, and other user interface components inspired by the iPhone and Apple Watch.
The concept of a smart house and a linked automobile is not new. For years, they’ve both been an important element of Apple and Google’s respective strategies. However, iOS 16 and Android 13 make it clear how Apple and Google envision these devices communicating and interacting.
Your phone is with you at all times cont’d
Apple and Google are making the smartphone’s appearance more personal as it becomes the connection to everything from your credit card to your thermostat and automobile. Your iPhone will receive a brand-new lock screen with support for Apple Watch-style widgets and new photo effects for backdrop photos when iOS 16 debuts this autumn. Google is adding predefined color combinations to Material You that can be used across the whole operating system.
More than new wallet capabilities; camera features for scanning real-world items, and enhanced connection are included in iOS 16 and Android 13. These upgrades demonstrate not only how important the phone has become in both our online and physical lives; but also where the industry is headed next.
