The iOS 16 upgrade is set to bring a slew of changes to the iPhone Lock Screen — including widgets, Live Activities, and color filters — but it comes bearing a new 'Sleep' state that previews an always-on mode that might come to iPhones in the fall. The upcoming software release was announced and previewed at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, an event focused on software but occasionally features hardware releases. The next version of Apple's mobile operating system brings changes to iMessage, the Lock Screen, and SharePlay. The to-be-released version of iOS can provide a glimpse of what the next generation of iPhones might look like, and a recent change reinforces leaks about an upcoming always-on display.
After a version of iOS is announced, there is a period of beta software releases that give both developers and the public a preview of the next generation of iPhone software. Developer beta software releases are rolled out first to provide developers an opportunity to ensure their applications and software will work with the next version of iOS. They are also the most unstable version of software, so it is recommended they are only used for development. However, after a few weeks, a public beta is made available to anyone with an Apple ID who enrolls in the Apple Beta Software Program. This allows users to test out the latest features for themselves before they are rolled out to the public in the fall.
The changes to the Lock Screen user-interface on iOS 16 directly reflect the watch face user-interface found on watchOS. Users will be able to store multiple saved Lock Screens on their device at the same time, and switch between them by holding down on the Lock Screen and swiping left or right. These wallpapers can be linked to focus modes, so the Lock Screen can automatically change when a home, work, or sleep focus mode is enabled. The collection of saved Lock Screens appears instantly recognizable to Apple Watch users, and a new wallpaper state reflects the way an always-on display functions on Apple Watch.
'Sleep' State Previews An Always-On Display
The iOS 16 developer beta 4 release introduced a new wallpaper state that is enabled by default, and it's easy to miss if a user isn't looking for it. In the latest developer beta, the way that an iPhone wakes from sleep is different from past versions of iOS. Whether an iPhone is waked from sleep by a press of the power button, tap of the display, or raising the device, the Lock Screen will slowly fade into color. Looking closely, the Lock Screen has a dark-colored gradient when it is first woken up, but grows into the wallpaper's full color in the next few seconds.
The way the Lock Screen wakes on an iPhone running the latest developer beta of iOS 16 resembles how the always-on display functions on Apple Watch. When the smartwatch goes to sleep, the display loses the bright colors of a given wallpaper, but remains visible in a dark-colored gradient. While there's no iPhone with an always-on display currently, the way that the Lock Screen slowly fades back into color seems to fit perfectly for an always-on feature. With leaks already pointing to a next-generation iPhone with an always-on display, the iOS 16 change indicates the feature could come to the iPhone in the fall.
Source: Apple Developer