Whilst speculation of iOS 17 is already rife, several features that were announced by Apple have yet to be released for iPhone and iPad users. This includes updates to Apple Pay and Apple Card, as well as further updates to Safari. Here is a round-up of the features that were announced previously, but have yet to be released...
Apple Pay Later
Apple is ramping up its services in the personal finance sector, with the launch of Apple Pay Later. This was announced at WWDC 2022 and would allow customers to spread the cost of Apple Pay purchases across four equal payments with no interest, over six weeks.
Apple believes that its platform is "seamless and secure", with integration into the Apple Wallet application and no fees. However, this feature has been delayed due to "fairly significant technical and engineering challenges". When it is available, Apple Pay Later will be available to US customers wherever Apple Pay is accepted.
Apple Card Savings Account
Apple has announced that they will be introducing a high-yield savings account that will be integrated directly into the Wallet application for Apple Card users. This was announced in October and Apple said it would be available soon. This savings account will be in partnership with Goldman Sachs, Apple's partner for Apple Card, although the percentage rate has yet to be revealed.
Next-generation CarPlay
At WWDC, Apple unveiled the "next generation of CarPlay" which will offer support for multiple screens within the car, as well as the ability to deeply integrate with the car's hardware. Apple said that more information would be shared in the future, but the first vehicles with this new CarPlay design are not expected until late this year.
Apple Music Classical
Apple acquired the classical music service Primephonic in 2021 and immediately removed the app from the App Store. Apple promised that they would release a "dedicated classical music app" in 2022, but this has yet to materialize. Apple has been silent on the matter and it is unclear whether this service has been scrapped or not.
Web push notifications
Apple announced at WWDC last year that Safari on iPad and iPhone would support push notifications from websites, but this has yet to be implemented. There has been speculation that Apple is continuing to work on web push notifications, as well as other improvements to progressive web apps on Apple's platforms. Support for web notifications on iPhone and iPadOS is expected in 2023.
New Home Architecture
iOS 16.2 introduced a new opt-in architecture for HomeKit that promised improved performance and reliability of accessories in the home. However, this had the opposite effect on many users who opted for the change, so Apple removed the option for the new HomeKit architecture. There is no word on when this new architecture will be re-implemented.
iMessage Contact Key Verification
Apple has announced that iMessage Contact Key Verification will be available sometime this year. This is designed for users such as journalists, human rights activists, and members of government who may face extraordinary digital threats. It works by giving users a way to verify they are messaging the intended person, with an alert sent out if an advanced adversary attempts to eavesdrop on the conversation.
iOS 16.4 likely coming soon…
iOS 16.3 was released to everyone this past week, with a focus on HomePod. With this update now released, we expect Apple to begin beta testing for iOS 16.4 soon, which may include some of the features mentioned above.