Apple iPhone users set for another major iOS 16 update

Apple has announced that a new update is in the works for iPhone users that will make up a major part of iOS 16.1, once the software launches.

The tech giant has begun to test the new upgrades via a beta with Live Activities, a new interactive notification system, set to be included. This has been shared with developers and the ActivityKit API has been made available so it can be integrated into apps. 

Live Activities will create one dynamic notification on your lock screen that will then be updated regularly over time, such as for keeping up with the football scores or tracking an Uber driver or food delivery. It may only seem like a small feature on the surface but it could potentially make a major difference in the everyday lives of people that use iPhones.

"Discover how you can build Live Activities for your apps using the new ActivityKit framework, now available in iOS 16.1 beta and Xcode 14.1 beta. Live Activities help people keep track of your app’s content with real-time updates,"  said Apple (via a blog post).  

"Your app’s Live Activities display on the Lock Screen and in Dynamic Island — a new design that introduces an intuitive, delightful way to experience iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Live Activities and ActivityKit will be included in iOS 16.1, available later this year. Once the iOS 16.1 Release Candidate is available, you’ll be able to submit apps with Live Activities to the App Store."

IOS 16.1 was first released to developers two days after iOS 16 launched on September 12th, 2022. With that, the new Live Activities feature is expected to arrive as part of iOS 16.1 later this year, most likely sometime in the next month or so.

The iPhone 14 can be purchased at a price of £849 / $799 / AU$1399 for the 128GB model, or alternatively £1,179 / $1099 / AU$1899 for those that want the 512GB version. It was unveiled to the world at Apple's latest event in Silicon Valley with the device scheduled to to release on September 16th, 2022. 

Best of all, it's been confirmed that the iPhone 14 beats every flagship Android phone on the market with the world's fastest-ever mobile benchmark scores