Apple released iOS 16.2 this week with many new features, including the digital whiteboard app Freeform, Apple Music Sing, Advanced Data Protection for U.S. users, and more. Attention now turns to iOS 16.3, which should enter beta testing this week.
Below, we've recapped five upcoming iPhone features that Apple has previously announced but yet to launch, such as an Apple Pay Later financing option and an Apple Card savings account for earning interest on Daily Cash. It's possible that some of the features will be part of iOS 16.3, while others might not appear until iOS 16.4 or later.
Advanced Data Protection in More Countries
Apple recently introduced an optional Advanced Data Protection feature that expands end-to-end encryption to many additional areas of iCloud when enabled, including iCloud Backups, Photos, Notes, Reminders, Voice Memos, and more. The feature was enabled in iOS 16.2 and other software updates released this week for U.S. users only and will start rolling out to the rest of the world in early 2023, according to Apple.
It's unclear exactly when Advanced Data Protection will be available in additional countries, but given the early 2023 timeframe, it's possible that the feature will be enabled in upcoming betas, such as iOS 16.3 or iOS 16.4 for the iPhone.
Apple Pay Later
Announced at WWDC 2022 in June, Apple Pay Later is a financing feature that will let qualifying customers in the U.S. split a purchase into four equal payments over six weeks, with no interest or fees to pay. The feature will be built into the Wallet app and will be available for purchases online and in apps on the iPhone and iPad.
On the iOS 16 features page, Apple says Apple Pay Later is coming in a future software update for qualifying applicants in the U.S. and may not be available in all states. Apple Pay Later was not included with the release of iOS 16.2 and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested that the feature might not launch until iOS 16.4 next year.
Security Keys for Apple ID
Apple recently previewed a new Security Keys for Apple ID feature that it said will be available globally in early 2023. The feature gives users the option to use hardware security keys to further protect their account. For users who enable this feature, Security Keys strengthens Apple's two-factor authentication by requiring a hardware security key as one of the two factors instead of a verification code from another Apple device.
Apple does not plan to release its own hardware security keys. The feature will rely on third-party security keys available from brands like Yubico.
Update: The first iOS 16.3 beta enables the Security Keys for Apple ID feature.
Apple Card Savings Account
In October, Apple announced that Apple Card users would soon be able to open a new high-yield savings account from Goldman Sachs and have their Daily Cash cashback rewards automatically deposited into it, with no fees, no minimum deposits, and no minimum balance requirements. The account would be managed through the Wallet app on the iPhone.
The savings account was listed in the release notes for the iOS 16.1 Release Candidate, but it did not end up launching with that update. The savings account did not launch with iOS 16.2 either, so it's unclear when it will be available.
Once the account is set up, all Daily Cash received from that point on would be automatically deposited into it and start earning interest, unless a user opts to continue having Daily Cash added to their Apple Cash balance. Apple Card provides 2-3% Daily Cash on purchases made with Apple Pay and 1% on purchases made with the physical card.
Launched in 2019, Apple's credit card remains exclusive to the United States.
Apple Classical
In August 2021, Apple announced the acquisition of classical music service Primephonic. In a press release, Apple said it planned to launch a dedicated classical music app in 2022 that combined Primephonic's user interface with additional features, but the year is nearly over and the company has not commented on the plans since.
Earlier this year, code-level references to an "Apple Classical" app were discovered in betas of the Apple Music app for Android and iOS 15.5. These references were never made visible to the public, but it could reveal that Apple is or at least was planning to name the app "Apple Classical" instead of Apple Music Classical. Even more references to the classical music app were discovered in an XML file on Apple's servers in late September.
If the Apple Classical app ever launches, it's unclear if the app would be built into iOS or made available through the App Store only.
