Any iOS review, including this iOS 16 review, concentrates on two questions — when should I update and what can I expect when I do?
We picked “when” not “if” there for a reason. iPhone owners nearly always jump to the latest version of Apple’s mobile software because unlike our Android friends, we’re not at the mercy of phone makers and carriers as to when we can upgrade. When Apple makes an iOS update available, it’s available for everyone. The adoption rate for iOS 15, the last big iOS update, was approaching 90% in June, for example, At the same time, Android 11 was running on nearly 32% of Android devices, with the newer Android 12 only available on a little more than 17.5% of those phones.
But iPhone users don’t always upgrade right away. Sometimes, it makes sense to wait for a patch or two to make sure there aren’t any show-stopping bugs or big hits to battery life. The question for iOS 16 then, now that Apple has made the full release available, is whether the software is truly ready for a smooth upgrade.
Let’s remove all the suspense — I switched to iOS 16 on my full-time phone a few weeks ago, while the software is still in beta. And while I’ve noticed a hiccup here or there, the features that iOS 16 adds are well worth it to me. You may still feel like waiting to upgrade, and I applaud your sense of caution. But I think iOS 16 is ready to install on your phone — more importantly, I think you’re going to be pleased when you do install it.
And that gets to our second question: What should you expect from iOS 16? As this iOS 16 review details, the update introduces some new features and welcome updates to old favorites that will make your phone a lot more useful.
You can find the iOS 16 update by heading to the Settings app and tapping General. Select Software Update, and then follow the instructions for downloading and installing iOS 16. (Before you do, it’s a good idea to back up your iPhone with an archived backup.) Our guide on how to download iOS 16 can walk you through the process.
To install iOS 16, you’ll need an iPhone 8 or later. That covers any iPhone released in 2017 and beyond. That eliminates a few devices capable of running iOS 15 but left out in the cold with iOS 16. All iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 models can’t upgrade to iOS 16, nor can the original iPhone SE. (The 2020 and 2022 versions of the SE are supported, however.) The 7th-gen iPod touch is also on the outside looking in.
Even if your phone supports iOS 16, older phones may miss out on some features. As with iOS 15, you’ll need a phone with an A12 Bionic processor or later to use features like Live Text and Visual Look Up, both of which see new features in iOS 16.
Easily the biggest change to iOS 16 can be seen when you wake the phone from sleep. (Or if you’ve got one of the new iPhone 14 Pro models that feature always-on displays, at any time.) The iOS 16 lock screen is now customizable beyond just the wallpaper. You can alter the font and color of the date and time display while also adding widgets.