iOS 10 release date and feature rumours; iOS 10 may feature iCloud Voicemail PLUS: our iOS 10 wishlist
iOS 10 release date rumours: When will Apple announce iOS 10
The big question on everybody's lips is "when will iOS 10 be released" and while we can't give you an exact date, we can look at past events and estimate its arrival. Typically, Apple announces its new iteration of iOS every June at its WWDC event in the US, with an Autumn release date. This three/four-month gap between the announcement and its release gives developers a chance to squash any bugs and add any new features to their third-party iOS apps, in time for general release.
With this being said, we expect iOS 10 to be made available for consumers at some point in September 2016, days before the (yet unannounced) iPhone 7 is released.
So, what can we expect to see from Apple's 10th iteration of iOS Though no details are yet confirmed, we've scoured the internet for the most interesting rumours regarding iOS 10, which you can find below. We'll be updating this article constantly, so make sure you check back every now and again for more news and rumours.
See also: iPhone 6s review
iOS 10 new feature rumours: 'Rootless' security system will make iOS 9 impossible to jailbreak
Hard to see this one as good news: for those of us who don't jailbreak, it'll make no difference, and it'll be a nightmare for jailbreakers who want to update to the next generation of iOS.
It's believed that iOS 10 will be unprecedentedly difficult to jailbreak thanks to a new security system that Apple is working on called 'Rootless'.
Redmond Pie reports that this system "is aimed at preventing even administrator-level users from gaining access to certain file systems on an iPhone, iPad or Mac - though it's believed that it can be disabled on the company's desktop OS Apple has been plugging holes in iOS for years, holes that jailbreakers have historically used to gain access to parts of the system that they would normally not be able to interact with. It's this opening up of iOS at a fundamental level that is likely to be thwarted by Apple's 'Rootless' technology, leaving jailbreakers very much at the beginning of what could be a long and difficult journey."
Since we don't know Redmond Pie's unnamed sources, we can't verify this report for ourselves; and the site admits that it doesn't know if Rootless will make an appearance in the next software updates (to both mac OS X and iOS) or at some point after that. But jailbreakers will be awaiting next years WWDC announcements with some concern, we imagine.
See also: How to jailbreak an iPhone or iPad
iOS 10 new feature rumours: HomeKit hub, possibly called 'Home'
HomeKit is Apple's take on the Internet of Things concept: a platform that will allow you to control home appliances and other non-traditional connected devices from your iPhone or Mac. Apple has announced the platform, but we are still waiting for an accompanying iOS app - especially with HomeKit-compatible devices now widely available for purchase. It's worth noting that if you do own a HomeKit-compatible device, you're able to control it via Siri in iOS 9.
Naturally it makes sense for this important new product area for Apple to be a focus of attention in future software updates, and we expect to see a new HomeKit-focused app in iOS 10 called, most likely, 'Home'.
This app would be a little like Health: a central hub that's used to communicate with a wide variety of external devices and collate their data. As my colleague Caitlin McGarry explains it, "The app will cluster your HomeKit devices by virtual rooms, so you can easily see which accessory you want to turn on, turn off, or adjust without actually looking at it."
We can't wait: by the end of next year we could all be using our iPhones to examine the contents of our fridges and turn on the heating shortly before we arrive home.
iPhone 7 concept
See also: HomeKit release date rumours
iOS 10 new feature rumours: iCloud Voicemail
Apple is said to be conducting internal testing of a new feature of Siri; one that'll allow your virtual assistant to talk to your callers and transcribe your voicemail messages into text. The iCloud Voicemail is said to replace standard voicemail, with one particular feature being able to quickly glance at and read voicemail messages, rather than having to listen to them. Business Insider has reported that the service is expected to launch next year, depending on its reliability (hence why Apple employees are internally trialling the service).
So, how will this new feature work Apparently, when someone using iCloud Voicemail is unable to take a call, Siri will answer instead of letting the call go to your standard voicemail. iCloud Voicemail should be able to relay information to (selected) callers regarding where the recipient is, and why he/she can't answer the phone. Siri will then transcribe the incoming voicemail, as it does whenever the virtual assistant is used.
If the service passes internal testing and is reliable enough, we should see iCloud Voicemail launching next year along with iOS 10 - and we can't wait.
See also: Funny things to ask Siri
iOS 10 new feature rumours: Contact availability status
A patent that has recently been granted shows that Apple is considering a new feature that would enable iPhone users to view at a glance whether their contacts are available for a conversation, and where they are.
The abstract of the patent reads:
"A command is received at an operating system of a first mobile phone for displaying contact information of a remote user having a mobile phone number of a second mobile phone. In response to the command, a request is transmitted to a remote server from the first mobile phone over a cellular network requesting an operating status of the second mobile phone. The operating status of the second mobile phone is received from the remote server over the cellular network. The operating status of the second mobile phone is displayed on a display of the first mobile phone as a part of contact information of the remote user associated with the second mobile phone, where the operating status includes current locality of the second mobile phone."
Which sounds complicated, but can be further summarised as a system that detects where your friends are, and whether they're available and the operating status of their iPhone (such as silent or Airplane mode), and presents that information in the Contacts app. If you're thinking that has the whiff of surveillance about it - well, it does, but only to the same extent as Find My Friends, and it would presumably be optional for both parties.
iOS 10 wishlist: Features we hope will make it to iOS 10
We at Macworld UK put our heads together and thought about some of the features we'd like to see included in iOS 10, from small changes to completely new ideas - and here are our best.
Ability to change video resolution in-app: One of the selling points of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus is that they're able to record in full 4K resolution at 30fps, as well as the standard 1080p at 60fps or 30fps. The only issue we have is that there is no easy way to change between the resolutions from within the Camera app, and we have to exit the app, head to Settings > Camera to be able to change it.
Certain situations, such as filming in low light, require a lower frame rate (less frames = more light captured) and changing it manually takes around 10-15 seconds, which isn't ideal. We would love a way to quickly change the resolution and frame rate, possibly by tapping an icon in the Camera app. It's a simple change to make, and would be largely appreciated by those that like to capture video on their iPhones.
View Favourites in Contacts app: Another fairly simple change we'd like to see made in iOS 10 is the ability to view and edit the list of favourites, currently only found within the Phone app. It makes sense to be able to access your favourite contacts from within the Contacts app, and we're not quite sure why Apple hasn't yet added this functionality. Sometimes we want easy access to our contacts for other reasons, not just for calling!
Customise the Control Center: The Control Center is one of the most underrated features of iOS, enabling easy access to various toggles and controls without having to open the Settings app. The only issue we have is that we can't personalise any of the toggles, as we'd like to be able to swap out little-used toggles for shortcuts to apps/settings we frequently use. For example, we very rarely use the Control Center to access the Calculator app - we'd much prefer easy access to Twitter, for example.
While on the topic of the Control Center, we'd like to be able to quickly access the settings of each of the toggles with a force touch on the latest iPhones. For example, we'd like to be able to force press the Wi-Fi toggle to quickly access the Wi-Fi menu to connect to a new network.
Read next: How to update to iOS 9