WWDC22 Wishlist: Features we want to see Apple introduce in iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13

The Worldwide Developers Conference  — our favorite time of the year — is inching closer! For many of us, it’s more exciting than the actual iPhone event. Apple will be holding the main WWDC22 keynote on June 6. There’s plenty to expect from this event and even more to wish for. The company will most likely be revealing iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13, followed by releasing the first developer betas of these operating systems. Last year, iOS 15 and macOS Monterey introduced some notable features, including Focus, SharePlay, Safari improvements, and more. This year, we haven’t heard many rumors when it comes to iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13. So there’s much to hope for when it comes to these major releases. Here’s our WWDC22 wishlist for iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13 — including over 25 features!

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• iPadOS 16
• watchOS 9
• macOS 13

Feature Wishlist for iPadOS 16

Freestyle widget placement on Home Screen

iPadOS 15 finally added support for Home Screen widgets. However, we still can’t place them in random order and leave gaps in between. It still hasn’t evolved into a desktop-like space where you can place shortcuts and folders in any empty space. Being able to do so in iPadOS 16 would be a welcome change. Additionally, it would be ideal if we receive the same treatment on iOS 16.

Pro app support

So, the iPad Pro and iPad Air are now powered by the Apple M1 chip — which was initially designed for the Mac. iPadOS really limits what this powerful SoC can do, though. Without Pro app support, the iPad will never really be a PC replacement — as the Cupertino tech giant wants it to be. Apple should start by bringing support to some of its Pro editing apps, like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. While they might not pack all of the features available on macOS, the company could at least support the features the iPad is capable of handling.

3-app Split View

The iPad screen is large enough to support three apps side by side. Think of it as the three apps being in Slide Over mode, except that they’re not floating and it’s just regular Split View. iPadOS currently limits users to two apps in Split View. Being able to interact with three apps simultaneously would take the OS to the next level.

Multi-user support

iPads aren’t as personal as iPhones. Some families share an iPad for light gaming, watching series, and other forms of entertainment. Apple should bring multi-user support to iPadOS 16 to make it easier for several people to use the same device. Ideally, each user would sign in with their own Apple ID, have their own settings and layout, and install their apps independently. To save on local space, when several people download the same app to their separate user accounts, Apple could create one copy of its common files, with separate data folders for each of the unique users.

AirPlay receiver

macOS Monterey allows users to mirror their iDevices to the Mac’s screen through AirPlay. The feature has long been implemented through third-party solutions, but none of them work as reliably as native support. Considering Apple allows users to mirror the Mac’s screen to an iPad through Sidecar, there’s no denying that iPads have decent-sized displays. It would be useful to bring AirPlay support to iPadOS 16 — allowing iPhone users to mirror their screens to the slightly bigger one.

iPhone-only apps in Slide Over

Right now, if you download an iPhone-only app to an iPad, it loads the iOS version of the app. So you get a stretched-out UI that has been designed for a small screen while maintaining the iPhone’s aspect ratio. Apple still limits users from using iPhone-only apps in Split View and Slide Over modes. Considering Slide Over loads an iPhone-like version of an iPad app, it would be interesting to be able to launch iPhone-only apps in Slide Over on iPadOS 16.

Mac-like photo editor

The Photos app on macOS includes additional editing features, such as a re-touching tool and advanced filter controls. Considering the iPad has a large touch screen and is (in some cases) powered by a Mac processor, we want to see some (or all) of these tools on iPadOS 16. The iPad is already many artists’ canvas — powerful default photo editing tools would be ideal.

Calculator, Weather, and Chess apps

It’s 2022, and I can’t believe we’re still asking Apple to add Weather and Calculator apps to the iPad. And since we’re more demanding now, might as well ask for the Chess app that comes preinstalled on macOS. Seriously, there’s literally no logical justification as to why we can’t have these essential apps on a platform that is over a decade old. Please, Apple.

Feature Wishlist for watchOS 9

QWERTY keyboard on all models

When the Cupertino tech giant revealed the Apple Watch Series 7, it highlighted a software exclusivity — QWERTY keyboard support. The company has only made it available on the Series 7 seemingly because it has a larger display. Except that the 44mm Series 6 has a bigger screen than the smaller 41mm Series 7 model. So the company could easily make QWERTY available on older models.

Additionally, a third-party developer has already released a similar solution that works on older models just fine — which Apple eventually took down from the App Store. We only hope that the tech overlord repents in watchOS 9 and supports QWERTY on older watch models.

Third-party watch faces

One of the annoyances of using an Apple Watch is being limited to the company’s watch faces. watchOS indeed comes with dozens of options and supports third-party complications. However, the overall mold remains the same. If Apple adds third-party face support in watchOS 9, we could see developers getting creative in the way they execute them. Additionally, we might see “plain canvas” kinds of faces that allow users to customize them from scratch — similar to the Home Screen widgets. I don’t see the company adding support for this anytime soon, though, as then anyone can flex an Hermès face without paying the Hermès tax.

VoIP call support

I keep my iPhone silent at all times. Don’t ask why — some of us just despise the endless pinging and random noises. The Apple Watch vibrates on my wrist every time I get notified, so it’s really hard for me to miss a notification. However, there’s a major oversight (or intentional behavior, who knows?) when it comes to this department — VoIP call support.

You probably know that you can answer regular phone calls from your Apple Watch. That’s in addition to FaceTime audio calls. However, if FaceTime isn’t your VoIP calling app of choice, you might’ve noticed that third-party apps don’t ring on your wrist. There seemingly is no API in watchOS for developers to adopt. So now when someone calls me on Telegram or WhatsApp, I almost always miss the call if my phone isn’t in my pocket and I can’t feel it vibrating. Can we please have VoIP support in watchOS 9, Apple?

Proper sleep tracking

The Apple Watch already supports “sleep tracking,” but it’s not properly implemented. For the unfamiliar, you have to specify your typical sleep schedule, and the watch will just count the inactivity hours in this interval. So if you nap during the day, your Apple Watch is going to just pretend you didn’t. And if you pick up your iPhone during the night and then go back to sleep, the watch is going to panic, not knowing whether you are asleep again or have just decided to start your day at the early bird hour of 2 AM. The rest of the fitness tracker market implements proper sleep tracking, so maybe Apple can use some of their trillion dollars and add an automatic sleep tracking mechanism in watchOS 9.

Complete independence

Apple recently added support for setting up other family members’ (cellular) watches. This makes it easy for a person who doesn’t own an iPhone to take advantage of the wearable’s features. However, if none of your family members own an iPhone, you can’t set up an Apple Watch independently. Many Android users acknowledge how advanced the Apple Watch is, but they want to stick to their Android phones. By implementing complete independence in watchOS 9, Apple could appeal to a wider range of potential customers. The watch already can do most tasks on its own, including downloading apps, fetching software updates, and more.

iPadOS and macOS support

If Apple doesn’t want to give us complete independence on watchOS, it could at least add a Watch app on iPadOS and macOS. This allows Android phone users with an iPad or Mac to pair and use an Apple Watch. It would also allow iPhone users to customize their watches from any of their iDevices.

Additionally, we want to Apple to allow us to optionally mirror Mac and iPad notifications to the watch as well. This would make the watch the ultimate notification center for all of our Apple devices. Ideally, we also want the watch to unlock the iPad when we turn its screen on, the way it behaves with the Mac.

Better app layout

watchOS currently offers two different app layouts — a grid and an alphabetical list. I find both equally unintuitive to use. I’m not sure how Apple can execute a more practical layout on the tiny screen, but I trust it has the genius brains on board to figure this one out. Maybe a list that shows three app icons horizontally instead of just a labeled one? I’m unsure, but please Apple, spice things up in watchOS 9.

Translation app

The Apple Translation app is currently available on iOS and iPadOS. However, it remains missing from watchOS — even though it makes sense to have it there. Apple could only implement the conversation/audio mode on the watch and allow users to take advantage of it when connected to Wi-Fi/iPhone or offline through downloading the files — as is the case on iOS.

Proper SMS sync

Apple sometimes forgets that not everyone is on iMessage and that sometimes we receive/send SMS for many reasons. I have Messages in iCloud enabled on ALL of my devices, and syncing works just fine — for the most part. When I delete an iMessage from one device, it disappears on all of them. However, when I delete an SMS from a Mac, iPhone, or iPad, it remains there on my Apple Watch. SMS deletion doesn’t sync on watchOS, and it’s a pain to delete a thread from the tiny screen. Maybe watchOS 9 will fix this, and maybe not. A man can dream.

Walkie-Talkie iOS support

The Walkie-Talkie app is a watchOS exclusive that allows two Apple Watch users to instantly communicate with each other through audio — similar to the way a walkie-talkie works, obviously. Literally no one I know uses this feature. One reason could be them being unaware of it. Another possible justification could be not having enough Apple Watch users in their circles. Ultimately, the iPhone is more popular than the Apple Watch. It would be nice to get Walkie-Talkie support on the iPhone in the upcoming watchOS 9 and iOS 16 releases. This way more people will be able to take advantage of it, and it’ll become more known through the obvious iPhone app.

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Feature Wishlist for macOS 13

Widgets on desktop

Do you remember macOS Dashboard widgets from olden times? Don’t you miss ’em? Well, maybe we don’t miss their ancient style, but I certainly miss being able to place widgets on my desktop. The new ones only support sitting in the right widget panel (aka Notification Center). We want to be able to see widgets without needing to access that dedicated area. It’s a Mac — it’s supposed to be more forgiving than iOS and iPadOS. If on the mobile platforms we can do it just fine, it should also be the case on macOS. I’ve assigned the top right hot corner for the Notification Center to access them by just swiping to the top, but it’s not ideal. macOS 13, maybe?

Functional Music app

I can’t believe I’m typing this, but the Apple Music app on macOS randomly crashes from time to time. It still isn’t the smoothest software to use. While it’s faster when compared to its iTunes days, it still can be frustrating sometimes. For example, I often type in the search field, only to get no results. I have to delete the entire keyword(s) and retype them. In addition to building a more solid Music app, we want to see the additional features mentioned in the iOS 16 wishlist on macOS 13.

Refreshed System Preferences

The System Preferences app on the Mac has received some icon overhauls in recent years. However, it still remains not as clean as the Settings app on iOS and iPadOS. A similar vertical arrangement with more uniform icons (size-wise) would be cool to have in macOS 13. The vertical list could expand horizontally when you click on a section — as is the case on iPadOS.

Notification mirroring

Considering all Apple products are aware of and compatible with each other, the company could easily mirror notifications across all operating systems as an optional setting. Being able to read iPhone notifications and reply to them from the Mac would make life so much easier. You can already do so on the Apple Watch — now we want to see it on the Mac with macOS 13.

Party mode

Anghami — a MENA-based music streaming service — offers an innovative feature that I would like to see baked into Apple operating systems. Multiple people within close proximity can play the same song at the same time. This turns each of their devices into a speaker, and the tunes remain in sync. It would be amazing if we could play audio (from any app, on any Apple device) and have all of our nearby, connected iDevices blast out the same output. This is a continuity feature I doubt we’ll see, but I very much need it. It would be ideal for an immersive movie or music night when independent speakers aren’t easily accessible.

Clock, Weather, and Translation apps

macOS still lacks a Clock app. If you ask Siri to set a timer, it’ll just create a reminder in the Reminders app — which is arguably a big fail. There’s no way to set an alarm by default, either. Additionally, Apple still hasn’t blessed us with a Weather app on the Mac, as is the case on iPadOS. Ideally, we would also like to see the Translation app of the iPad brought to macOS 13 as a Universal app.

Synced alarms

I understand some people use different Apple devices for different alarms — depending on their use cases. However, assuming Apple adds a Clock app to macOS 13, we also want an optional toggle under iCloud Sync for alarms. Some of us want to be able to edit their iPhone alarms from their Macs and dismiss their Mac alarms from their iPads. There’s no harm in asking for it, even though it might never become part of our sad reality.

Find My 2.0

Find My already allows users to erase, view the battery level of, ping, and locate their Apple devices. Considering Find My already ties them all tightly, it would be useful if the upcoming Apple operating systems introduce Find My 2.0. This significant upgrade would allow users to manage Control Center toggles and other relevant settings of any device, from any device. Rather than revolving around finding lost devices, Find My would become a hub where users can control and communicate with the rest of their devices in a more powerful manner.

Streamlining the version numbers

I’m sure it’s not just me — Apple should streamline the version numbers across iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS. It would be much, much easier to pinpoint the release years and feature compatibility across different devices through the identical numbering. We’re not asking the company to jump to iOS 22 and sync it with the year of its release, too. Just give watchOS and macOS a big bump this one time to sync them with the version numbers of iOS and iPadOS. Can we please have that in this year’s macOS 16 release, Apple?

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With WWDC22 being around a month or so away, the hype is further building. There’s not much we can do — apart from sitting still, keeping an eye open for last-minute leaks, and hoping Apple doesn’t put us down with a bug fixing release this year. We know most of our wishlist items probably won’t make it through this year, but we can only cross our fingers. Don’t forget to check our iOS 16 feature wishlist, too!

What’s your personal wishlist for Apple’s operating systems? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post WWDC22 Wishlist: Features we want to see Apple introduce in iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13 appeared first on XDA.

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Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit Review: A lot of work goes into installing these affordable light panels

Smart LED light panels are all the rage right now and I can see why. A spectacular set of smart lights can instantly change the atmosphere of a space, whether it’s your office or your living room, adding that bit of flair to your smart home. When done right, you even get capabilities such as voice control through your phone or smart speaker over your intelligent lighting. Names like Nanoleaf and Govee are probably the first to pop up when thinking of wall lights with fancy ambient modes and color customizability options.

You’ll be pleased to know that there is an abundance of cheap alternatives in this category. Options like the Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit cost almost half as much as the ones offered by name brands. There are a few tradeoffs that you’ll have to live with, but you still get access to premium features such as Google Assistant, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit integration.

As is the case with most Chinese products though, the software side is a little weak and the physical design could use some work too. Despite the option to extensively customize every single light module, Cololight had to compromise somewhere. My review is going to unravel these problems and assess whether this affordable set of wall light panels is worth your attention.

Cololight RGB Light

The Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit is accessible to all thanks to its low price tag. You get a satisfying color payoff, fun options in-app, and voice assistant support. Prepare yourself for a complex installation process and a finicky companion app though.

Pros:

Cons:

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About this review: We received the Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit from Cololight for review purposes. Cololight had no input in the contents of this review.

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Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit: Design and Hardware

Every module of the Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit adopts a regular hexagonal shape. The Plus Kit comes with a power base, a base mount, a number of hexagonal light panels, and Alexa/Google Assistant/HomeKit support. You can purchase this set of smart lights with a single panel or opt for the 7, 9, 12, 15, or 20-pack. Compared to the Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons which cost about $200 for a set of seven, the 7-pack of the Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit is very inexpensive at $100.

To put things in perspective, the Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels go for $200, but that version includes 10 panels. The Pro version of the Cololight Hexagon Light is even cheaper as opposed to the Plus Kit, coming in at $90 for the 6-pack and $130 for the 10-pack. All it lacks is HomeKit support, which is a fine bargain if you’re not in the Apple ecosystem.

As expected, you can always purchase just a single Cololight Hexagon Light module and expand it later. As these smart wall lights are modular by design, there’s nothing stopping you from adding more panels, up to 255 panels in total, to your kit over time. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to purchase a 5V/2A power brick separately as there’s no wall charger included in the box. If you decide to upgrade over time, also stay mindful that you might need to purchase additional connectors separately.

An individual hexagonal panel measures 86mm by 74.5mm by 30.5mm in size. They are a bit smaller than one would expect, however, once you hook up the set of lights it doesn’t make much of a difference. What I don’t like is the chunky nature of these panels. Whether you choose to attach the lights to your wall or place them as a standing showpiece, the thick sides are clearly visible and don’t look good.

The Cololight Hexagon Light panels can output excellent levels of brightness and the color payoff is brilliant.

The lights themselves can output excellent levels of brightness, and the color payoff is brilliant for what you pay. The panels have a soft matte finishing on top. This gives a more edge-to-edge connected feel to the modules when they’re on and the shades appear to flow naturally. The matte coat also dulls the sharp brightness of the light panels, going easier on your eyes.

Each light module of the Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit has a microphone built in for sound reactive modes. The only physical button can be found on the power base and pressing it changes the light modes. There are a total of 19 LED bulbs within every panel and you can individually select a custom color for each one. This applies to the dynamic modes as well. These features make it sound like a fun idea to mount the Cololight Kit on your walls, but the 3.5ft power cable interferes with such plans.

I had a really hard time trying to find a long enough extension in my living room and even after that was done, the mess of cables was bothersome to look at. To top it off, Cololight uses a propriety power base with a cable attached to it, so you can’t just purchase a longer USB cable to fix this issue. If you’re an unlucky gal like me and your space doesn’t have a wall outlet nearby, you’ll be stuck with an extension cord or might have to scrap your wall-mounting plans altogether.

Desks and tables are ideal spaces for placement as you don’t need to hang the panels so high up and you’ve probably got a power outlet at hand. Alternatively, you could just build a pattern you like and let it stand on the wide base included in the Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit. I believe the latter is a better idea owing to the size of the cable and the complex construction process.

Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit: Setup and Software

To be very frank, setting up the light panels is a hellish nightmare. I expected the process to be fairly simple, but I ended up being way in over my head. Not only do you have to know exactly what shape you’re gunning for from the start, but you also need to plan where each power connector will be placed. If it doesn’t match the pattern from the one in the app, your lights will not display the dynamic modes accurately.

Just like the flow of water from one pool to the next, the lights follow the path of the connectors in the dynamic lighting modes. It’s not always necessary to follow the templates in the app but if you want to match the output from one of the dynamic modes, you have to follow the instructions. Even if you’re planning to create your own custom static or dynamic mode, you’ll need to select the pattern of the connectors and enter it into the app. I find this unnecessarily complicated and extremely user-unfriendly.

Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit templates in the Android app

All that confusing connection also means that before you connect the panels, you’ll need to set up the Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit on your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi using your Android or iOS phone. The app installs and sets up fairly easily, but it can be a laggy experience. My Pixel 6 froze a couple of times during the process, leading me to start all over. I assumed that my Pixel was at fault, but testing with three other phones gave me the same result.

After painstakingly assembling your design to match the layout from the app, you have to then replicate the pattern with the backplates.

After you have painstakingly assembled your design to match the layout from the app, you can’t just throw in the towel and call it a day. Next, you’ll have to create the same pattern again using the plastic frames or backplates for support, complete with connector plates and everything. It is a laborious undertaking and I had to sacrifice many a nail in my endeavors. Once the frame is completed, it needs to be attached to the backside of the Cololight panels.

Without the frame, your light panels will just fall out of place. If you attempt to stick them on the wall as is, the entire rig will fall apart as soon as you pick it up. There are two options available to you for mounting on flat surfaces like walls and Cololight thoughtfully includes them in the Hexagon Light Plus Kit.

You get plenty of circular 3M adhesives as well as screws for nailing your panels in place. I can vouch for the durability of the adhesive — those sticky patches don’t budge. That does make it difficult to remove them though, and you should be prepared for some damage to the paint job after removal. So do keep this in mind.

The Cololight app is full to the brim with rich features. You get wonderful presets that can stay stationary, move, and ambiently change according to the music playing. The DIY mode is playful and allows you to exercise your creativity. You can also collectively give instructions to a bunch of different kits if you have multiple Cololight products. This can be done by creating a “Group” inside the Cololight app.

The slow response and laggy nature of the Cololight app take away from what it could have been.

Unfortunately, the slow response of the app takes away from what it could have been. Navigating through the options and modes is hard enough, but you also have to factor in its stability. The Cololight app seems to have a mind of its own and hangs far too often. Sometimes it crashes and other times it freezes. At times, you’re left with no other option except to restart the app. This especially happened with me a lot when I tried to use complicated functions such as creating my own custom dynamic mode.

Voice commands can be executed through Alexa, Google Assistant, or HomeKit. These are limited to simple instructions such as turning the Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit on and off or changing the color to a single, static shade. As Cololight is owned by Lifesmart, you’ll have to look for Lifesmart under the Google Home app or any of the other compatible smart home management apps. This is not explicitly mentioned anywhere and I had a hard time figuring it out at first.

Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit: Should you buy it?

Overall, the performance of the Cololight Hexagon Light panels is more than satisfactory. They look mesmerizing and the colors are beautiful. You’ll especially enjoy the paper-like appearance of the light panels. The single button situated on the power base makes it easy to switch through the light presets without using voice assistants or the app.

The complicated setup process is what really takes the mickey out of this smart home product. It seems ridiculous and unnecessary that you need to follow the templates to a T to achieve certain results, down to the very connectors. Then there are the hard plastic backplates that require even more time and energy to construct and attach to your Hexagon Light Plus Kit. You can’t just build as you like the Nanoleaf Shapes or the Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels.

HomeKit integration gives Cololight a leg up, combined with the competitive price tag. Personally, I would rather pay a few bucks more just for a more stable app and an easier installation process. If you think that all that time and effort is worth the extra savings, then you should go ahead and grab the Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit. Once it’s all fixed up and placed in a nice spot, the cascading smart lights will bring much delight.

Cololight RGB Light

The Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit requires a lot of patience. If you're up to the task, these pleasant ambient lights will serve you well. The buggy app, however, will not.

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Amazon Echo (4th Gen) Review: Still the King in 2022

The Amazon Echo is one of those products that truly kickstarted a whole category. The best smart speakers now come from far and wide, many using the same Alexa voice platform. Amazon wasn’t the first to bring a voice assistant to the world, in fact coming behind Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Alexa debuted in late 2014 on the original Amazon Echo. The Genesis moment. The rest is history. The competition is fierce but the Amazon Echo continues to not only exist but improve with each iteration. We’re now up to the 4th generation of the Amazon Echo and it looks a lot different from the first. The iconic cylinder is no more, Alexa as a platform has grown with each passing year, and in many homes, it’s become part of the family. My kids don’t really know of the Amazon Echo, they just know to talk to Alexa and ask for the Encanto soundtrack.

That ease of use is part of what has always made the Amazon Echo such a great device. Even if you’ve never owned one, you probably know who — or rather, what — Alexa is. It’s one of those technologies that transcended its hardware and found its way into the wider world. Now, the Amazon Echo is but a piece in the puzzle, Alexa is everywhere. On your speaker, on your wrist, on your TV, or in your car. But it all started on the Echo.

It’s now 2022, almost eight years on from the debut of the Amazon Echo. Google has some first-rate alternatives, Apple has its own, and third parties such as Sonos are onboard with voice assistants. Is there still a place for the Amazon Echo or has it been usurped by a younger, funkier alternative?

Amazon Echo (4th Gen)

The latest generation of the original smart speaker continues to set the bar with a nice design, great sound and the sheer magnitude of possibilities from the Alexa ecosystem.

Features:

Pros: Cons:

See at Amazon

Navigate this review:

• Pricing and availability
• Specs
• Design and features
• Audio
• Should you buy an Amazon Echo?

Amazon Echo (4th Gen): Pricing and Availability

Amazon has pretty wide global support for both the Amazon Echo and Alexa, selling through its own store. Even those using “international versions” have varying services available if not full support.

The Amazon Echo (4th Gen) is, unsurprisingly, available primarily through Amazon with a regular retail price of $100. You get a choice of three colors, too, with white, blue, and charcoal all available. You can also find them at third-party retailers, such as Best Buy in the U.S., for the same price.

The real magic about shopping for an Amazon Echo is grabbing one at one of the regular discount events. The biggest ones are Prime Day and Black Friday every year, but there will also be sporadic sales throughout the year and Amazon isn’t shy about providing big price cuts on them.

Amazon Echo (4th Gen): Specs

Specification	Amazon Echo 4th Generation
Audio	1 x 3-inch woofer, 2 x 0.8-inch tweeters
Connectivity	802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) Zigbee Bluetooth Amazon Sidewalk
Ports	3.5mm audio jack
Controls	Voice-activated Play/pause Volume Microphone mute
Dimensions	5.7 x 5.7 x 5.2 inches
Weight	0.96kg
Colors	Charcoal White Blue
Price	$100

Design and Features: The center of your smart home

The latest generation of Amazon Echo moves away from the cylindrical design for the first time. Instead, you now get a sphere, and given the size, I liken it to holding a crystal ball as you extricate it from the packaging. The base is naturally flat, but otherwise, it’s a perfect Echo ball. The controls are still up top, the power connector is still around the back. But the ring light now runs around the bottom with the same iconic blue hue when you trigger it with the magic word.

The newest design for the Amazon Echo is a big departure, and it's a winner.

The move to a sphere means that it’s a lot wider than any of its predecessors. But I also think this design just looks better in the home. That’s subjective, of course, but having owned previous generations right back to the original, the newest is definitely my favorite in appearance. I’ve got the blue one to make a change from past years, and it’s OK. But I wish it was one of the others. It’s not a bad color, but it’s not the greatest shade of blue ever and it clashes with the aesthetics in basically each of my rooms. My tip would be to grab the white one, but maybe the blue does fit into your aesthetics.

The design is supposed to get out of the way and it does. If you need to touch it, you can, but 99% of the time you’re going to be using your voice. The power cable hooks up in the back so you have some possibility of neat cable management, right next to the 3.5mm jack. The Amazon Echo can be hooked up over cable to your existing music system to add some smarts and additional audio power.

Better than this though is the ability to create a stereo pair in the Alexa app. If you also own a Fire TV, this makes for an affordable, easy-to-use home theater setup that you never have to get up from the couch to control. It’s a similar ecosystem play to the Apple TV and the HomePod Mini, and you can’t deny how awesome it is. The last way to get audio out of the Echo is over Bluetooth. This feels more like Amazon couldn’t really leave it out, but it’s nicer to have it and not use it than the other way around.

Inside the Amazon Echo, you also find a Zigbee smart home hub. The most common way of using an Echo with your smart home is through Alexa. But Alexa requires a data connection, a local Zigbee hub does not. Zigbee also uses a different connection with a much lower data speed, so devices are both power efficient and don’t add to network noise on your home Wi-Fi.

I don’t have any Zigbee compatible devices on hand to use with the Amazon Echo, but there are some popular brands that support the technology. Philips Hue is probably the most well-known, along with the likes of SmartThings, Ring, and even some smart door locks. You might not ever touch it, but again, it’s good that it’s there for those who do want it. It makes the Amazon Echo a true smart home hub.

For everything else, there’s Alexa. You can mute the microphone whenever you don’t want the Echo to listen, but other times you just say her name, and away you go. This review isn’t long enough to talk about all the services and skills you can use with the Amazon Echo. Just know that it’s a lot. All the major smart home devices, most of the lesser-known ones, your Xbox, your Fitbit, there’s a ridiculous array of devices that can hook into Alexa.

It means the Amazon Echo can be what you make of it. You could just use it to listen to music and podcasts. Or you could use it to command and automate your entire home. That extends to home security, too, though Alexa Guard probably isn’t the first reason you’d be buying an Echo. Nor is the motion-sensing capabilities, but it sends a clear message about why smart home enthusiasts should look towards Amazon.

Audio: The Amazon Echo (4th Gen) packs a punch

For those who hunt for the highest quality audio, the Echo Studio exists. For those who just want something that sounds good, the Amazon Echo is generally excellent. That starts with what Amazon crammed inside this ball of fun. There’s a 3-inch (76mm) woofer paired with two 0.8-inch (20mm) tweeters, so you get a ton of bass. I’m not the biggest fan of overpowering lows, but generally, the output from the Echo is pleasing.

The Amazon Echo packs a punch with its three speaker setup delivering big sound.

On stock settings, you have a warm tone but you can lose a little clarity and volume from vocals. The sound doesn’t suffer from distortion at higher volumes and it’s a nice room filler. The Amazon Echo sounds like a much larger speaker than it actually is.

You do have some basic controls to tweak the audio, but they are pretty buried in the settings. Amazon could definitely do a better job at putting audio controls for your devices within easier reach. When you find them, though, you have sliders for bass, mids, and treble. Equalizer presets would be nice, but at least you can customize them manually.

If you find yourself looking for even more bass you can link the Amazon Echo to the Amazon Echo Sub. With a stereo pair and one of these, you’ll have a real room shaker.

The sound from the Amazon Echo is good, though, especially for something that costs just $100 and has all the smart features included. The Google Nest Audio perhaps sounds a little better for music, but the Echo will surprise you with how good it is.

Should you buy an Amazon Echo (4th Gen)?

The $64,000 question; should you buy an Amazon Echo in 2022? The answer is a resounding yes. For most people, the Amazon Echo is the perfect addition to their homes. If you’re a music fan it’s worth the extra spend over the Echo Dot for the added, well, everything. The new design is the best yet and while the blue is probably the worst looking, it’s not a disaster.

Perhaps the only thing really missing from the latest Amazon Echo is the LED clock found on the Echo Dot. It would be a nice little addition, even if it was an optional model that cost a little more. But on the whole, it’s really hard to pick fault with this thing.

Amazon’s eight years of making smart speakers show through. When the Echo first debuted and Alexa was new, it was exciting and a device to get enthusiastic about. To some degree that’s worn off. It’s the best at what it does, absolutely anyone can use one, it doesn’t cost a lot and you can’t really, truly find anything meaningful wrong with it. Honestly, the Amazon Echo is so good you could also say it’s actually a bit boring. But is there anything wrong with that?

Amazon Echo (4th Gen)

The Amazon Echo is the best all-around smart speaker for most people with a nice design, great sound and the immense power of the Alexa ecosystem at its disposal.

See at Amazon

The post Amazon Echo (4th Gen) Review: Still the King in 2022 appeared first on XDA.

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Skyline is an in-development Nintendo Switch emulator that actually works

You can do a lot with an Android smartphone, and the number of emulators that you can get for modern and retro systems alike is incredible. From age-old systems like the NES right up to the Nintendo 3DS, you can play them all from the comfort of your phone. Emulating more recent systems, such as the Nintendo Switch is, a bit more difficult. However, following a conceptual Nintendo Switch emulator launch and then a shady emulator that required a particular gamepad to use, Skyline is the first proper Nintendo Switch emulator that actually works, and you can test it out already.

To roll back a little bit, Skyline has been in development for over a year now, and only recently did some games become playable. As I was told by one of the developers, Skyline is extremely specific to just Android devices and has been built from the ground up following that philosophy — all while making use of community projects to assist its development. For example, Ryujinx is used as a reference throughout the project thanks to its accuracy, and the shader compiler used in Skyline is a fork of yuzu’s. Both the teams behind Ryujinx and yuzu have provided assistance in Skyline’s development, with the Skyline team also being granted a license exemption when it comes to yuzu.

At the moment, the developers tend to focus on getting one game at a time running. The first was Sonic Mania, the second was Celeste, and now the third that’s currently undergoing work is Super Mario Odyssey. This is because when one game runs nearly perfectly, incidentally, other games will start to work, too.

The Skyline app

The Skyline app itself is pretty bare-bones, though it has all of the features that you need. You can set a theme, the layout, performance statistics, change how logs are saved, username, language, and more. There’s also controller support with support for more than one, so that you can play multiplayer with friends. All you need is to ensure that you have your production keys and title keys along with your games, and you can get those by dumping your keys with Lockpick RCM on your Nintendo Switch.

Game compatibility is hit or miss

Currently, Skyline isn’t in a completely playable state right now — in fact, far from it. A lot of games don’t work, and the playable section of the compatibility list is rather short. That being said, we tested out both Super Mario Odyssey and Celeste to give you an idea of what to expect, and it’s quite impressive, to say the least. We also tried to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons but it didn’t run. Note that while the below recording’s audio is out of sync, the audio was not out of sync when playing.

Celeste

Celeste is a fun platformer that’s available on a lot of platforms, though not on Android. It runs between 40 and 60 FPS on my OnePlus 10 Pro with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, making it perfectly playable. It’s a lot of fun, though the touch controls are a little bit dodgy, though that’s because the game requires pretty precise input.

Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey is a game that is the latest focus of the Skyline team’s efforts. Currently, it can kind of show the menu, but the world itself doesn’t load on my OnePlus 10 Pro. 3D games are harder than 2D games to emulate, so it could be a while before you see this one running properly on a device.

Download and install Skyline

If you want to give Skyline a try, be sure to join the team’s Discord to see the latest APKs available for download, and read the rules before talking on the server as well. You will need a GitHub account, and typing “.rl ftx1” in the bot commands channel will give you a link to download the latest APK for your device. Otherwise, you can build the app yourself from its source code on GitHub by following the team’s build instructions.

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Which music services are supported on Google Assistant and the Google Nest speakers?

One of the most common uses for all the best smart speakers, like the Google Nest Audio, is as a music device. The Nest speakers are more than just a fancy music device, but it’s definitely one of the most used features. For music, you need a service to supply the tunes.

You could always send music from your smartphone. But when you have an AI like Google Assistant built into the Nest Audio, you’re really going to want to take advantage of that. So, which music services can you use?

Here are all the supported music services for the Google Nest speakers.

Which music services are supported on the Google Nest speakers?

Unlike some of the competition, such as the Apple HomePod Mini, the Google Nest speakers have wide-ranging support for third-party music services. The primary one for folks embedded into Google’s ecosystem will be YouTube Music.

YouTube Music

YouTube Music isn’t free, so unlike on the Amazon Echo, you’re going to need to pay to get anything from the first-party service. The good news is that YouTube Music is included as part of YouTube Premium. This subscription gets rid of ads on YouTube, enables background play on mobile, and allows downloads, so it’s worth having just for that.

Access to the YouTube Music library is a nice bonus to have. The service perhaps isn’t as user-friendly as Google Play Music used to be, but for hands-free access on the Nest Audio, you have no worries at all. And since it’s most likely already linked to the same Google account as your speaker, there’s no additional setup involved.

YouTube Premium costs $11.99 a month for an individual plan but there’s currently a two-month free trial to check it out first.

Spotify

Spotify is available on the Amazon Echo for both free and paid subscribers, though if you’re on the free tier your experience is significantly more limited.

Free members can listen to music through Google Assistant but with pretty strict limitations. Paid subscribers will have full access to the Spotify library. In supported markets, this also includes Spotify’s podcast library.

New subscribers who haven’t had Spotify Premium before can currently sign up and enjoy a three-month free trial before paying.

Apple Music

Apple Music subscribers can link their accounts to Google Assistant to listen on the Nest Audio and other supported speakers, but it isn’t as widely supported as some of the other services.

Currently, Apple Music can be used on the Amazon Echo in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

If you haven’t tried Apple Music yet, or in some cases even if you’re a returning user, you can get a month’s free trial to take it for a test listen.

Deezer

Deezer’s 73 million-strong song library is available to use on Google Assistant for paid subscribers on the Premium and Hi-Fi plans.

Deezer is also region-restricted on Google Nest devices to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.. As with other popular services you can try it first for free with a one-month trial.

Pandora

Pandora users in the United States (currently the only market for the service) can link their free, plus, or premium accounts to Google Assistant and enjoy music through the Google Nest speakers.

This includes podcasts and tier-specific perks such as unlimited skips on the plus and premium subscriptions.

Sirius XM

Sirius XM users in North America have full access to the service through Google Assistant with the various subscription tiers available. The service is unavailable to users outside of this region.

Sirius XM has one of the more generous free trial periods available with three-months access to try it out before you have to pay.

iHeartRadio

iHeartRadio is one of the free music services available on the Google Nest speakers, albeit only to users in North America, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand.

Radio stations, music, and podcasts are all available through iHeartRadio and if you have an account you can link it up and keep your activity in sync across all your devices.

TuneIn Radio

The basic tier of TuneIn Radio comes preloaded inside Google Assistant for use on the Nest speakers to listen to radio stations from around the world. If you have a premium subscription you can also link this and have full access to your account.

Google Cast

The Google Nest speakers have an additional bonus over the competition by supporting the Google Cast protocol. This means that unsupported services, for example, Tidal, that have Cast built into their apps can be used this way with the speakers.

It works the same as with video. Tap the Cast icon, choose the speaker you want the music to come out of, and you’re all set. While this isn’t quite as convenient as full hands-free access with the Google Assistant, it’s a decent alternative and better than using Bluetooth.

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That covers all the main ways you can listen to music on a Google Nest speaker. While the free services you can use are limited to radio and radio-like experiences, there is at least something to get started with. For the rest, there are plenty of free trials you can use before settling on your favorite service.

Google Nest Audio

Google's latest and best speaker for music pairing a subtle design with a room filling sound at a great price.

See at Best Buy

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WWDC22 Wishlist: 25 features we want Apple to announce for iOS 16

The Worldwide Developers Conference  — our favorite time of the year — is right around the corner! For many of us, it’s more exciting than the actual iPhone event. Apple will be holding the main keynote of WWDC22 on June 6. There’s plenty to expect from this event and even more to wish for. For starters, the company will most likely be revealing iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13. Following the keynote, we expect to get our hands on the first developer betas of these operating systems. Last year, iOS 15 and macOS Monterey introduced some interesting features, including Focus, SharePlay, Safari improvements, and more. We’ve heard some rumors regarding iOS 16 upgrading Focus, improving notifications, and bringing additions to Health. However, there’s much more we want Apple to include across its operating systems. Here’s our WWDC22 wishlist for iOS 16 — including 25 features!

iOS 16 Feature Wishlist for WWDC 2022

Redesigned icons

While there’s no need to fix what isn’t broken, change is sometimes good and rejuvenating. Our feature wishlist for iOS 16 starts with redesigned icons. Apple has been using these same app icons since iOS 7 — for the most part. It’s true that the company has tweaked or completely changed some of them. However, they retain the same feel as that ancient OS version. When comparing iOS 6 to iOS 7, the design changes were groundbreaking, and that’s exactly the kind of change we hope to see in iOS 16’s app icons. Android brought some sweeping UI changes with Android 12 and Material You, so Apple is in prime position to play catchup with some refreshes of its own.

Tweaked system UI elements

Just like the redesigned icons wish, we also hope for some user interface (UI) element changes. Apple makes changes to UI elements with almost every major, annual release. However, some toggles, icons, and other elements remain out of place. For example, the on/off toggle is too chunky and stands out when Apple still places it on the more minimalistic UI of iOS. It’s about time the company smoothens out some of these elements to make sure they blend with the rest of the operating system.

More default apps

Back in 2020, iOS 14 introduced the default app selection. However, it comes with a catch — users can only change the default web browser and email apps. We only hope that Apple expands its limits in iOS 16 and support more apps. These could include the default Maps, Music, Notes, Reminders, and Calendar apps. One use case would be for those who prefer Google’s tools over Apple’s. Supporting more default apps would let them have a smoother experience on iOS — rather than feeling the need to switch to Android. It would also give the company some breathing room for counter-arguments when regions like EU allege anti-competition practices. Choices here would be much appreciated all around.

System app updates through the App Store

One of the features I miss from Android OS is the ability to update system apps from the Google Play Store. This way, phone manufacturers can implement new features without forcing users to go through a full software update. Despite this being on our feature wishlist, I personally don’t see it happening with iOS 16. iPhones receive software support for a longer time than Android phones. So even if someone has a 4-year-old iPhone, they can still take advantage of the latest changes. Additionally, Apple tends to release new software updates somewhat frequently, so users don’t really have to wait for a long time to get their hands on the latest and greatest. It’s a nice addition to have, though I don’t personally need it, because there are still people out there using iPhones that don’t support the latest iOS version. Decoupling the app from the system might just make Apple’s update situation even better.

Some proper goddamn wallpapers

Back in the day, Apple used to put in actual effort when including new iPhone wallpapers. iOS 9 was the first version to start the drift from stunning photography to random abstract pictures that don’t always make sense. iOS 12 was when this transition reached completion and the company switched to total nonsense. It feels like Apple just throws in some colors now and calls it a wallpaper. Yes, there are wallpaper apps on iOS too — but it’s not too much to expect the trillion-dollar company to spend some time giving a better wallpaper experience. Those “Shot on iPhone” images could make for some stunning wallpapers, and it would be a good use of the marketing campaign too.

Background OS upgrades

As someone who installs every single iOS beta build, I can’t stress enough how much I want to see this feature on iOS 16. Instead of watching my devices’ black screens while they all update, it would be very handy for the system to install the update in the background — as the phone remains on and functional. The user can then reboot their iPhone to switch to the updated OS version in an instant manner. We shouldn’t need to wait for an upgrade in 2022. Android has largely moved onto seamless upgrades, with the notable exception of Samsung, and Apple should consider it too.

RCS support

iMessage is a great way to text your friends and family. It’s minimalistic, straight to the point, and fully integrated into the system. What’s not-so-great, though, is that it’s not a cross-platform messenger. So if you’re texting an Android friend, your iPhone will switch to SMS — which lacks most of iMessage’s features and can cost money (depending on your carrier’s plan). If only there was a way to bridge this gap…

Well, there is, and it’s called Rich Communication Services (RCS). If Apple bakes it into the Messages app, Android and iOS users will be able to text each other over mobile data or Wi-Fi and take advantage of more advanced messaging features. Please, Apple, in iOS 16. It’s a pipe dream, but we’re making a wishlist, so why not.

Apple Music additions

Apple Music is about seven years old now, and that’s a lot in tech years. The Cupertino giant has had enough time to catch up with some of its rivals. However, plenty of essential features remain missing from the streaming service. Apple has had products — both hardware (iPod) and software (iTunes) — in the music field for over a decade. So theoretically, there shouldn’t be anything holding it back from filling the gaps, but oh well.

In iOS 16, we would like to see:

• Better algorithms for music personalization and discovery.
• UI/UX improvements — the current design is clean but not very practical.
• Absolute continuity — Apple and Ecosystem go hand in hand. Why is there still no Spotify Connect equivalent? I’m sure it’s easier to implement than Universal Control.
• Richer yearly statistics and listening fun facts.

Better Mail and Calendar

The Mail app on iOS 15 is very limited when compared to other email clients, such as Spark. Yes, you can execute the basics and send emails, but it’s too basic. Additionally, it lacks some of the features Apple includes on the web app — like vacation auto-replies, aliases, and more.

Just like Mail, the Calendar app is also not enough. That’s not to mention that collaboration features on it are a hit or miss. Sometimes you invite people to an event, they accept it, yet it still shows as pending. The app simply won’t refresh. Ideally, a redesigned Calendar app with more productivity features is what we want to see in iOS 16.

Upgraded iMessage

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been resorting to online communications significantly more. There are plenty of free instant messaging apps to choose from. However, iMessage remains an easy option that is available for all Apple users by default. That’s why the company should take it to the next level and offer features that make it similar to Telegram or WhatsApp. Right now, many users find themselves unsatisfied with its limited features. As a result, they seek third-party alternatives. Sharing your name and photo with contacts is far from being enough.

Another wish that is unlikely to happen is iMessage access on iCloud.com. Apple already allows users to store their messages on iCloud. It makes sense to be able to access them from the web app and send an iMessage even if accessed from a Windows or Android web browser

Universal battery widget

On iOS 15, the Battery widget already supports viewing the percentages of connected Bluetooth devices. These include the Apple Watch, AirPods, supported wireless speakers, etc. Considering the Find My app already displays a battery icon of each internet-connected iDevice, it wouldn’t require Apple a lot of resources to display these battery levels on the Battery widget. The iPhone already knows the battery charge of the iPad and MacBook — why can’t we access that from the Home Screen? Fingers crossed we get that in iOS 16.

Interactive widgets

iOS 14 introduced real widgets. However, it eventually turned out they’re not real widgets. Yes, you can place them on the Home Screen for the first time on iOS. They also come in different sizes, offering useful information at glance. But they only do that, and this is the problem with them. You can’t use the Music widget to pause/play/skip, for example. This makes them so limiting — especially since the legacy widgets support controlling an app or getting info without launching the actual app. We hope iOS 16 makes the widgets interactive and adds support for real-time information, rather than refreshing them a few times per hour.

Proper Phone app with predictive dialler

Believe it or not, back in the day I was a hardcore Android power user. My first smartphone was the Samsung Galaxy Mini — that was around a decade ago. It had this little feature that made life so much easier. You could use the Phone app’s dial-pad to type someone’s name (instead of their number) and call them. Additionally, it would suggest to auto-complete the number you’re typing by comparing your input to your saved contacts. Yes, this revolutionary feature indeed existed over a decade ago. Guess what — yes, it still isn’t supported on iOS. You have to either type the correct digits from A to Z on the dial-pad or use the Contacts section/Spotlight Search/Siri to call someone. We beg you, Apple. Better late than never. iOS 16?

Revamped Podcasts app

The Podcasts app used to be in sync with the Music app in terms of some design elements. Apple would use the same UI for both apps’ players. This would add some coherence and harmony between the company’s system apps. At some point, though, Podcasts started lagging behind — as Music got some extra additions and fresh coats of paint. The Podcasts app now feels half-baked and features some outdated design elements. It’s almost like a malnourished creature fighting for its last breath.

This surprises us because Apple now offers paid podcast subscriptions. So the company is making money out of the commission it charges creators. Why it neglects this app makes no sense. If it can’t spare the resources to rebuild it, at least kill it and merge it with the Music app as an independent section — the Spotify way.

Wireless OS recovery

Remember when you’d need to take your Apple Watch when it bricks to an Apple Store or authorized repair center for software recovery? Apple recently added support for wireless watchOS recovery. This allows users running the latest iOS and watchOS versions to use their iPhones to bring their dead watches back to life.

In iOS 16, we want Apple to add this feature to the iPhone. This way if you brick your iPhone, you can seamlessly restore it with a wireless solution — through another iPhone, iPad, or Mac. This would spare users needing to connect it through a cable and use Finder/iTunes. Additionally, it allows users who use the iPad as a PC replacement to restore their iPhones through their “PC replacements.” That’s not to mention that this would be needed if Apple decides to go portless on a future iPhone model.

Push notifications from PWAs

Safari on iOS supports Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) — in a limited manner, though. You are allowed to add a web app as an icon to your Home Screen, and it will load as an “app” rather than launching Safari. However, PWAs still don’t support push notifications. So if you’re trying to use the web instead of a native app solution, you won’t get the timely information you need. Push notifications remain absent on Safari as a whole, not just in PWAs. That surprises us because Safari on macOS has supported push notifications for a very long time. iOS 16, please?

iTunes retirement

Apple sometimes implements new features on macOS before it rolls them out on iOS in the following years. For example, macOS Mojave introduced Dark Mode on the Mac. Then Apple brought this anticipated feature to iOS 13 — a year later. The tech overlord killed the iTunes Mac app on macOS Catalina a few years ago. That’s because TV purchases live in the… TV app, and Music purchases live in the… Music app. iTunes on iOS is even more broken than the Podcasts app — and this says a lot. On iOS 16, Apple should just follow suit on the iPhone and bring the iTunes Store to the Music and TV apps for the respective purchases.

More iCloud storage

What’s a “5GB,” and what do I do with it? In 2022, even as a free offering, 5GB of cloud storage is unacceptable. Call me a choosing beggar, but back when cloud storage used to cost companies more, Google was offering 15GB. Apple has no excuse to stick to this low quota. I get that it’s a free trial (of sorts) to give people a taste of iCloud and then lure them to pay for iCloud Plus. However, even as a free trial, it is still below the acceptable minimum. Most people (including me) have more than 5GB of data and a significant portion is willing to pay for the expansion and additional features. The low number 5 is just shameful when associated with a company as wealthy as Apple.

Scheduled Optimized Battery Charging

One of the features I immediately turn off when setting up a new iPhone is Optimized Battery Charging (OBC), and not because I want my battery to die faster. The engineers in Cupertino probably assume we all have our lives figured out. The truth is, not even I know when I’ll charge my iPhone and till what hour. I don’t even plug my iPhone every day. The OBC algorithm never gets me because I don’t have stable charging routines. We want to see the option to specify the time we want the iPhone to fully charge on iOS 16.

View saved Wi-Fi passwords

A few years ago, Apple added a handy feature to its devices. When one of your contacts attempts to join a Wi-Fi network that you have the password of, your device will prompt you to share it with them. This feature requires both devices to be in proximity and have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled. However, if an Android user or a guest whom you haven’t saved to your contacts comes over, there’s no way to view your saved Wi-Fi passwords from iOS. Apple must stop pretending that everyone around the globe is an iPhone user and design features that are friendlier to other platforms. We can only hope that iOS 16 allows users to view saved Wi-Fi passwords.

Face ID screen orientation

You know how some people (most of us?) use their phones when lying down on their sides? For some reason, our smartphones are still not smart enough to detect that our faces are sideways before switching to landscape orientation. A simple fix would be using the Face ID sensors to analyze the face’s position and switch the orientation accordingly. We shouldn’t be needing to toggle the orientation lock each time we lie down. iOS 16, maybe?

Lock Screen customizations

The camera is accessible from the Lock Screen and Notification Center with a simple left swipe. Why Apple places another Haptic Touch toggle to access it on these screens is beyond me. It’s redundancy in its peak form. It would be cool if iOS 16 allows us to add custom app/action shortcuts to these screens, and maybe even customize the clock’s style/font.

A smarter Siri

Almost every WWDC, Apple claims that Siri has gotten smarter. However, these changes seemingly aren’t obvious. I can’t tell the difference between iOS 15 and iOS 10 Siri. Both are equally dumb in my opinion. The smart assistant still struggles with maintaining context and understanding commands when worded in a certain way.

“Hey Siri, call mother dearest.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell which mall is the nearest to you right now.”

More Translate languages

If Apple wants to compete with Google Translate, the least it could do is provide more language. Right now it only supports a handful, while the latter goes for over a hundred. People need more than just Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese. And don’t get me started on the actual accuracy of the translations. It’s a shame I have to keep Google Translate installed on my iPhone only because the Cupertino tech giant doesn’t take its equivalent seriously.

Custom Wallet cards

The Wallet app is a great place to store passes, QR codes, tickets, bank cards, and more. The problem, though, is that you can’t add a custom card by default. There are third-party apps that support creating custom cards with a QR code or barcode of your choice. However, not all of us are comfortable sharing this data with other developers. We can hope that iOS 16 allows us to create our own so we can add our gym entry code, vaccination certificates in unsupported countries, and more to our Apple Watches.

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With WWDC22 being around a month away, we can only cross our fingers and hope that Apple has some exciting surprises for us. Considering major software updates only land once per year, it will be really disappointing if the company settled for mostly bug fixes across iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13. Now we sit and wait. In the meantime, check out our feature wishlist for iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13!

What’s your personal wishlist for iOS 16? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post WWDC22 Wishlist: 25 features we want Apple to announce for iOS 16 appeared first on XDA.

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