Your smartphone is about to become even more closely tied to the nondigital aspects of your life. That’s one of the main takeaways from iOS 16 and Android 13, the new mobile software updates coming later this year from Apple and Google. Both tech giants want to turn your phone into a digital wallet for storing your legal ID and other essential documents, pushing your phone closer to your identity than ever before. The companies also continue to improve the way phones communicate with cars, smart home gadgets and other everyday devices.
Both iOS 16 and Android 13 are filled with tweaks and new features, some of which are more important than digital wallets and speedier connections (like Apple’s Safety Check tool for protecting domestic abuse victims, and Google’s new privacy updates). But the overlap between the two operating systems underscores the phone’s changing role in our lives. Based on Apple’s and Google’s latest announcements, what’s happening around your phone will be just as important as what’s happening on your phone.
