A FLURRY of new features are about to appear on the Apple gadgets you already own.
I sat for two hours as Apple doled out smartphone freebies on stage at its WWDC event in California – and there are six you’ll want to look out for. iPhone owners, buckle up.
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NEW APPLE TRICK #1 – TEXT QUESTION PLEASE?
The Messages app is getting three upgrades – and they’re very handy.
Apple is finally adding the ability to create and send polls to pals.
You’ll be able to quiz them on a restaurant or holiday destination – or vote on who should win Strictly.
It’s a feature that WhatsApp added back in 2023, and is very popular.
Now you can do it in Messages too.
Another added bonus for Messages users is the option to add custom backgrounds to each of your chats.
They’ll sync with the contact too, so you both see the same wallpaper. Fun.
Third, you get the ability to screen messages from unknown senders.
“In Messages, users can now screen messages from unknown senders, giving them more control over who appears in their conversation list,” Apple explained.
“Messages from unknown senders will appear in a dedicated folder where users can then mark the number as known, ask for more information, or delete.
“These messages will remain silenced until a user accepts them.”
NEW APPLE TRICK #2 – GAME DAY
All the signs are there: Apple is getting very serious about gaming.
The company has shown early signs of wanting to boost its gaming offering with its increasingly powerful Mac chips.
And just a few years ago, Apple Arcade launched – serving up a subscription-only library of premium mobile games.
Now Apple has taken it one step further with a brand new and dedicated Games app.
This is a bit like the App Store but just for games (finally!), and also lets you locate Apple Arcade titles too.
There are ways to play with and challenge pals.
And it’s a good sign of things to come: your iPhone is immensely powerful, and has a lot of potential as a gaming device.
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Watch out, Nintendo.
NEW APPLE TRICK #3 – ALL SMILES
Emoji are effectively the world’s shared language. Almost all of us use them – and we all know what they mean.
Last year, Apple created an AI feature called Genmoji to let you dream up your own custom emoji.
But that wasn’t enough for the fiendish emoji lovers out there.
So now Apple has added the ability for users to mash up two emoji together.
Think “smiling football” or “zebra cat”. The possibilities are endless.
NEW APPLE TRICK #4 – AIR WE GO!
By far and away my favourite trick of the lot is a new perk for holidaymakers – though it’s handy at home too.
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There’s a new feature that translates foreign languages in real-time.
So you can have a conversation with someone who doesn’t speak English, and understand every word they say.
This is a game-changer for any of you that have been abroad in a country where you’re not fluent in the native tongue.
Live Translation should make it much easier to order in restaurants, find your way around when you’re lost, and potentially avoid being scammed too.
NEW APPLE TRICK #5 – HOLD ON A MINUTE
Another brainy new trick is Hold Assist.
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This is effectively a robot that holds on a phone call so you don’t have to.
It’ll wait for a human to pick up, and then alert you when the conversation is ready.
That way, you don’t have to spend hours in call centre misery, listening to those awful tunes for a problem that might take just seconds to solve.
NEW APPLE TRICK #6 – HUNG UP!
Another clever spam-prevention feature is Call Screening.
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This is similar to Apple’s Live Voicemail feature that lets you read a transcription of voicemails in real-time.
Now Apple will gather info from callers, and then share that detail with you.
So your iPhone can ask the caller for their name and why they’re calling – and then tell you the answer that they give.
Then you can decide if you want to pick up the call or totally ignore it.
CUT OFF!
Sadly, not everyone will be able to claim this bonanza of tech tricks.
Anyone with a very old iPhone will miss out on the whole lot.
The list of supported devices getting iOS 26 is as follows:
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (3rd gen)
- iPhone SE (2nd gen)
So if you’ve got anything older than the devices on that list, you’re going without.
That includes the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, which received last year’s iOS 18 update – but has since been cut off from iOS 26.
EXPERT VIEW: ‘ACTION-PACKED’ APPLE EVENT
Here’s the expert view from Paolo Pescatore, industry analyst at PP Foresight…
“Another action-packed event with Apple delivering a slew of new features for its platforms,” Paolo said.
“Overall, it looks like Apple has done enough in what promises to be a year of transition as it further builds out its AI capabilities.
“There was plenty of Apple Intelligence under the hood. New and subtle features that build upon its relentless focus on privacy and security such as screening of calls and text messages will be sought after and widely used by users.
“While it might seem, others are leading the AI race, it is not a sought-after feature among users and there’s no revenue uplift (for now). Considering the negative perception, Apple needs to tread carefully not to frustrate and disappoint its loyal base of (iPhone) users.
“With these latest updates providing a more coherent feel, Apple remains in an enviable position given its large installed base of users. The subtle addition of Apple Intelligence across key services will help grow awareness and provide users with confidence to drive further engagement. The tight integration between hardware, software and services really stands out with this latest move.
“A unified software experience is paramount as more users buy and use a slew of Apple devices. This ensures a more comfortable look and feel driving further stickiness among users. All of which underline the growing importance of software and services at a time when people are looking to keep devices for longer. More importantly owning more devices from Apple.
“The biggest visual change and redesign in years will coincide with a new iPhone later in the year. This will be significant as Apple is providing something new at a time when it is challenging to differentiate with a sea of sameness. Significantly it will put pressure on rivals as it makes their software a bit out of date.
“People will feel like they have something new for free with a software upgrade. Noticeably, this will be a very different software update and one they will remember unlike others.
“The name change is a very big deal which suggests a similar move might happen for the new iPhone to provide more consistency for users.
“Other new features like live translate while available on rival platforms are much needed and will resonate with its customer base.
“New gaming app follows in the footsteps of Apple TV in being a one-stop-shop for users gaming needs. This suggests a move to make bigger investments in gaming as others are doing. It represents a key battleground among providers. But the company is not resting on its laurels in TV with the new OS redesign to provide a more intuitive watching experience for users and families alike.
“It might not steal the headlines, but the iPad finally takes a huge leap forward bringing it into line with other product segments for multitasking.”
Picture Credit: Paolo Pescatore
