What clues iOS 16 and Android 13 give about the future of smartphones

This story is part of WWDC 2022CNET’s complete coverage of and for Apple’s annual developer conference.

Smartphones are becoming even more closely related to the non-digital aspects of our lives. This is one of the main conclusions from iOS 16 and Android 13, the latest mobile software updates from Apple and Google, respectively. Apple’s iOS 16 update is in beta and will launch this fall while Android 13 has become available for Pixel devices on Aug 15

Both tech giants want to turn your phone into a digital wallet for storing your legal ID and other essential documents, bringing your phone closer to your identity than ever before. Companies also continue to improve the way phones communicate with cars, smart home gadgets and other everyday devices.

of Apple iOS 16 and Google Android 13 are packed with tweaks and new features, some of which are more important than digital wallets and faster connections (like Apple’s Safety Checker to protect victims of domestic violence and Google’s new privacy updates). But the overlap between the two operating systems highlights the changing role of the phone in our lives. Based on Apple and Google updates what is happening around your phone will be just as important as what’s going on On your phone.

The more intimately our phones are tied to everyday essentials like wallets, credit cards, cars and home appliances, the harder it will be to walk away from them (or switch between iPhone and Android). The concept is not new; the industry has been moving in this direction for years. But the changes in iOS 16 and Android 13 make important improvements to Apple and Google’s respective approaches that are likely to accelerate such efforts.

Read more: iOS 16 lock screen upgrades make iPhone more like a smartwatch

Replacing the physical wallet

The digital wallet was a big focus during both Apple’s iOS 16 announcement in June and Google’s Android 13 preview in May. The most significant a change is coming to Apple Pay is a new option called Apple Pay Later, which divides the purchase price into four equal installments over six weeks. With iOS 16, ID cards stored in Apple Wallet can also be used to verify your age in apps. The addition comes after Apple first added support for digital IDs last year.

Google, meanwhile, detailed a major update to the its Wallet app during its I/O conference bringing it up to speed with Apple. The new Google Wallet will store personal documents such as payment and transit cards, vaccination records, boarding passes and student cards, similar to Apple Wallet. Google also works with government agencies to support digital IDs.

Taken together, Apple and Google’s updates represent another step toward their shared goal of making physical wallets obsolete—a change that will inevitably make us even more dependent on mobile devices.

Google reiterated this ambition when describing the new updates to the Google I/O In May.

“There’s really only two things I don’t leave home without these days: my phone and my wallet,” Samir Samat, vice president of product management at Android and Google Play, said on stage. “So the question is, can my phone replace my wallet?”

Corey Fugman, Apple’s senior director of Wallet and Apple Pay, made similar remarks during the WWDC 2022 keynote.

“With Apple Wallet, we’re working hard on our goal of replacing your physical wallet,” he said.

People have already embraced the idea of ​​replacing physical credit cards with smartphone-based payment apps. The use of in-store mobile payment systems like Apple Pay is expected to surpass 50% of all US smartphone users by 2025, according to a 2021 report by eMarketer. Apple’s new Pay Later option and Google’s renewed focus on its own mobile wallet could make the idea of ​​leaving your physical wallet at home even more appealing.

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Your phone anywhere

The wallet replacement is just one of the ways Apple and Google hope to make our phones more useful offline in everyday life. Both companies introduced camera-based smartphone tools that can make it easier to navigate real-world points of interest. Another important topic is the increased interconnection between mobile devices and household appliances, cars and speakers.

Apple and Google believe that the camera will continue to play an important role in the way we interact with the world around us. In iOS 16, you’ll be able to translate text into different languages ​​using a new camera option in Apple’s Translate app. During his WWDC Keynote, the company demonstrated how this could be used to translate a restaurant’s entire menu into a different language. You’ll also be able to track a flight or convert currency just by tapping text on a photo.

Google showed ambitious expanding its Lens app called a “scene researcher” at Google I/O, essentially applying his search prowess to the real world. You’d wave your phone’s camera over a shelf of products and it would overlay information and ratings on the screen to help you find the right choice. Google’s head of search Prabhakar Raghavan cited being able to find nut-free snacks or fragrance-free lotion in a physical retail store as an example.

The execution may be different, but the concept is similar. We are now used to ordering food, taxis and basic necessities at the touch of a button on our phone. Now Apple and Google want to make our phones a critical part of performing these tasks in the real world as well, and the camera will be a major part of that.

Google and Apple have also advanced their respective visions of turning our phone into a connection hub for other devices around us. Google explained how Android 13 will make your phone better at connecting to other devices with support for quick pairing, automatic audio switching between devices, and the ability to more easily sync messages between your phone and computer. Also revealed a new split-screen interface for Android Auto this should make multitasking easier when you’re on the go.

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Apple has simplified the process of managing HomeKit devices with a redesigned home app for iPhone. But perhaps the biggest area where Apple plans to expand the iPhone’s reach is the car. The company hangs up reworking its CarPlay software which looks like an entire automotive operating system, complete with app icons, widgets, and other UI elements reminiscent of the iPhone and Apple Watch.

The smart home and connected car are not new ideas. Both have been integral to Apple and Google’s respective strategies for years. But iOS 16 and Android 13 clarify how Apple and Google’s vision for these devices should communicate and interact.

As the smartphone becomes the connection to everything from your credit card to your thermostat and car, Apple and Google are making its aesthetic more personal. When iOS 16 launches this fall, your iPhone will get new lock screen with support for Apple Watch-style widgets and new photo effects for background images. Google is expanding its Material You with ready-made color sets that can be applied across the entire operating system.

There’s a lot more to iOS 16 and Android 13 than new wallet functionality, camera tools for scanning real-world objects, and improved connectivity. These updates not only signal how important the phone is becoming to both our online and offline lives, they also point to where the industry is headed next.