iOS 16 and Android 13

This is one of the most important insights that can be gained from iOS 16 and Android 13, the new improvements to mobile software that Apple and Google will release later on this year. Both of these tech giants aim to make your phone into a digital wallet that can store your official identification as well as any other important documents. This will bring your phone closer than it has ever been to your identity. The companies are also working to improve the way mobile smartphones may communicate with automobiles, smart home appliances, and other commonplace electronic equipment.

Some of the changes and new features included in iOS 16 and Android 13 are more significant than digital wallets and faster connections. For example, Apple’s Safety Check tool for protecting victims of domestic abuse and Google’s new privacy updates are two examples of these more significant additions. However, the fact that these two operating systems have some similarities highlights how the phone’s function in our lives is shifting. According to the most recent statements made by Apple and Google, the activities taking place outside of your phone will soon be given the same level of significance as those taking place on it.

The closer our smartphones are connected to the things we use on a daily basis, such as our wallets, credit cards, cars, and other household appliances, the more difficult it will be to detach ourselves from them (or switch between iPhone and Android). The idea is not original; in fact, the market has been trending in this manner for many years. However, significant improvements have been made to Apple’s and Google’s respective strategies with the release of iOS 16 and Android 13, respectively, which will most likely speed up such efforts.
Both the iOS 16 launch by Apple and the Android 13 preview by Google placed a significant amount of emphasis on the digital wallet. The most important modification that will be made to Apple Pay is the addition of a new feature known as Apple Pay Later. This feature will allow users to pay for their purchases in four equal instalments spread out over a period of six weeks. With the release of iOS 16, identity cards that are stored in Apple Wallet can also be used to verify your age within applications. Apple initially enabled support for digital IDs a year ago, so this addition follows in its footsteps.

During the same time period, Google announced at its I/O developer conference the previous month a significant update to its Wallet app that brings it up to speed with Apple. Along the same lines as Apple Wallet, the new Google Wallet will be able to save personal documents such as payment and transportation cards, immunisation records, boarding permits, and student IDs. In addition, Google is cooperating with several government organisations to support digital identification.

When viewed as a whole, the new features introduced by Apple and Google reflect yet another step toward the companies’ shared goal of rendering traditional wallets unnecessary. This move will invariably cause us to become even more dependant on mobile devices.

Google underlined this objective immediately before announcing the new changes at Google I/O in May.

Sameer Samat, vice president of product management for Android and Google Play, claimed on stage that there are only two items he never leaves the house without: his phone and his wallet. “In reality,” Samat remarked, “now days there are only two things I don’t leave home without: my phone and my wallet.” The question that arises therefore is this: can my phone take the place of my wallet?

During Monday’s keynote presentation at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Corey Fugman, Apple’s senior director for Wallet and Apple Pay, made remarks that were quite similar.

“With Apple Wallet, we’re working hard on our aim to replace your actual wallet,” he stated. “Our focus is on making this happen as soon as possible.”

People are already warming up to the concept of ditching their real credit cards in favour of payment apps that run on their smartphones. According to a research published by eMarketer in 2021, the percentage of all smartphone users in the United States who use in-store mobile payment systems like Apple Pay is predicted to increase to more than 50 percent by the year 2025. It’s possible that the new Pay Later option from Apple and Google’s renewed focus on its own mobile wallet will make it more enticing to leave your real wallet at home.