As part of its next operating system, iOS 16, Apple is working on implementing a feature called purchase now pay later (BNPL).

Apple Pay Later will provide customers in the United States the ability to split the amount of a purchase into four equal payments that may be made over the course of six weeks without being charged interest or other fees.

It is a part of a series of new features that have been added to the iPhone, such as the capability to edit iMessages and a function that is designed to assist those who are in abusive situations.

The functions were shown for the first time at the company’s annual developers’ conference, which is known as WWDC.

The manner in which people with little financial resources make use of BNPL services, which are still unregulated in the UK, has been the subject of criticism.

In December 2021, Panorama reported that an estimated 15 million persons of all ages in the UK are actively using BNPL, with Klarna, Clearpay, Laybuy, and PayPal being the primary operators providing the service in the UK.

Since it was discovered in March by Citizens Advice that one in every 12 individuals was utilising BNPL services to cover basics such as food and toiletries, there have been concerns raised over whether or not people are depending on it too much.

Citizens Advice also reported that persons under the age of 25, people with existing debt, and people applying for Universal Credit were at least twice as likely as other groups to have used BNPL to pay for these essential items.

The BBC has inquired with Apple about the company’s plans to introduce its BNPL service to the United Kingdom and is awaiting a response.

New features included in iOS 16

The iPhone will be able to make use of a wide variety of new capabilities once the newest version of iOS 16, which is scheduled for release in the fall.

The iPhone lock screen is getting a substantial makeover, and users will be able to do more than just alter the picture that appears in the backdrop of the screen.

It will be able to adjust the manner in which the clock locks, as well as add widgets for displaying information on the user’s activity rings, the weather, and other information, similar to what is already possible on Apple Watch.

This will also provide the opportunity to pick between many lock screens, each of which has a distinct set of features. For instance, there will be a lock screen designed just for exercising that includes activity monitors.

The ability to modify and “unsend” iMessages that have been sent via Apple’s Messages app, as well as the introduction of a feature that Apple refers to as Safety Check, are two other key announcements that were made today.

It states that the purpose of Safety Check is to “protect persons in abusive relationships.” This is accomplished by providing users with the opportunity to examine and swiftly revoke any rights granted to another person on their mobile device.

This includes preventing other individuals from accessing passwords and using the “Find My Phone” feature on your device.

Apple said that this also contained a “emergency reset,” which enabled users to sign out of iCloud on all of their devices and restricted the ability to send and receive texts to a single device.

Apple has received appreciation on the internet for this feature. One user said that it is “going to benefit so many people,” while the director of Cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation called it a “wonderful thing for survivors of intimate partner violence.” Apple has not responded to these comments.