Image Source: BBC
As part of its new operating system, iOS 16, Apple plans to offer a purchase now, pay later (BNPL) option.
Users in the United States will be able to spread the cost of a purchase over four installments over six weeks without paying interest or fees if they utilize Apple Pay Later. It is part of a slew of new iPhone capabilities, including the ability to edit iMessages and a tool to assist those in abusive situations.
The new features were introduced during Apple’s annual developer conference, WWDC. Low-income groups have been criticized for using BNPL services, which are currently unregulated in the UK.
According to Panorama, an estimated 15 million persons of all ages in the UK use BNPL, with Klarna, Clearpay, Laybuy, and PayPal as the primary providers.
After Citizens Advice discovered in March that one in every 12 individuals uses BNPL services to cover essentials such as food and toiletries, concerns have been raised about whether people are overly reliant on it.
Young people, those in debt, and persons on Universal Credit, according to Citizens Advice, were at least twice as likely as other groups to have used BNPL for these fundamental needs.
Features in iOS 16
The iPhone will get a slew of new capabilities with iOS 16, which will be released in the autumn.
Thanks to a big redesign, users will be able to do more than change the background image on the iPhone lock screen.
As is the case with Apple Watch, users will be able to customize how the clock locks and add widgets to display weather, activity rings, and other data. This will also enable users to select from various lock screens with various features, such as a lock screen for exercising with activity monitors.
Other noteworthy news includes the option to modify and “unsend” iMessages sent via Apple’s Messages app and the introduction of a function Apple refers to as Safety Check.
According to the company, Safety Check is designed to “protect persons in abusive situations” by allowing users to examine and instantly cancel all rights granted to others on their phones. This includes deactivating Find My Phone and eliminating other people’s passcode access.
According to Apple, this featured an “emergency reset,” which allowed users to log out of iCloud on all devices and only allow one device to send and receive messages.
This feature has received positive feedback online. One user claimed that it will “assist so many people,” The director of Cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation called it a “wonderful thing for survivors of intimate partner violence.”
Opinions expressed by California Gazette contributors are their own.
