As a longtime hardcore sports fan and Apple device owner like yourself, I‘ve been eagerly following the Apple developer community. I wanted to discuss the biggest reveal I saw lately regarding sports features coming in iOS 16.5.
A Quick Refresher – What are iOS Updates Anyway?
For those less familiar, iOS is the operating system that runs on iPhones. Apple pushes out new versions every year with major changes, normally numbered updates like iOS 16 or 17.
In between, we get more minor ".5" type releases with smaller tweaks and improvements. The developer community gets early access to test these updates via private betas.
Well iOS 16.5‘s Big Surprise Is a Game-Changer for Sports Fans
The biggest shocker in the iOS 16.5 beta was the discovery of an entirely new Sports tab coming to the Apple News app! This dedicated section allows you to follow favorite teams and get a personalized feed with schedules, scores, news, highlights and more.
As a fan who already has News configured sporadically to deliver some sports content, getting this all in one place is a dream come true. No more digging around various sections and settings trying frantically not to miss the latest on our beloved teams!
| Feature | Benefit for Fans |
|---|---|
| Pick favorite teams | Customized feed with relevant news stories |
| Access scores, schedules, standings | No need to check multiple sources to stay on top of team performance |
| Video highlights integrated | Don‘t miss pivotal plays and moments |
And this is not Apple‘s only play to win the hearts of sports fans like us…
Apple Is Going All in On Sports Content Across the Board
In addition to the iOS 16.5 Sports tab, Apple has partnered with major sports leagues to stream games and content on their Apple TV+ platform. Most notably, they signed huge deals with MLB and MLS for exclusive access to live matches, highlights, and original programming.
Recognizing that diehard sports junkies need their fix year-round, Apple strategically positioned themselves as THE platform for fans by consolidating the content we want most in one place. Pulling us deeper into their ecosystem improves stickiness while also drawing users away from competitors.
Once you‘re all-in on Apple as your primary destination for sports though, you‘ll never look back!
How Does This Compare to Other Options Sports Fans Have?
While Apple may be the first to roll out an integrated Sports tab inside their pre-existing News app, they weren‘t pioneers of the concept entirely.
For example, Google News introduced their own Sports section awhile back, with similar personalization based on favorite teams. However, from my testing, Apple takes the experience notably further by baking things like scores, schedules, standings, and video highlights directly into their tab rather than merely linking out to external sites.
| Platform | Personalization | Integrated Info |
|---|---|---|
| Apple News | Robust – pick teams | Yes – schedules, standings, highlights, news stories |
| Google News | More basic preference selection | Primarily news stories and links out |
Of course, standalone sports apps like ESPN have some subset of fan-focused functionality too. But Apple‘s one-stop-shop approach combining ALL the features fans crave most into a single place – and allowing us to customize it – gives them a leg up in my view. iOS 16.5 feels like the first time sports junkies truly could consolidate instead of hopping between 4 different apps for a complete picture.
And because Apple tied this neatly into News instead of building a whole separate app, it inherently draws that coveted subscriber base of sports fanatics like us!
Alright, Let‘s Cut to the Chase – WHEN Can I Get This Sports Tab??
At the moment, access is still limited to developers who signed up for the private Apple beta program, which has restricted space. Boo!
Apple has not yet provided an official timeframe for public release. However, many experts expect iOS 16.5 to hit most users‘ devices sometime in April or May 2023, assuming no unforeseen delays or issues.
This means our wait as fans shouldn‘t drag on too painfully long before we can get our hands on these awesome features! My advice is to keep periodically checking for those iOS updates on your phone as we draw closer.
A bummer for international users though – Apple has so far only enabled the Sports tab in the Australia, Canada, UK, and US App Stores. Rollout to other countries remains unclear presently but we can hope they expand availability based on early feedback and metrics.
Wait, Some Other Additions Are Coming Too?
While I‘ve focused heavily on the game-changing Sports tab reveal, iOS 16.5 has some other handy tricks up its sleeve as well:
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Siri screen recording – Users can start/stop recording their display just by voice now rather than digging through settings every time. As someone who creates how-to videos often, this shortcut excites me!
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Multiview in Apple TV – Sports bettors and fantasy players, rejoice! Apple TV gains a new mode to watch up to 4 live events simultaneously on one screen. Perfect for keeping eyes on multiple games at once and reacting in real-time.
But make no mistake, the dedicated Sports tab sitting proudly near the top of my Apple News feed is the star of the show for me here in iOS 16.5.
Bottom Line – Great News for Sports Fans!
As a passionate lifelong sports fan who bleeds the colors of my teams, having a personalized one-stop hub for news, highlights, scores and more is a dream come true!
Apple clearly recognizes we are an attractive and lucrative market as diehard fans. iOS 16.5 proves they want to become THE destination for sports junkies everywhere. I for one welcome my new sports overlord!
Now excuse me while I go watch my team‘s playoff chances tick down by the day…what do you MEAN I still have to wait until April?! iOS 16.5, get here faster!!
Let me know if you have any other questions! Enjoy the games!
