iOS 17 Features: What’s New, What’s Missing?
Wondering what features are coming to iOS 17? Here’s what we know so far about iOS 17 features…
iOS 17 is Apple’s next-generation operating system for the iPhone. It will be the successor to iOS 16 and be the iOS that runs on the new 2023 iPhone 15 series.
iOs 17 is expected to be just one of the major software releases Apple announces this year and is expected to be released in September to general users. But what features will iOS 17 have? While it’s still early, here’s what we know so far…
iOS 17 Features: Dynamic Island Support For Non-Pro iPhone 15 Series
Apple introduced the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro series last year and since then rumors have suggested that the non-Pro models of the iPhone 15 series – the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will get the Dynamic Island in 2023. That means that Dynamic Island support for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be built into iOS 17.
iOS 17 Features: Third-Party App Stores
iOS 17 is also very likely to introduce the ability to download apps from third-party app stores – at least in some regions around the world. This is a feature Apple probably doesn’t want to introduce, but will likely be forced to by lawmakers in some countries.
A Bloomberg report says that Apple could open the iPhone up to third-party app stores for those users in European Union countries:
“The moves — a reversal of long-held policies — are a response to EU laws aimed at leveling the playing field for third-party developers and improving the digital lives of consumers. For years, regulators and software makers have complained that Apple and Google, which run the two biggest mobile app stores, wield too much power as gatekeepers.”
Bloomberg
Bloomberg’s report goes on to confirm that these changes will likely come in iOS 17:
“Apple is applying a significant amount of resources to the companywide endeavor. It hasn’t been a popular initiative within Apple, considering that the company has spent years decrying the need for “sideloading” — the process of installing software without using the official App Store … The company is aiming for the changes to be ready as part of an update to next year’s iOS 17, which would be in line with requirements.”
Bloomberg
iOS 17 Features: Support For Apple AR Headset
It’s no secret that 2023 will finally see the release of Apple’s long-rumored AR headset. However, the headset will not be a device that can work on its own. Much like early Apple Watches, the AR headset will be required to be paired with an iPhone.
In another report from Bloomberg, the publication states that Apple is aiming to unveil the AR headset at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2023 – which is when Apple is also likely to show off the beta iteration of iOS 17. That means it is very likely the Apple AR headset won’t ship until the fall, and when it does it will require an iPhone running iOS 17.
Unfortunately, Bloomberg says that Apple’s focus on the AR headset in 2023 will cost iOS 17 some features:
Apple’s focus on the xrOS operating system — along with iOS 16 snags — has also cost it some new features in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, the next major iPhone and iPad software updates. That software, codenamed Dawn, may have fewer major changes than originally planned. The same goes for macOS 14, which is codenamed Sunburst.
Apparently even Apple’s resources can get stretched thin from time to time.
iOS 17 Features: New Car Play Experience
As noted by MacRumors, in 2022 Apple showed off a new CarPlay experience. The new Car Play will feature support for car climate controls, widgets, multiple displays, and gauge clusters. However, when Apple announced the new CarPlay it said it would not ship until late 2023. That means that the new CarPlay experience is likely to be part of iOS 17.
The iOS 17 beta should drop in June 2023.
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