Apple finally held its annual WWDC 2023 conference and announced the next-gen iOS 17 update. The update brings a number of interesting features like NameDrop, Standby, and changes for the Phone, Messages, and even FaceTime apps, among other things. Have a look at what Apple brings to our iOS table this year.
iOS 17: Features
iOS 17 brings a few new features while focusing on improving the Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps. So, let’s talk about that first. The Phone app gets Contact Posters, which act as customized cards for each contact for incoming calls with support from photos and Memojis. This will be available for third-party apps too. There’s also support for Live Voicemail for transcription of a voicemail in real-time. This is handled on the device and is end-to-end encrypted. The feature isn’t for spam calls, which will automatically be disconnected.
The Messages app now has an expandable menu to access all the options for a cleaner look, search filters, an easy swipe to reply to messages, audio message transcriptions, and the Catch Up icon to get to the message last sent. There are new Live Stickers and emoji stickers as well as the Check In feature to let people know that you have reached your place safely. In case there’s a delay, a selected contact will get details like the phone’s battery status, location, and cell reception status. FaceTime now supports audio/video messages if the call is missed, new Reactions and effects, and its compatibility with Apple TV 4K.
One of the interesting features is NameDrop for you to easily share your contact details with others by simply bringing two iPhones or an iPhone and Apple Watch closer to each other. This can also be used to share content on SharePlay. There will also be the ability to transfer media via AirDrop over the internet.
The StandBy feature will help you get access to ‘glanceable‘ details when the iPhone is on standby or charging. This is very much similar to the rumored Smart Display feature and can be used to view clock styles, photos, and much more anytime in the iPhone 14 Pro’s Always-on-Display (AOD) mode.
Autocorrect and Dictation now use a new machine-learning language model to better word prediction and accuracy. There’s also the new Journal app as rumored earlier for you to get into the habit of journaling. The app can be locked, supports end-to-end encryption, and more.
Other changes with iOS 17 include the exclusion of “Hey” from “Hey Siri” (rumored earlier), new mental health features for the Health app, Adaptive Audio and more for AirPods, offline maps in Apple Maps, new accessibility features, and so much more. Apple has introduced the much-rumored Lock Screen changes, though. Check out more details over here.
iOS 17: Availability and Eligible Devices
iOS 17 is now available as part of the beta program and will be available as a public beta update next month. It will be open to the general audience this fall, possibly when the iPhone 15 series launches. Here’s a look at the list of iPhones getting iOS 17.
- iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE 2
