Apple is expected to debut iOS 17 later this year, with the software update set to introduce changes to the company's first-party apps and improve the iPhone user experience overall.
Though competitor Google has already released Android 14 for testing (and teased a little of what it’s going to be about), Apple typically keeps shtum about what its next iOS updates will bring to the table. Mind you, we're all but certain we'll hear more at WWDC (Apple's annual developer conference) in June, ahead of the iPhone 15 launch in September.
We do, however, already have some idea of what iOS 17 might look like, and below, you can read up on what we already know about the upcoming update. We've also included brief wish list of what we’d love to see introduced come September. As more rumors and reports emerge with fleshed-out details, we’ll be updating this article, so make sure to check back regularly.
iOS 17: Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next big update for iOS – the iPhone's operating system
- When does it come out? Expected to drop in the middle of September
- How much does it cost? It'll be a free upgrade
- Which phones are supported? As yet unknown. Likely the iPhone XS and newer
iOS 17 release date
iOS 17 is expected to be released on or around the middle of September, to coincide with the expected iPhone 15 launch. Before that, Apple will unveil iOS 17 at WWDC in June. The dates for WWDC haven’t been released yet, but we assume the announcement will be made sometime in the next few weeks.
Shortly after WWDC, Apple will release two beta versions of iOS – a developer preview, and a public build. The public beta is often reliable enough to use on a daily phone about a month or two after the program starts.
iOS 17 expected features
When it comes to iOS 17’s features, one thing we can be reasonably sure about is that we won’t see a lot of big additions, like the lock screen or home screen widget upgrades that came with previous releases.
However, although Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had previously reported that development on the Apple VR headset would lead to “fewer major changes” for iOS 17, the seasoned Apple expert has since claimed that the upcoming update will actually provide several of users’ “most requested features.”
“When Apple set out to develop iOS 17, the initial thinking was to call it a tuneup release – one focused more on fixing bugs and improving performance than adding new features,” Gurman wrote in a recent newsletter. “The hope was to avoid the problems of iOS 16, an ambitious update that suffered from missed deadlines and a buggy start. But later in the development process, the strategy changed.
“The iOS 17 release is now expected to boast several ‘nice to have’ features, even if it lacks a tentpole improvement like last year's revamped lock screen. The goal of the software, codenamed Dawn, is to check off several of users' most requested features.”
As Gurman notes, it’s unlikely that iOS 17 will introduce any major overhauls to the experience of using the best iPhones, since much of the high-hanging fruit – personalized iOS lock screens, custom keyboards and so on – has been fulfilled by Apple in recent years.
Instead, iOS 17 will more likely offer a range of significant updates to existing iPhone features and apps, like CarPlay, Siri and Messages.
iOS 17 feature wish list
Super Siri
ChatGPT is taking the world by storm, and Google and Microsoft have been quick to react. Apple set the world on fire with the launch of Siri, alongside the iPhone 4S, but the digital assistant still has yet to reach its full potential. As generative AI models grow in popularity, the large and very engaged iPhone user base would give Apple an advantage over its competitors, if it launched its own GPT-powered chatbot.
Improved notifications
This particular wish comes as standard – and goes ungranted – with every Apple update. The company has worked to slightly tweak iOS notifications every year, but they’re still horribly mediocre. There’s limited notification bundling or quick-reply support, and actionable notifications are still few and far between compared to Android.
Every year, we hope that Apple will bring Notification Center up to par – and every year Apple does the equivalent of placing a smiley band-aid on a gaping wound. Sometimes, Apple likes to do things its own way, and that’s fine; in this case, however, it's time for the company to swallow its pride and do the done thing.
RCS support
RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is gaining popularity on Android phones. It essentially turns basic SMS messaging into the equivalent of more modern apps, like iMessage or Facebook Messenger. Now, it’s not necessary for Apple to make RCS work on iPhones, but it would be better than the plain old SMS we currently have.
You can see when someone's typing, get read receipts, send larger files and more. It’s an emerging standard – much like USB-C – and in countries where texting via the Messages app is more common than something like WhatsApp or Telegram, there’s no downside to upgrading the Messages experience for everyone, as iOS users who prefer not to enable iMessage for one reason or another will also to make use of RCS' additional functionality without compromise.
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/aug8dyD
0 comments:
Post a Comment