Apple’s iOS 16 update for iPhone was released to the public on September 12, 2022. It finally brought some of the most anticipated features like customizable lock screen, focus mode, among other details. Despite this, Apple is constantly criticized for always releasing features late in relation to its competitor, Android.
Fortunately, that notion is on the wane these days, as Apple has started to pay attention to some of the basic features that iOS didn’t offer until then. Also, although Apple releases a lot of late features for iOS, they are much more sophisticated and easier to use than what Android offers.
And while iOS 16 is fairly recent, iOS 17 could be announced at the Apple WWDC 2023 event in June. And it is expected that it will be released to the public on September 12, 2023. For this reason, we will show you below everything that is already known about the main news that Apple should present in 2023 with iOS 17.
iOS 17: Announcement date and release schedule
iOS 17 will likely be announced at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference, as the successor to iOS 16. As per the 2022 trends, the giant will announce the next iOS version in June 2023.
Following Apple’s track record of releasing the latest version of iOS, the iOS 17 release schedule should look like this:
- In the first few weeks after the announcement, the Beta version of iOS 17 will be made available to a limited number of users. The Beta version is released to volunteers who want to try the new experience. Because the new version may contain bugs or other issues, these volunteers help Apple identify unwanted issues so that the final version can later be released to the general public without those bugs.
- From there, the company will start rolling out iOS 17 to all users when the new iPhones i.e. iPhone 15 series arrive in late September or early October. The stable version of iOS 17 will begin rolling out to all iPhones that support the version.
Apple is known for providing long-term software support for its devices. Numerous iPhones will be eligible to get the iOS 17 update. Below is the list of devices that will receive iOS 17:
The new iPhones will arrive in September 2023 and will run on iOS 17 out of the box. Generally, Apple provides iOS updates for devices that are less than 5 years old. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have recently received the iOS 16 update. However, they are unlikely to be updated to iOS 17 as they were released in 2017.
All other iPhones released prior to the iPhone 8 series will not be eligible to upgrade to iOS 17. These devices were no longer eligible for iOS 16.
iOS 17: New Features and Expectations
Apple has been working on some features. An example of this is the launch of Always On Display on the latest iPhone 14 Pros.
In addition, Apple has released several customization features that were previously only available on Android. An example of this are the lock screen widgets, focus mode, live activity, among others.
However, there’s a lot more that Apple needs to offer in iOS than Android has for years. So, check out the top 5 features and improvements that Apple can bring to iPhones with iOS 17 below:
1. Call recording
This is one of the most demanded features by iPhone users. That’s right. This feature, which has been available to Android users for nearly a decade, is still a dream come true for iOS users. Apple may likely allow call recording starting with iOS 17.
2. Improved Notifications
Reading and managing notifications on iOS is confusing, especially on the lock screen. It is much more convenient to access and manage them on Android. With iOS 17, Apple is expected to take some steps to improve that experience.
3. Dual Apps
App cloning is a very useful and expected tool for iPhone owners. Through it, users can create clones of applications like WhatsApp so that they can access multiple accounts.
4. Split screen
It is one of the most important features of multitasking. Being able to view two apps at the same time is a really useful productivity feature that allows you to save time when switching apps repeatedly. Hence, it is a highly anticipated feature for iPhone users.
5. Siri Improvements
Apple is working on a way to eliminate the “AND there” of the phrase that activates Siri. Instead, Apple wants the virtual assistant to be activated when you hear only the word Crab.
These are just a few of the many expected updates that users have been demanding for years. Apple isn’t always the first to introduce new features, but whenever it releases one, it’s likely to be more uniform and consistent than any other competitor.
