Apple hosted its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023 and unveiled its most awaited products. Among them is iOS 17, whose beta developer version has been rolled out. Apple says that with the release, it has made iPhone “more personal and intuitive”. Apple iOS 17 brings major updates to communications apps, easy sharing with AirDrop, enhanced text input, a journaling app, and StandBy.
Phone
The Phone app received a major update with personalised Contact Posters. Users will be able to customise how they appear, giving incoming calls a complete makeover, users can also choose beautiful treats for photos or Memoji, as well as eye-catching typography and font colors. Contact Posters will also be available for third-party calling apps.
Live Voicemail
In addition, Live Voicemail provides users the ability to see real-time transcription as someone leaves a voicemail, and the opportunity to pick up while the caller is leaving their message. Spam calls would not appear in Live Voicemail and will be instantly declined. With the Neural Engine, Live Voicemail transcription will be generated on-device.
Also read: Apple debuts $3,499 Vision Pro headset at WWDC
FaceTime
Apple iOS 17 will now support FaceTime audio and video messages when someone is not available to pickup the call on the other end. FaceTime calls also get reactions, such as hearts, balloons, fireworks, laser beams, rain, and more. The new effects can be activated through simple gestures, and third-party video calling apps are also supported. FaceTime now extends to the biggest screen in the home along with Apple TV 4k update.
Messages
Messages also get significant updates with iOS 17, such as an all-new stickers experience with new emoji stickers and the ability to create Live Stickers by lifting subjects from photos. Users can also add effects to Live Stickers. and a new drawer in the keyboard puts all of a user’s stickers in one place for easier access across iOS apps.
Messages also introduces Check In feature, an important feature for when a user wants to notify a family member or friend that they have made it to a particular destination.
AirDrop and NameDrop
AirDrop makes it easy to share a file with a colleague or send photos to a friend in seconds, and with iOS 17, AirDrop gets new ways to share. NameDrop allows users to easily share contact information by simply bringing their iPhones together, or by bringing an iPhone and Apple Watch together.
Also read: Apple WWDC: Vision Pro mixed reality headset, 15-inch MacBook Air revealed
Standby Display
iOS 17 introduces StandBy, giving users a full-screen experience with glanceable information designed to be viewed from a distance when iPhone is charging or kept aside.
Safari
Safari strengthens protection for Private Browsing, both from trackers as a user browses, and from people who might have access to a user’s device. Advanced tracking and fingerprinting protections further prevent websites from tracking or identifying a user’s device.
Compatible devices
Like every other time, this time too Apple discontinued a few devices from getting iOS 17. Here’s a list of devices that will get iOS 17:
- iPhone Xs
- iPhone Xs Max
- iPhone Xr
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2020)
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2022)
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
