Every year, iOS updates bring essential changes to the iPhone, breathing new life into a machine integral to many lives. In the last three years, each update has overhauled a part of iOS. The most recent of which is the revamped Lock Screen experience on iOS 16.
With WWDC 2023 confirmed for June 5th, we’re almost at the point where we will get our first look at the next update. But thanks to early reports, we do have an idea of what to expect.
Here we detail everything currently known about the upcoming changes and discuss a few features we wish to see on the iPhone in 2023.
When will iOS 17 release?
If Apple follows its standard release cycle, we believe the stable — mostly bug-free — release of iOS 17 will make its way to your phone in September 2023. But if you’re a developer or an enthusiast, you can try out the beta versions earlier. We expect the iOS 17 developer beta will go live right after the announcements at the WWDC 2023 keynote, and the public beta will follow four to six weeks later in July.
Also, alongside iOS 17 for iPhone, Apple will also release new updates for the iPad (iPadOS 17), Apple Watch (watchOS 10), Mac (macOS 14), and Apple TV (tvOS 14), which will roll out similarly.
Which iPhone models will iOS 17 support?
With the release of iOS 16, Apple dropped support for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 models. For 2023, there have been conflicting reports that say the iPhone X and iPhone 8 models may (or may not be) on the chopping block. The devices have received five version upgrades to date though they haven’t received every feature iOS 16 had to offer.
The lack of on-device machine learning has restricted what an update enables on those phones. So, it wouldn’t be a shock if Apple chooses not to push iOS 17 to these phones. Also, even if iPhone XS and onwards receive the iOS 17 update, there is a possibility Apple could drop some features from them too.
List of iPhones expected to support iOS 17
- Apple iPhone SE (2020)
- Apple iPhone SE (2022)
- Apple iPhone XS
- Apple iPhone XS Max
- Apple iPhone XR
- Apple iPhone 11
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone 12 mini
- Apple iPhone 12
- Apple iPhone 12 Pro
- Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone 13 mini
- Apple iPhone 13
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Apple iPhone 14
- Apple iPhone 14 Plus
- Apple iPhone 14 Pro
- Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
iOS 17 Rumors
Apart from the possible release timeline and supported devices, some reports have also told us what the iOS 17 update will entail.
Mark Gurman initially detailed that the iOS 17 release will come without many new features. A part of this is because Apple wants to avoid another buggy release, while the other revolves around the redirection of software development teams to the Mixed Reality Headset project.
But near the end of March, he reported that the development thinking behind iOS 17 changed as the team will deliver new “nice to have” features originating from user requests.
Apple has also announced new accessibility features, which Apple said will arrive on the iPhone in 2023; we believe we will see more information become available once iOS 17 launches publicly in Fall 2023.
Apart from these, there are other reports which indicate iOS 17 will bring the following changes:
Redesigned Control Center
A significant touch-point in iOS, Control Center hasn’t seen any major changes since iOS 11. But an anonymous individual, who also accurately shared details about the Dynamic Island being two cutouts blended via software, has said that the customizable menu may see some changes.
We would like to see Control Center become more data-rich, similar in some ways to its macOS counterpart while allowing users to customize toggle functions and elements a little more.
If you ask me, I’d like to have the ability to modify the available Home controls to only show what I deem necessary and not take up additional space with empty buttons.
Sideloading Applications
The push of the European Union on Apple and other gatekeepers via the Digital Markets Act has brought to light that iOS 17 might allow sideloading apps onto the iPhone. The change will likely bring a massive overhaul to how apps are distributed on the device and could significantly alter the user experience on iOS.
Improvements to Health and an app for journaling
A report from Wall Street Journal hints at iOS 17 bringing a journaling app to the iPhone. The application is intended to grow Apple’s presence in the wellness and mental health ecosystem. The app will pull data from other Apple applications — even the location tracking Find My app — and present choices to users, allowing them to track their daily activities.
Find My and Wallet app updates
The Find My application and Wallet apps are also said to be on the cards for a redesign. While more details aren’t currently available, the changes are said to revolve around the user interface. We want Apple to make the Wallet app less crowded or better segmented in the coming update.
What features do we want to see?
Now, while rumors have indicated a lot of what we can expect with iOS 17, there are a few unmentioned features that we would like to see on the iPhone.
- Power Management: iOS already offers the ability to optimize the charging process on your phone, but we’d like Apple to take it a step further and offer bypass charging and the ability to set a hard limit on how much the battery charges.
- Theming Engine: We’d like Apple to develop a theming engine for the iPhone. Hence, making it easier to customize icons and widgets with varying colors — and possibly styles — to make your phone feel more like it’s yours.
- Synced Apple Music Controls: Spotify Connect is one of our favorite features, and seeing a version of it built into the Music is a change we will appreciate.
- Seamless Software Updates: A feature Android devices have had for a while now, seamless software updates eliminate the downtime between large software patches. The iPhone is one of the few devices that still have this interval, and we’d like to see iOS 17 turn the situation around.
- Dedicated Passwords App: We believe the built-in password manager on iOS — powered by Keychain — has become an indispensable tool today. With its ability to generate and store passwords, it is likely to be one of the most used features on iOS. Plus, the addition of allowing to provide 2FA authentication makes it even more attractive to use, especially for the ease of use it brings within the Apple ecosystem of devices and apps. A dedicated app would greatly improve the user experience, making 2FA codes easier to access and passwords easier to manage.
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