Apple is expected to unveil the first details about iOS 17 at WWDC 2023 in June, but a new leak claims to offer a brief rundown of what the next iteration of iPhone software could include. The leak popped up in two places from the same source: the MacRumors forum and a Twitter thread that goes into a lot more detail.
Exclusive: Almost everything I know about what’s new in #iOS17.(A thread)April 12, 2023
iOS 17 supported devices
The main point to note is that “analyst941," as they call themselves, claims that all iPhones that support iOS 16 will be able to upgrade to iOS 17. That includes phones running on the A11 Bionic, like the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, which were previously rumored to be missing out.
However, iPads running on an A9 and A10 chipset may not be so lucky where iPadOS 17 is concerned — though a final decision has apparently not been decided.
Apparently one of the main features of the update is enhancing performance, efficiency, stability and long-term support for older devices. However, 941 claims the first few beta versions of the software may be “rough” for devices with 3GB of RAM.
Dynamic Island, which is rumored to be coming to all iPhone 15 devices, may be getting more features. Apparently this was a result of Apple’s marketing department pressuring the development team to help boost sales of the standard iPhone 15. What those features might be hasn’t been specified.
Apple is also said to be testing Active widgets, though this apparently hasn’t been confirmed for final release. However such an update could bring one-tap buttons, sliders and even more dynamic widgets. The thread also claims that iPhone 15 Pro models are “still on track” to have solid-state buttons and the associated software — despite recent rumors to the contrary.
iOS 17 — Control Center, Health App, CarKey and more
Other iOS 17 upgrades reportedly coming include “major changes” to the Control Center’s UI and customization options, more always-on display settings, more Focus Mode filters, additional notification changes and custom accessibility settings. These settings are apparently set to give “total control over the UI and layout” for seniors and young children.
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Also mentioned are changes to the Health app’s UI, particularly where Favorites are concerned, “heavily improved” Spotlight Search, an “absolute behemoth” of ARKit APIs, and more improvements for CarKey for those few cars that support it. That apparently includes “Car implementations” into the Wallet app.
Finally, the Camera app is reportedly getting some changes that 941 claims were originally intended for the iPhone 14 Pro. However the caveat is that these may only be implemented in the iPhone 15 series, rather than every iOS 17 device.
Can we trust this leaker?
There are a lot of details we still don’t know about these iOS 17, but some of it does corroborate what we’ve heard before. 9to5Mac also notes that 941 is the user that revealed details about the Dynamic Island ahead of the iPhone 14 Pro launch — and recently revealed details about the iPhone 15 Pro’s alleged solid-state buttons.
There’s no telling how much of this report is accurate, or how much of it will make it to the final version of iOS 17 — things can and will change in the months leading up to release. For now, be sure to bookmark our iOS 17 hub for all the latest rumors and leaks and our WWDC 2023 guide for all the big news we expect.
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Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor
Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.
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