Apple’s iOS 17 software update may include some requested features, according to Apple Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. It was previously believed that Apple would skip major changes with the release of iOS 17 to focus on bug fixes and optimizations. Those plans appear to have changed, as Gurman notes that iOS 17 is expected to include several “nice to have” features.
Gurman writes that the goal with the launch of iOS 17, codenamed Dawn, is now to include some of the most requested features from users. However, it is not known what exactly these functions will be.
Gurman signed up a tweet:
When Apple started developing iOS 17, the first thought was to call it a tuneup release – one that focused more on fixing bugs and improving performance than adding new features (similar to the approach the company took with Snow Leopard on Mac OS X in 2009). 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 include several “nice to have” features, even if it lacks a tentpole improvement like last year’s revamped lock screen. The purpose of the software, codenamed “Dawn”, is to tick off several of the most requested features by users.
It’s possible that Apple will allow sideloading apps with iOS 17, meaning users won’t have to rely on the App Store for app downloads. A Bloomberg report from last December revealed that Apple was preparing to allow alternative app stores on its iPhones and iPads to meet European Union requirements coming in 2024.
As with Apple’s previous software updates, iOS 17 is likely to be unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, alongside Apple’s other OS versions such as watchOS 10, tvOS 17, and macOS 14.
Apple is also expected to unveil its highly anticipated mixed-reality headset at WWDC. Gurman says Apple demonstrated the headset internally to Apple executives at the Steve Jobs Theater last week, suggesting a public reveal of the product could be coming soon. The new device could look like ski goggles, according to a report by The Information. It will contain several cameras so that the device can track your movements in real time and see what is happening in the real world.