Apple is expected to release iOS 17 later this year — and we now have a better idea of what it’ll look like. A new leak reveals the company plans major changes to its Music and Home apps, as well as the inclusion of a new app for its rumored headset.
The report comes from LeaksApplePro, a hit-or-miss leaker over the years. According to this, the iOS 17 update later this year is expected to be a minor one. Unlike last year, there are no large visual updates expected, with the built-in iPhone apps being targeted with minor refreshes and updates. There are reports of some changes to the Music app, the Home app, and Find My, but very few specifics.
Apple’s iOS 17 is expected to come alongside the iPhone 15 and as such, includes code that spoils some of Apple’s plans. With that, the company is thought to be making a slew of changes — including bringing its Dynamic Island to all iPhones sold this year. Last year saw Dynamic Island restricted to the more expensive iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The new code analysis appears to confirm that and also points out that Apple will be shifting to USB-C this year. Apple had earlier confirmed that it had planned to adopt USB-C on the iPhone, though some analysis had thought the company would have opted for a fully wireless iPhone instead.
Apple’s iOS, as with Android, has been mature for a few years now. Though more customization is always welcome — and iOS 16’s lock screens and Android 12 and 13’s Material You certainly make big pushes in that direction — there’s likely to be less of that here. That’s not a bad thing. We’ve recently argued that some of these large updates are disorienting for general users and come with a slew of bugs that need to be swatted over a long and painful period. It’s OK if iOS 17 is boring!
At the very least, we can take this report (albeit with a grain of salt) as a sign that smartphone updates will continue to be, for the near future, instrumental but invisible.
