Apple introduced its latest lineup of iPhones for 2023, and alongside that, they rolled out iOS 17, a significant operating system update, to all iPhones from the iPhone XR and newer models. This substantial OS update became accessible to hundreds of millions of iPhones on Monday, September 18, 2023.
During the WWDC keynote held on June 5, Apple introduced a slew of new features that will be part of iOS 17. These include Contact Posters, NameDrop, StandBy, Live Voicemail, FaceTime video voicemail, a completely revamped Siri voice recognition model, significant enhancements to autocorrect and dictation, and a host of other exciting additions.
More about Features
StandBy
This feature appears to draw inspiration from the Apple Watch. When you place your phone in landscape orientation on a stand at night, it functions as a clock display with various clock styles to choose from. Additionally, you can browse through your favorite photos, showcase widgets, and stay updated with Live Activities, such as game scores. Furthermore, there’s an option to activate Night Mode, which displays red text to reduce eye strain during nighttime use. It’s reminiscent of traditional alarm clocks. For more details on how to utilize StandBy as a smart home hub, you can refer to: “How to use StandBy to create a smart home hub.”
Journal
Apple has introduced a brand-new app that takes Memories in Photos to the next level. It provides a fresh approach to rekindling cherished memories, allowing users to recall and document their experiences through text, location information, photos, and additional features. Furthermore, developers have access to a Suggestions API that they can incorporate into their own applications.
Contact Posters
With this feature, you have the ability to customize your appearance during calls and on your contact card, which will be visible to your friends in their Contacts. You can personalize your contact card with images, fonts, and colors to make it uniquely yours. Importantly, this functionality is compatible with Call Kit, allowing its use in third-party VOIP apps as well.
Live Voicemail
When someone calls and leaves a voicemail, you’ll have the option to view a live transcript as they speak. This feature enables you to read the voicemail message in real-time, helping you decide whether to answer the call or not based on the content of the message.
FaceTime
Apple is adding the ability to leave a video message in the FaceTime app when people don’t answer.
Ring Tones and Text Tones
iOS 17 brings 24 new ringtones to choose from, with names like Dollop, Kettle, Scavenger, Steps, Storytime, Unfold, and Valley. To change your ringtone, simply navigate to the Sounds & Haptics settings and select “Ringtone.”
Additionally, there are new text tones, including Cheers, Droplet, Portal, Slide, and Welcome. You can find and customize these text tones within the Sounds & Haptics settings under “Text Tone.”
Stickers
All emoji across iOS 17 are now stickers that can be resized. Subjects from photos can be lifted out of photos and turned into stickers. You can turn live animated photos into Live Stickers.
NameDrop
A new feature called NameDrop leverages AirDrop technology to simplify the exchange of contact information. With NameDrop, there’s no need to make a missed call to a new acquaintance just to share your contact details.
Siri
You’re no longer required to begin your interaction with Siri by saying “Hey.” Siri now utilizes the new transformer model, which also powers the improved dictation and autocorrect features, resulting in significantly enhanced accuracy and better comprehension of your intentions. Additionally, you can issue multiple requests within a single command when interacting with Siri.
And Lot More . . .