Apple unveiled the iOS 17 at WWDC, (among others!) a major release that brings a host of upgrades to enhance the communication experience on iPhone devices. The new release introduces significant updates to the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps, along with improved sharing capabilities through AirDrop. Additionally, Apple iOS 17 provides intelligent text input features and introduces two new apps called Journal and StandBy.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, stated, “With Apple iOS 17, we’ve made iPhone more personal and intuitive by deeply considering the features we all rely on every day. Phone, FaceTime, and Messages are central to how we communicate, and this release is packed with updates we think our users are going to love. We’ve also reimagined AirDrop with new ways to share, autocorrect gets even better, and we’re introducing all-new experiences with Journal and StandBy, plus so much more. We can’t wait for everyone to try it.”
Some of the notable updates and features in iOS 17 include:
Personalized Contact Posters
Users can now customize their appearance during incoming calls with eye-catching typography, font colors, and treatments for photos or Memoji. Which adds to the personalization people you care about in your life (can totally see this as a whole thing among friends)
Live Voicemail
Real-time transcription of voicemails allows users to read and pick up calls while the caller is leaving a message. Spam calls are instantly declined and not transcribed. The feature is a neural engine-powered transcription that are handled on-device for added privacy.
FaceTime Enhancements
Audio and Video Messages
Users can now send audio and video messages to others who are unavailable. This video can be played at a later period. It is further enhanced with new expressive effects such as hearts, balloons, and laser beams that can be added during FaceTime calls, with support for third-party video calling apps.
Extended to Apple TV
Another cool feature is that FaceTime can now be used on Apple TV 4K, enabling video calls on the big screen. This is a feature that will be great for family gatherings with some connecting remotely in another place or country.
Messages Updates
Stickers and Live Stickers
Users can enjoy an all-new stickers experience with emoji stickers and the ability to create Live Stickers from photos.
Enhanced Communication
Search filters, catch-up arrow, inline replies, real-time location sharing, and automatic transcription of audio messages improve the messaging experience.
Check In
Users can notify friends and family when they arrive at their destination safely, with end-to-end encryption for shared information. Eliminates the anxiety and worry that comes with wondering if your loved ones have reached their destination safely (This could be a really good feature here in Malaysia)
New Features
NameDrop
Sharing contact information, content, and starting SharePlay sessions becomes simpler by bringing iPhones or an iPhone and Apple Watch together. Finally business cards or company cards can be a thing of the past (among newer iPhone users that is).
Autocorrect Upgrades
A transformer language model and refreshed design enhance autocorrections, with predictive text recommendations inline and improved sentence-level autocorrections. This is also paired with improved speech recognition model for more accurate dictation when using Siri to type out messages.
StandBy
A new full-screen experience that displays glanceable information when iPhone is on its side and charging, featuring personalized clock styles, favorite photos, and widgets. StandBy is activated by tapping the screen and available on iPhone 14 Pro with Always-On display. Adds more utility for iPhone when its charging or docked.
Journal App
A new app that promotes gratitude and reflection through journaling, leveraging on-device machine learning to provide personalized suggestions for journal entries.
These are just a few of the numerous features and enhancements included in iOS 17, such as improved privacy measures, updates to Apple Music, Home app enhancements, accessibility improvements, and more.
The developer beta of iOS 17 is now available to Apple Developer Program.
