WWDC23: iOS 17 Preview! Comes with a redesigned interface, Live Voicemail, and Offline Maps


Hold on, didn’t Android get those features a long time ago?

Annually, Apple announces a lot of things during its WWDC event. It’s a big deal because we could see their development. Their marketing team just stands out so well against the likes of its Android competitors, Samsung included. These events also feel closer to the users as if Apple is talking to you like they are your best friend.

This is how they made iOS 17 special despite it being a mundane and small upgrade. They make everything seem like a big deal which is what is missing from many other live events that other companies initiate.

Before we continue, you must know what devices iOS 17 support. Refer to the list below to see if yours is included.

If you have an iPhone X or older, then you will miss out. This phone was announced in 2017 alongside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus which are also out of support. It’s the end of an era with these phones but still, there are quite a ton of apps that still support iOS 16, so for now, you aren’t really missing much with the exception of additional layers of security and features which we will now list below.

LIVE VOICEMAIL:

Live Voicemail, as the name entails, lets your iPhone pick up a voicemail from an unknown sender and displays live scrolling text while the sender reads it out. This means you don’t have to pick up the phone to check out who’s calling.

Any message identified as spam won’t be using Live Voicemail but instead, is automatically declined.

CONTACT POSTERS:

“Contact Posters” is Apple’s fancy name for customizable contact and call screens. You can select different photos as the background as well as stickers, colours, font size, type and colour, and Memojis and it works even for third-party apps.

Alongside this is a feature called NameDrop which sadly does not force others to insult you by name. No, instead it allows you to share contact details via NFC simply by tapping two phones together. Yes, this is similar to how LINE connects with other contacts.

In relation to sharing, SharePlay has been improved so that you can simultaneously share a music or video stream on two devices.

FaceTime:

FaceTime now allows for recorded audio and video messages in case the other person is offline similar to how old voicemails do it. Also, there are now Video Reactions for FaceTime. Here, you can send stickers, hearts, emojis, and many more. This has been a feature of other video-calling apps like Google Meet for a while now.

The biggest improvement to FaceTime is that it now allows you to video call directly to your Apple TV, or cast a call from your iPhone to the TV.

Journal App:

The newest app to come to iOS 17 is the Journal App. It is similar to the notes app. As the name implies, it allows you to take notes and write about your own personal experiences in life. Apple is promoting the app as a way to help improve mental health by allowing users to vent or simply write things they think about their lives, as a real journal would.

Apple would also send out suggestions based on your recent activities, photos, contacts, places you have been, and so on.

WIDGETS and STANDBY:

StandBy is Apple’s fancy name for a landscape experience when you put your phone on a desk, like the one shown above. It shows you widgets. a personalized clock, favourite photos, and Live Activities. It also has support for Siri, notifies you of incoming calls, and larger notifications which allow you to view them even from a distance.

OFFLINE APPLE MAPS:

Apple only took 17 iterations of iOS and about a decade for them to come up with offline maps. That’s quite the perfection and engineering needed and is quite innovative. “Wow”, as Tim Cook would explain it.

Kidding aside, it is here now and Maps allows you to select an area of the map for you to download. The larger the area, the bigger the file size.

OTHER FEATURES:

  • Safari now has enhanced security features. Private Browsing now locks whenever it is not in use.
  • AirTags can now be shared by up to five people.
  • Apple Music introduces Collaborative Playlists that work alongside SharePlay and make listening with friends easier.
  • The Health App now offers additional mental health features which allow users to log their daily moods and emotions and allow them to access depression and anxiety assessments often used in clinics and other resources available within their area.
  • ScreenTime now uses the TrueDepth camera of certain iPhone models to prevent myopia or digital eyestrain from occurring. The phone will now tell you to draw the distance after holding the device closer than 12 inches for an extended period of time.

Source: Apple Newsroom