Extra data is surfacing about Apple’s plans for its subsequent main cellular working system launch as we get nearer to its unveiling at this yr’s Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC).
With WWDC just a few weeks away, it stands to purpose that iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 are nearing the ultimate phases of inside testing in preparation for the primary developer preview launch, which is often made obtainable to registered builders inside hours of the WWDC Keynote.
Most of what we’ve seen means that iOS 17 can be a “tuneup” launch that’s targeted totally on enhancing efficiency and fixing issues. Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless anticipated to supply just a few small however attention-grabbing options; they might simply not be as groundbreaking as what we noticed in final yr’s iOS 16 launch.
We’ve already heard stories that Apple plans to revamp the Management Heart with a brand new design that ought to hopefully supply extra flexibility — and probably even room for third-party apps to get in on the sport. One other rumored characteristic that’s piqued our curiosity is Energetic Widgets which might characteristic extra dynamic content material. A number of sources have confirmed that Apple is engaged on this, however no person is certain but whether or not it will likely be prepared for iOS 17.
Lock Display Enhancements
A brand new put up on Chinese language social media website Weibo from a supply that shared correct information concerning the yellow iPhone 14 just a few months in the past is providing up a listing of some different attention-grabbing issues we are able to count on to see in iOS 17.
Chief amongst these are some enhancements that construct upon the numerous Lock Display redesign we noticed in iOS 16 final yr. Whereas the adjustments appear principally iterative, they need to make the general expertise even higher.
In response to the report, it will likely be potential to view lyrics from Apple Music proper on the Lock Display, letting you extra simply sing alongside along with your favourite tunes — and certain additionally tying in additional successfully into the karaoke-like Sing that Apple unveiled in December.
The Lock Display will even reportedly supply much more customization, with the flexibility to regulate font sizes and a button to share your customized Lock Screens with different iPhone customers, just like what Apple did with Watch Faces just a few years again in watchOS 7.
Different adjustments on the checklist embrace a redesign of Apple Music that may supposedly simplify the interface, the flexibility to rename folders within the App Library somewhat than being caught with Apple’s predefined classes, and a extra adjustable brightness slider for the flashlight.
Well being Enhancements: AI Teaching, Apple Well being for iPad, and Extra
In one other vein, Apple can be engaged on some noteworthy enhancements to its HealthKit options, at the least a few of that are anticipated to debut with iOS 17.
Final week The Wall Road Journal revealed that Apple is engaged on a brand new journalling app targeted on helping with bodily and psychological well being by providing a spot for folk to “compile their day by day actions.”
Nonetheless, paperwork seen by the Journal recommended this may transcend only a easy diary, leveraging Apple’s machine studying experience to research your habits and “decide what a typical day is like.” Nonetheless, this can be only one side of Apple’s new AI-powered method to well being.
In a brand new report at Bloomberg, Mark Gurman claims that Apple is engaged on a man-made intelligence-driven well being teaching service that would embrace “new expertise for monitoring feelings.”
Whereas a few of that will function the inspiration of Apple’s journaling app, the corporate appears to have broader ambitions for this expertise. Code-named “Quartz,” it’s anticipated to be a mixture of a devoted app and a brand new subscription service — maybe one fruits of the “Well being+” service we’ve heard rumors of previously.
In response to Gurman, the service can be designed to encourage a wholesome way of life by enhancing habits round train, consuming, and sleep. Very like Apple’s Health+ service, the brand new teaching service would probably require an Apple Watch for the reason that AI algorithms would require physiological knowledge that may’t be collected from an iPhone.
Whereas the teaching service isn’t prone to be prepared for launch till subsequent yr, Apple plans to supply a number of enhancements to the Well being app in iOS 17, together with instruments for monitoring moods and feelings and managing imaginative and prescient situations similar to nearsightedness. Within the quick time period, the emotion tracker will merely permit customers to log how they really feel manually, however Apple hopes to develop that sooner or later with AI algorithms that would analyze speech and typing patterns.
Gurman notes that the brand new mood- and emotion-tracking options are distinct from the journalling app, the place he tacitly counters The Wall Road Journal’s report that the app can be extra health-focused. He notes that the journalling app “isn’t meant to be a well being characteristic” and “Apple is unlikely to place it as such.”
As a substitute, Gurman’s sources inform him that the journalling app is extra of a social networking characteristic. Will probably be an extension of the Discover My service and different location options, extra targeted on permitting people to put in writing a travelogue than recording their psychological and bodily actions.
Apple additionally plans to lastly launch an iPad model of the Well being app in iPadOS 17. Whereas that received’t essentially be capable to accumulate well being knowledge, it’s going to permit customers to entry knowledge securely synced from their iPhone and Apple Watch and think about it on the bigger display. Apple hopes the iPad model will “enhance the app’s reputation in healthcare settings,” Gurman says.
One of many early obstacles to an iPad Well being app was safety. The earliest implementations of the HealthKit frameworks didn’t sync knowledge to iCloud out of respect for person privateness. This difficult syncing well being knowledge onto an iPad, so Apple probably determined it wasn’t definitely worth the effort. Nonetheless, now that Apple has embraced even stronger end-to-end encryption expertise all through most of iCloud, the safety and privateness of well being knowledge are now not a priority.
Lastly, Gurman confirms that Apple remains to be engaged on blood strain and non-invasive blood glucose monitoring for the Apple Watch. Apple has reportedly deserted its efforts to get correct blood strain readings from the wearable. As a substitute, it’s going to probably give attention to alerting Apple Watch customers to uncommon situations similar to possible hypertension to allow them to take a correct studying with a traditional blood strain monitor.
Nonetheless, don’t count on to see both of those sensors seem on this yr’s Apple Watch Sequence 9; Gurman notes that each are nonetheless at the least just a few years away.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]