Cupertino :
The statement suggests that iOS 17 may be announced by Apple during their yearly Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), which is scheduled to take place online from June 5th to June 9th.
The event
The opening day of the online Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is set for June 5th and will feature the traditional keynote presentation.
During this event, Apple is expected to unveil the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
While the event itself is online, developers and students will have the chance to attend a special celebration in person at Apple Park.
According to Susan Prescott, Apple’s Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations,
the upcoming WWDC23 is expected to be their most significant and thrilling event yet, and they are looking forward to seeing many attendees, both online and in-person.
In addition to the keynote and State of the Union presentations, the online program for this year’s conference will offer a variety of sessions, one-on-one labs,
and opportunities for developers to interact with Apple engineers and other participants.
Challenge for student devs
Apple’s Swift Student Challenge is designed to promote and support student developers who have a passion for coding.
This program offers a dedicated app called Swift Playgrounds, which is available on both iPad and Mac devices, and provides an interactive and engaging way to learn the Swift programming language.
Students worldwide are encouraged to participate by creating an app playground on a topic of their choice. The deadline for submitting their work is April 19th.
User-requested features to make appearance?
Mark Gurman from Bloomberg has suggested that iOS 17 might introduce several of the most frequently requested features to iOS.
Considering the various feature requests from the community over the years,
here are some possible additions that could be included in the upcoming iOS update.
Multiple timers
Currently, iPhone users are only able to set one timer at a time. Even with the latest iOS 16 update, this limitation remains unchanged.
However, users have been requesting the ability to set multiple timers for a long time.
Therefore, if Apple is indeed planning to incorporate some of the most popular features in iOS 17, adding the ability to set multiple timers could be one of them.
Individual volume control settings
One advantage that Android has over iOS is the ability to expand the volume slider into individual sliders for different types of audio, such as system, alerts, ringtone, and media.
In contrast, iOS currently only allows for adjusting the overall volume when the volume buttons are pressed.
To change the ringtone and alert volume, iOS users must navigate to the Sound & Haptics settings independently.
However, with iOS 17, Apple may be attempting to catch up by introducing a similar feature for individual audio sliders,
thus providing a more user-friendly volume control experience.
Improved notification management
Android offers more detailed control over the types of notifications users receive from an app, giving it an advantage over iOS in this aspect.
With iOS, it’s currently an all-or-nothing approach, where allowing notifications for an app results in receiving notifications for everything related to that app.
However, with iOS 17, Apple may aim to address this issue by providing users with more control over app notifications, similar to what Android currently offers.
iOS heavily relies on notification banners, which can be cumbersome to manage as they are grouped together on the lock screen and Notification Center in a stack format.
This method can be irritating for users, especially when there are numerous notifications.
In contrast, Android presents app notifications in a simple and concise list view, similar to an agenda, making it easier to manage and saving screen space.
With iOS 17, Apple may aim to improve the notification management system by incorporating features that make it more user-friendly and similar to Android’s approach.
Sideloading apps outside of the App Store
One of the most frequent requests from the iOS community is the ability to sideload apps from third-party app stores other than Apple’s App Store.
Following Apple’s recent legal issues with European antitrust laws, iOS 17 may finally provide the option to install apps from alternative digital storefronts.
This would be a significant change for iPhone users, as they would be able to access apps from sources other than Apple’s official store.
Additionally, in compliance with European regulations requiring a common charger for all electronics,
rumors suggest that the iPhone 15 will move to USB-C-based charging, which would be a significant shift from Apple’s current proprietary charging port.
Allow placing app icons anywhere
One limitation for iOS users is the inability to place app icons on the home screen wherever they want.
In contrast, Android users have the freedom to place apps anywhere they like on the grid, such as the bottom, for easier one-handed access.
With the upcoming iOS 17, there is a possibility that Apple will finally grant this flexibility and allow users to place app icons freely on the home screen.
Subject to change
It’s important to keep in mind that all of these features are currently based on speculation and rumors, and the final product may differ from what has been speculated. With WWDC approaching, the final outcome is yet to be seen.
