Anonymous-AS, a MacRumors forum user who recently surfaced with some intriguing leaks about upcoming Apple products, has posted a Twitter thread detailing numerous aspects and features of iOS 17, the iPhone operating system due to launch at WWDC in June. disclosed are described. 5.
Continue the 10-post thread @ analyst941 contains 15 separate predictions about iOS 17, which they claim come from a “develop team insider.” For the most part, the vague features describe app settings and other interface tweaks. Some of these, such as the range of iPhones that can run the new operating system (apparently the same set of devices that could run iOS 16), have been previously revealed by the leaker, while others are new. The thread is intended to serve as a summary of the state of the information so far.
As always with these types of ‘infodump’ posts, the challenge is to filter the important out of the mundane, and more importantly, the facts out of the guesswork: it’s easy when releasing a ton of information all at once to overlook details. to slip in that are only probable (or even possible) by mixing them in with the things you are certain of. For example, in replies to the Twitter thread, anonymous-AS says they are “100%” sure the iPhone 8 will be able to run iOS 17 and they also confirm iPad compatibility rumors, but we’re in the dark about the rumors of the leaker’s confidence regarding many of the other elements.
Among the new features the tipster predicts in iOS 17 are:
- Major user interface changes and Control Center customization
- New features for the Dynamic Island
- Additional always-on display settings
- More Focus Mode filters
- Changes to the health app UI
- Camera app changes
- Notification changes and additional options
- Much improved search function/Spotlight
In most cases, the information is vague or predictable enough that it hardly needs a dedicated source: most years, for example, we see some changes to notifications (the leaker claims these are getting “additional options in Settings”), and that shouldn’t being the case. It should come as no surprise that Apple is adding additional filters for focus mode, which has been steadily expanding over the past few years. It also seems obvious or at least logical that the Dynamic Island “will also do a lot more” as Apple extends it to the entire iPhone 15 range.
But others are more speculative. Notably, Anonymous-AS appears to be siding with the legacy consensus that iOS 17 would focus primarily on reliability (“Performance, efficiency, stability, and long-term support for older devices are key features of this update.”), while recent reports have instead pointed to the inclusion of a number of “most requested features” following a strategic rethink. Perhaps this is a matter of interpretation, as even Mark Gurman, who predicted the change of strategy last month, acknowledged that iOS 17 “lacks a tentpole improvement like last year’s revamped lock screen.”
One of the more intriguing predictions concerns widgets, which anonymous-AS believes could become “active”. The leaker clarifies that this means a dynamic quality that offers “one-tap buttons, sliders and more”. iOS 16 users will be aware that widgets are basically snapshots with rudimentary functionality – the Apple TV widget, for example, lets you instantly play the next episode of a series with a single tap – so we’re excited to see which ways Apple can enhance their dynamism and usability. Note, however, that this prediction is marked with the caveat that they are “testing, but not confirmed in any way.”
Ultimately, given the leaker’s short track record and lack of detail on the source of this information, it might be best to take the thread as an enjoyable but as-yet unproven glimpse of what could be rather than what sure. If confirmation comes from elsewhere, the ideas in the post may get stronger, but for now, we’ll enjoy this thread with a healthy dose of salt.
For all the latest news and rumors, don’t forget to check out our regularly updated iOS 17 super guide.
