Every year, Apple releases a new version of its mobile operating system, iOS, which brings new features and improvements to the iPhone. While we have just received iOS 16.4 and a lot of new features, in its first beta, the view is already fixed on iOS 17. The operating system we’ll see this coming June.
There are many new features that Apple could implement on the iPhone. The list would be really long and also very personal, because each of us will have our preferences. In any case, there are several keys on which we will surely all more or less agree.
Changes that make a big difference
The first feature Apple may implement in iOS 17 is a Universal Dark Mode. Although Apple already introduced a dark mode years ago, too many third-party apps still don’t support it. This means that the screen is still very bright when using these apps in low light conditions. The same goes for some websites. By implementing a universal dark mode, Apple could ensure that all apps and websites were compatible with this mode. Surely not with the same precision or quality as using a native layout, but it would certainly make the screen easier to see in low-light situations.
Another improvement for iOS 17 would be a smarter notification system. Notifications currently appear on the screen, and if they are not opened or deleted, they remain there until we manually delete them. Useful, but maybe it could be improved for those of us who get a lot of notifications, as the screen can be filled with old notifications. Apple could consider a system in which the most important notifications remain on the screen while the less important ones are automatically deleted after a certain period of time
Another feature to consider is a split screen option for the iPhone. If the iPhone 14 Pro Max is already really big, the iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 15 Ultra could be bigger. Multiple tasks could greatly benefit from a split screen. For example, writing an email while consulting another application or watching a video and browsing the Internet at the same time. A split screen on the iPhone, we understand that when in landscape orientationcould be a pleasant surprise.
Finally, iOS 17 could bring iCloud Private Relay system-wide instead of only being available in Safari. Apple released iCloud Private Relay in 2021 as part of the iOS 15 update. It lets us browse the web privately and securely, but it’s currently only available in Safari. By extending iCloud Private Relay system-wide, Apple could ensure that all apps on iPhone have the same privacy protection as Safari
Ultimately, the implementation of these features will depend on Apple’s development strategy and also other factors such as the development of macOS or xrOS, the Reality Pro operating system. never too late to come up with improvements which, although sooner or later we hope will eventually come to iOS, we’d like it to happen sooner rather than later. Ready for WWDC23 to bring news.
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