WWDC 2023’s keynote has come to a close, but not without Apple introducing WatchOS 10, the latest software update to Apple’s smartwatch platform.
Apple’s WatchOS revolutionized what’s possible with wrist-worn devices. With each iteration of the Apple Watch, the company has seamlessly integrated cutting-edge technology into an elegant design and, of course, added new capabilities along the way.
Apple WWDC23
This operating system update brings many new features, but naturally, you’ll need the right hardware to use them. Here’s the list of Apple Watch models expected to support WatchOS 10:
Apple Watch Series 4
Apple Watch Series 5
Apple Watch SE (2020)
Apple Watch Series 6
Apple Watch Series 7
Apple Watch SE (2022)
Apple Watch Series 8
Apple Watch Ultra
An iPhone XS or later running iOS 17 is required for installation.
At WWDC 2023, Apple may not have announced any new AirPods models but it did reveal that the AirPods will be getting some new features this fall with the release of iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and TVOS 17. These include an adaptive audio mode that mixes noise canceling with transparency and a “conversation awareness” mode that automatically lowers the volume of what you’re listening to as soon as you start talking.
When you engage adaptive audio, your AirPods will muffle out unwanted loud outside noise like a leaf blower, while also filtering in sounds you should hear such as a car horn. When activated, if you encounter someone while you’re listening to audio and want to have a conversation, you can just start talking and the volume of your audio is automatically lowered and your AirPods enter transparency mode. After you stop talking, the volume of whatever you were listening to returns to its previous level.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because conversation awareness is very similar to a feature found on Sony earbuds and headphones called Speak-to-Chat mode.
Apple also noted that it’s improved noise reduction during calls and the AirPods’ auto-switching feature, making it faster and more reliable. That feature allows you to hear the audio coming from whatever Apple device you’re using at the moment, then quickly switch over to another Apple device (on your iCloud account) and hear its audio on your AirPods. It’s essentially advanced multipoint Bluetooth pairing — but just for Apple devices.
It’s unclear what AirPods will get the new adaptive audio and conversation awareness modes. We presume only AirPods with active noise canceling like the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max will be able to get adaptive audio, while the AirPods 3rd Generation won’t (but the AirPods 3 could get the conversation awareness feature). We also don’t know yet whether the new feature will be available for legacy models like the original AirPods Pro. But we’ll updated this story as soon as we get more details.
The moment we’ve been anticipating for years has arrived: Apple unveiled its new Vision Pro today, a mixed reality headset that could finally bring augmented reality technology into the mainstream.
This moment marks a whole new phase in Apple’s hardware and software ecosystems, and pushes to re-establish an existing category that’s had trouble going mainstream beyond gaming. If Apple gets this right, it could be the device that finally persuades you to take the plunge and invest in your first ever VR/AR headset. And if you do plan on buying a Vision Pro, you might want to get saving now as it will cost a whopping $3,500 when it goes on sale early next year in the US.
The key to understanding the Vision Pro — what it is and what it does — is in getting your head around how it works with existing Apple apps, services and hardware that you’re probably already familiar with. From the app landscape, you can open up your Messages, Notes, Keynote and Safari as you would on your iPhone using either hand and arm gestures or the digital crown, which you might recognize from the Apple Watch. You can also use Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Trackpad to navigate the interface, which is capable of mirroring the screen of your Mac.
To put it simply: this isn’t just another virtual reality headset. It’s an extension of Apple’s product ecosystem that will bring new flexibility to the tech you know, while opening up access to new experiences you perhaps hadn’t dreamed of before.
“In the same way that Mac introduced us to personal computing, and iPhone introduced us to mobile computing, Apple Vision Pro will introduce us to spatial computing,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook introducing the device during its WWDC developer conference. “This marks the beginning of a journey that will bring a new dimension to powerful personal technology.”
Cook unveiled the Vision Pro in a classic Apple “one more thing” moment, showing an image of a sleek black headset with a thick knitted headband and a black, translucent screen — a little like Meta’s Quest Pro, except you can see the wearer’s eyes from the outside. Unlike other VR headsets that cut you off from the outside world, the Vision Pro functions as a kind of second screen that sits between your eyes and the real world beyond. The screen can also dim to black, providing a more immersive environment, depending on what you’re using it for.
Apple is pitching the Vision Pro as your dream movie-watching experience, creating a private theater within your headset that feels 100-feet wide and can even display 3D films (hello, Avatar) for you, and you alone — ideal for that long-haul flight you’ve got coming up. To really sell the movie experience, the company has partnered with Disney to make Disney Plus available from day one when the headset goes on sale.
FaceTime is another reason Apple thinks you will love using the Vision Pro. Hanging out with people remotely (in the metaverse) is an idea Meta has really been selling for the past year or so, but Apple is selling a similar premise without using the same language. Instead of appearing as an avatar, if you’re on a call wearing Vision Pro (and therefore have your face covered) will appear as a cartoon picture of yourself that Apple is calling a “Persona”. FaceTime calls take advantage of the room around you, said Apple, with everyone on the call reflected in life-size tiles. While on a call you can co-watch movies, browse photos or collab on a presentation together.
Apple had been expected to enter the VR/AR space for years, with reports going all the way back to 2018. Apple has already had AR tools for iPhones and iPads going back to 2017. Apple’s entry into the landscape now comes when Meta, with its lineup of VR headsets, is having challenges evolving its devices beyond game consoles, and ahead of a Google-Samsung partnership that could lead to competition in the next year. That doesn’t mean its eschewing gaming though. Over 100 Apple Arcade Games will be playable on the Vision Pro at launch.
The end game for these mixed reality devices is in compact glasses that ideally can stay on for a whole day and don’t feel strange to use, but in the meantime a wave of smaller VR headsets that blend virtual and real things using passthrough camera video are becoming standard. Apple’s video of someone wearing the Vision Pro as they’re moving around their house didn’t look any different to someone walking around in a standard VR headset, but the fact that you can adjust the transparency level of the screen with a twist of the digital crown means that it has more potential than most for all-day wear.
Apple’s headset also looks to redefine an emerging space of AR hardware that still isn’t established yet. The Magic Leap 2 and Microsoft HoloLens 2, along with a handful of smaller glasses like the NReal Light, have all been business-focused or niche AR devices with transparents lenses that haven’t caught on with everyday customers.
Vision Pro, Apple’s new mixed reality headset, comes with a feature that verges on creepy: the AR/VR device will display your actual eyes to those around you while you’re wearing the headset, using a feature it’s calling EyeSight.
“Your eyes are a critical indicator of connection and emotion, so Vision Pro displays your eyes when someone is nearby,” Apple said during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday at Apple HQ in Cupertino, California, calling the feature “incredible” and sharing footage of someone wearing Vision Pro with their eyes peering out of the front of the headset in a slightly bizarre way.
If you’re just scrolling your Vision Pro apps, your eyes will show up on the headset, blinking and staring out at the world. But if you’re “fully immersed in an experience,” your eyes won’t be shown — which signals those around you that you cannot see them at that moment, according to Apple.
“We also thought hard about how others can interact with you while wearing vision pro eyesight utilizes a unique curved OLED panel with a lenticular lens to project the correct perspective of your eyes to each person looking at you,” Apple said. “The result is a 3D display that makes the device look transparent.”
Your eyes are an important feature for Vision Pro. The tech giant said that unlike all of its previous major platforms, which used physical inputs such as a mouse, a click wheel or multitouch, the mixed-reality headset will rely “solely on your eyes, hands and voice.”
“With Vision Pro we set the ambitious goal to design an incredibly intuitive input model for spatial computing,” Apple said. “It’s just you and your content. It’s remarkable and it feels like magic.”
The next iPad OS will include features like interactive widgets, lock screen customization options similar to those on iPhones and lock screen live activities, the company said at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote address. Apple brought these features to iPhones with the release of iOS 16 in 2022.
The next iPad OS will also bring the Health app to your iPad. The Health app made its debut on iPhones in 2014. Since then, Apple has upgraded the app in multiple ways, like offering more insights into your overall health and enabling you to keep track of a family member’s health.
The Notes app on iPad will also receive an upgrade. With iPadOS 17, you’ll be able to autofill PDFs in your Notes app, as well as collaborate on PDFs within the app in real time with others.
If you are enrolled in Apple’s developer beta program, you can download iPadOS 17 today. Public beta testers will be able to download iPadOS 17 in July, and Apple will make the OS available to the public in the fall.
“VisionOS is the first operating system designed from the ground up for spatial computing,” Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of its Technology Development Group, said at WWDC.
The Vision Pro’s operating system shares a framework with iOS and iPadOS, and Apple said this will give the Vision Pro access to thousands of iPhone and iPad apps at launch. The operating system will also bring its own app store to the Vision Pro where you can find apps made for the Vision Pro and compatible iPhone and iPad apps.
According to Apple, because the Vision Pro doesn’t have a fixed display screen like an iPhone or iPad, VisionOS will allow apps to appear side-by-side at any scale. But Apple also wrote in a news release that VisionOS will make digital content look and feel present in whatever space you use the Vision Pro.
Apple said the Vision Pro will go on sale in early 2024 for $3,500 (USD).
After a thorough win in Game 1, Sunday night brings Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. While the final score in Thursday’s series opener was 103-94 in favor of the Nuggets, the game wasn’t really that close, as the Heat never got closer than nine points down in the fourth quarter.
Denver and all-star Nikola Jokić (who had a triple-double in the opener) will look to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series when they host Miami on Sunday night. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on ABC.
Whether you live in the US or are looking to follow the basketball action from around the world, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to watch the 2023 NBA Finals live, no matter where you are.
Jamal Murray, left, and Nikola Jokić look to lead their Denver Nuggets to their first NBA championship.
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE/Getty Images
Nuggets vs. Heat Game 2: When and where?
With the Nuggets having home-court advantage, the first two games of the series will take place at Ball Arena in Denver. Tip-off for Game 2 is set for 8 p.m. ET or 5 p.m. PT in the US — that’s 1 a.m. BST in the UK, and at 10 a.m. AEST in Australia on Monday, June 5.
What is the schedule for the rest of the NBA Finals?
The schedule for the rest of the NBA Finals is as follows. All games will air in the US on ABC.
• Sunday, June 4: Heat at Nuggets, 8 p.m. ET (Game 2, Denver leads series 1-0)
• Wednesday, June 7: Nuggets at Heat, 8:30 p.m. ET (Game 3)
• Friday, June 9: Nuggets at Heat, 8:30 p.m. ET (Game 4)
• Monday, June 12: Heat at Nuggets, 8:30 p.m. ET (Game 5, if necessary)
• Thursday, June 15: Nuggets at Heat, 8:30 p.m. ET (Game 6, if necessary)
• Sun., June 18: Heat at Nuggets, 8 p.m. ET (Game 7, if necessary)
How to watch the NBA Finals 2023 online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream the Nuggets vs. Heat Game 2 in the US
All games for this year’s NBA Finals will be shown live nationally in the US on ABC and ESPN3. Most of the major streaming TV services offer ABC, but it can be a bit complicated. Game 2 of the series is also set to be livestreamed on ESPN Plus.
Sling TV’s Orange plan doesn’t include ABC, but it does include ESPN3, which will also work for streaming the NBA Finals. Sling also offers a Blue plan that has ABC in select markets, but the Orange plan should do the trick and also includes the regular ESPN channel.
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $70 a month and includes ABC. Click the “View all channels in your area” link at the bottom of its welcome page to see which local networks are available where you live.
YouTube TV costs $73 a month and offers all the main channels that broadcast NBA basketball, including ABC. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
DirecTV Stream is expensive. It’s the priciest of the five major live TV streaming services. Its cheapest, $65-a-month Entertainment package includes ABC as well as ESPN and TNT. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels and RSNs are available in your area.
It is worth noting that DirecTV has an additional $15 “advanced receiver service” fee that automatically applies and is extra from the sticker price, which makes the Entertainment package $80 per month.
ESPN’s standalone streaming service costs $10 a month or $100 for an annual subscription. With it, you’ll be able to watch this encounter between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. Read our ESPN Plus review.
Each live TV streaming service offers a free trial, allows you to cancel anytime and requires a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.
Livestream Nuggets vs. Heat Game 2 in the UK
For basketball fans in the UK, every 2023 NBA Finals game will be shown live on Sky Sports. This game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena, with tip-off set for 1 a.m. BST on Monday morning. Game 2, as well as a Game 5 (if necessary), will also stream for free on Sky Sports YouTube.
Sky subsidiary Now (formerly Now TV) offers streaming access to Sky Sports channels with a Now Sports membership. You can get a day of access for 12, or sign up to a monthly plan from 25 per month right now.
Livestream Nuggets vs. Heat Game 2 in Canada
Live coverage of NBA postseason games is split between TSN, Sportsnet, RDS and NBA TV in Canada. The second game of the Finals is set to be broadcast on Sportsnet, which means it can be watched via its streaming service Sportsnet Now. Existing TSN or Sportsnet cable subscribers can meanwhile watch at no extra charge using the details of their TV provider.
Sportsnet will broadcast Games 2, 3, 5 and 7 of the NBA Finals (the latter two only if necessary). To stream without a cable provider you will need to sign up for Sportsnet Now, its streaming service, which starts at CA$15 per month for its “standard” option.
TSN Plus had Game 1 of the NBA Finals, as well as Games 4 and 6 (the latter only if necessary). The service is priced at CA$20 a month or CA$200 per year.
Livestream Nuggets vs. Heat Game 2 in Australia
This year’s NBA Finals can be watched Down Under on ESPN via Foxtel. If you’re not a Fox subscriber, your best option is to sign up for streaming service Kayo Sports.
A Kayo Sports subscription starts at AU$25 a month and lets you stream on one screen, while its Premium tier costs AU$35 a month for simultaneous viewing on up to three devices.
The service gives you access to a wide range of sports including F1, NRL, NFL, F1, NHL and MLB, and there are no lock-in contracts.
Better still, if you’re a new customer, you can take advantage of a one-week Kayo Sports free trial.
Quick tips for streaming the NBA Finals using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming NBA Finals games may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
The quest to couple up and capture the hearts of the TV-viewing public resumes, with an all new season of Love Island about to hit TV screens around the globe.
This latest summer installment of the hot reality show will bring together a new batch of hopefuls to an idyllic Balearic mansion in Mallorca, Spain, with model-turned-TV presenter Maya Jama once again serving as host.
Among the singletons heading into the villa are semi-pro soccer player Tyrique, Irish real estate agent Catherine and Beautician Ruhee.
Don’t miss a moment of the steamy drama by following our guide to watching Summer Love Island 2023 from anywhere in the world.
When does Summer Love Island 2023 start?
It depends on where you live.
In the UK, season 10 of Love Island (UK) starts on Monday, June 5. New episodes are set to be broadcast every day at 9 p.m. BST on ITV2 in the UK, (That’s 1 p.m. PT and 4 p.m. ET in the US and 6 a.m. AEST the next day in Australia), with Saturday night’s episodes featuring “unseen bits” from the week’s action.
Outside the UK, it’s also available in Australia on Channel 9’s on-demand service, 9Now.
For US viewers, there’s set to be a bit of a wait, with no confirmed air date or broadcaster. However, we expect to see the season 10 episodes appear on Hulu a couple of weeks after they’ve aired in the UK.
How to watch Summer Love Island 2023 from anywhere on VPN
So what if you’re traveling outside your home country and want to enjoy the show or want an added layer of privacy for streaming? There is an option that doesn’t require searching the internet for a sketchy website: You can use a VPN, or virtual private network.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the show. If you find yourself unable to watch locally, a VPN can come in handy. Plus, it’s a great idea for when you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
Most VPNs, like CNET’s Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it easy to virtually change your location. Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month. But you can save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Fans in the UK can watch every episode of Love Island season 10 for free. The show is exclusive to ITV, with episodes shown every evening on ITV2 at 9 p.m., UK time. You’ll also be able to watch the show online for free via the network’s on demand streaming service ITVX (formerly ITV Hub) from anywhere.
Channel 9’s on-demand service, 9Now, has been the place to watch Love Island (UK) in the past and that’s the case for this season, which starts on June 7 in Australia. That means Aussies will need to avoid spoilers on social media as they’ll be a couple of days behind the UK.
While no US broadcaster is currently confirmed to show season 10 of Love Island in the US, the smart money is on Hulu. The service has previously shown past seasons in the States, albeit a couple of weeks behind the UK, and that’s how we’re expecting things to pan out again this time.
New Hulu subscribers can take advantage of a Hulu free trial for 30 days on its With-Ads or No-Ads plan. After the trial ends, the service will set you back $8 a month. There’s also the option of the Disney Plus bundle with Hulu thrown in from $10 a month.
Tips for streaming the Summer Love Island 2023 using a VPN
With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — experience and success may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble viewing after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log in to your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a network’s app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
With iOS 17, iPhone owners could also gain the ability to sideload apps, according to a different Bloomberg report. Sideloading means you can download an app on your iPhone without using Apple’s App Store. The potential inclusion is likely meant to ensure compliance with new European regulations due to kick in next year.
Watch this: iOS 17 Features Apple Needs to Add for the iPhone
08:03
While I find those rumors fun to ponder, they can also be a distraction from the many other things I think Apple needs to add or improve in iOS. The additions I want range from significant changes, like adding support for the Apple Pencil for Pro Max and Plus models, to smaller, quality-of-life improvements, like adding a volume button to the iPhone’s virtual Apple TV remote. We have to wait until WWDC kicks off later today to see what actually unfolds, but here’s my iOS 17 wish list.
Bring ‘Visual Look Up’ to the Camera app
In iOS 16, Visual Look Up got a nifty shortcut that lets you cut out the subject of a photo just by tapping and holding on the image.
Celso Bulgatti/CNET
Visual Look Up launched with iOS 15 in 2021 and can recognize objects in your photos such as plants, food, landmarks and pets. In iOS 16, Visual Look Up expanded to let you lift an object out of a photo or PDF by tapping and holding, essentially creating a sticker you can share with others.
But there’s a catch. Visual Look Up works only after you take a photo. I hope iOS 17 lets you do the same thing straight from the camera viewfinder. For example, if the camera were open and pointed at flowers, I could tap the Visual Look Up icon to see what kind of flowers they were without taking a photo of them. You can do that with Live Text, and Google Lens does something similar on Android phones. I realize this isn’t a radical change, but it would streamline things a bit.
Add a volume button to the iPhone’s Apple TV remote
Sometimes you lose this little guy and need to use your iPhone to control your Apple TV.
Apple
If you own an Apple TV, you’ve no doubt misplaced the tiny minimalist aluminum remote control at some point. Fortunately, you can use a virtual remote on your iPhone to do nearly everything the physical Siri remote does, except change the volume. Apple, please add a volume button to the iPhone’s Apple TV remote.
Technically, when you use the Apple TV remote on your iPhone, you can press the physical volume buttons to control the TV volume. But this doesn’t work on every TV’s audio receiver, such as mine. I’d guess there are many people who, like me, just want the virtual remote on the iPhone’s screen to mimic the physical remote’s button layout; most importantly including the button for volume.
Bring fitness tracking to the iPhone
You can start workouts from your Apple Watch, but not from your iPhone (without a third-party app).
James Martin/CNET
If you’re an Apple Watch user, you understand the convenience of recording a workout. But if you aren’t wearing your watch or don’t own one, there isn’t a way to record basic exercises like walking, running or cycling without a third-party app. I’d like to see Apple expand the Fitness app so you can record workouts even without a Fitness Plus membership.
Add a pro camera app
The Photo Pro app on Sony Xperia 1 and 5 series phones gives you an interface that looks identical to a professional mirrorless camera.
Sarah Tew/CNET
It’s time for Apple to revisit the iPhone’s Camera app. For years, it was the gold standard of simplicity, offering a “see what you get” preview for photos, videos and effects with minimal, easy-to-navigate controls and modes. But as Apple has added more functionality, especially for ProRaw photos and ProRes video recording on iPhone Pro models, the Camera app has started to feel cramped. It tries to remain a one-size-fits-all app at the expense of higher-end features like manual camera controls.
I’d like Apple to make a separate pro camera app, along the lines of how it created a standalone app for classical music. Apple Music Classical tackles the special challenge of categorizing, searching for, and discovering classical music, something the default Apple Music app isn’t geared toward. Similarly, the pro camera app could be a place for creative types to access camera controls, settings and features beyond those in the basic camera app. Sony has been quite successful with this sort of approach in its Xperia 1 and 5 series phones, and Samsung has a separate Expert Raw app to complement its main one. Now it’s Apple’s turn.
Let me customize the Dynamic Island
The Dynamic Island was a great addition to the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
Celso Bulgatti/CNET
The Dynamic Island works well. It’s like having a shortcut at the top of your screen no matter what you’re doing on your iPhone. Glancing at my Uber ride status from my lock screen or in the Dynamic Island just makes sense. But I want more from the Dynamic Island, especially if iPhone 15 rumors are right and non-Pro iPhone models get it too. I’d like to see Apple let people customize their own Dynamic Island in a curated way.
In 2016, with iOS 10, Apple rolled out the iMessage app store for stickers and games. I don’t think we need a Dynamic Island app store, but something like the ability to pin a Memoji sticker as a Dynamic Island icon would be great. Admittedly, as creative-minded as I am, I don’t have a brilliant example of exactly what I want. I just think the Dynamic Island is another way people could make their iPhone feel more personal. Customization was a big theme with Android this year at Google I/O, with the introduction of AI and cinematic wallpapers. Of course, Apple could view the Dynamic Island like it does Apple Watch faces and want to control how it’s changed, instead of letting people go hog wild.
Add Apple Card functionality to other credit cards
The Apple Card lives on your iPhone.
Sarah Tew/CNET
If you have an Apple Card, you get to experience one of the best mobile financial experiences on any phone today. Apple’s signature credit card lives virtually in the Wallet app. At first glance, it appears like any other Apple Pay card. But when you tap its digital avatar, you see the card’s balance, rewards, upcoming payment info, and transactions. I’d like Apple to open that functionality to non-Apple credit cards.
If your Bank of America credit card is in Apple Pay and you have the Bank of America app on your phone, wouldn’t it be great to access similar functionality in the Wallet app? Expanding access would be convenient for iPhone owners and could bolster Apple Pay and the iPhone’s Wallet as serious financial tools.
Make widgets interactive
Widgets can be pinned to your home screen and resized to your liking.
Apple
Widgets on the lock screen and home screen can do two things: show information (like the weather) and launch the corresponding app when tapped (e.g., the weather app). Widgets haven’t changed much since Apple introduced them with iOS 14. It’s time for a refresh.
What if you could use the podcast widget like a mini-podcast player, or order your favorite burrito bowl straight from Chipotle’s widget? Adding more functionality to widgets could make it easier to multitask on the iPhone.
Add Apple Pencil support
What if you could use an Apple Pencil on the iPhone?
Patrick Holland/CNET
I’ve been writing iPhone and iOS wish lists for years, and one addition that’s made my roundup every time is adding Apple Pencil support to the iPhone, specifically for Pro Max and Plus models. The 6.7-inch screen isn’t that much smaller than the 8.3-inch screen on the iPad Mini. But one supports Apple Pencil functionality and the other doesn’t.
Also, if iOS 17 did include Pencil support, Apple could make a smaller version of its stylus and call it the Apple Pencil Mini. Maybe it could attach to the back of the iPhone Pro Max or Plus using MagSafe?
Bring the iPad’s split-screen view to iPhone Pro Max models
The multiple windows on the iPad and iPad Pro.
Scott Stein/CNET
The iPhone Pro Max has been part of Apple’s lineup since 2019. The 11 Pro Max has a 6.5-inch screen, while the 12 Pro Max, 13 Pro Max and 14 Pro Max all have a 6.7-inch display. Last year, Apple introduced the iPhone 14 Plus, which also has a 6.7-inch screen. Those large screens feel wasted when it comes to software. Some iOS apps like Mail and Messages can take advantage of the extra space in landscape orientation to show a column of message previews next to the currently opened message. But otherwise, there isn’t much else in iOS that’s optimized for big iPhone screens.
I’d like Apple to bring some iPadOS features to iOS 17 just for Pro Max and Plus models, especially its split screen multitasking view. It would be wonderful to have Safari open on one side of the phone and launch Messages on the other.
Revisit ease of use vs. security
Some iPhone owners are being targeted for an unusual crime.
Apple
Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern and Nicole Nguyen ran a series of stories about how a thief who steals your iPhone and knows its passcode can lock you out of the most important parts of your digital life. This crime isn’t widespread, but Stern and Nguyen showed that it’s more common than you might think.
At the core of the issue is the balance between security and ease of access. The same tools Apple put in place to help people who get locked out of their devices and accounts are being used by savvy criminals to lock people out of their phone and accounts while gaining access to their money and services. There’s been a bunch of coverage on the topic in recent months, and it sounds like these tools help far more people than the criminals who take advantage of them.
I don’t think there’s an easy way for Apple to “fix” the issue, but I hope with iOS 17, the company takes a moment to reconsider the impact these tools can have on people and even offer other security features to foil the thieves behind these crimes, like Apple did with AirTags.
At the end of the day, I’m excited for WWDC this year. And while I do hope there’s a fancy, cool AR/VR headset, my heart is holding out for iOS 17 and all its new features.
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