What iOS 17 features you aren't going to get at launch

AppleInsider

In the fall, iOS 17 will launch with hundreds of features, changes, and enhancements -- but some will be missing. Here's what won't ship on time.

iOS 17

In recent years Apple has been working hard to improve its software releases. As of late, there's been a focus on usability, bug squashing, and performance versus trying to cram in as many new features as possible.

The last few major software releases have seen Apple publicly denoting which features won't be available at launch and instead will show up in subsequent updates.

The same holds for iOS 17 with three of Apple's biggest new features missing the initial release window.

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Journal app

Apple's Journal app is one of the bigger iOS 17 features to get announced. Using on-device machine learning, it can create personalized journal entries based on your workouts, photos, music, and more.

Users can add context to these curated entries by expanding on them with more information or text.

Journal app coming to iOS 17

Of course, since this is an app from Apple, everything is secure. Your Journal can lock and iCloud sync is end-to-end encrypted.

As excited as we are to try out the Journal app, Apple says it won't arrive until later in 2023, after the launch of iOS 17.

New AirDrop features

AirDrop gains new functionality with iOS 17. You bring two phones together and NFC triggers the AirDrop transfer.

In a magical experience, a subtle ball of light stretches across one screen before jumping to the other and transferring your photo, link, video, or something else. With iOS 17, you can even use NameDrop to transfer your contact info.

Using NFC to AirDrop things like photos and contacts in iOS 17 is magical! Apple built quite the animation for it too.#iOS17 #Apple pic.twitter.com/s8JG4Vlhuu

-- AppleInsider (@appleinsider)

June 22, 2023

One feature we won't see right away though is the ability to continue an AirDrop transfer over the internet.

If you are sharing a large file with someone, you'd previously need to stay nearby. The new update will -- eventually -- let you start the transfer and walk away, with the file continuing to transfer over the internet, no matter where you go.

Collaborative Apple Music playlists

Delivering a feature long available on competing platforms, Apple is finally planning to allow multiple users to collaborate in Apple Music.

Collaborative playlists coming to iOS 17

You can invite users to collaborate on your playlist, adding songs, removing tracks, and reordering them. They can also react to what's playing using emoji.

Users will have to wait a bit longer to test this feature, with Apple again saying it will arrive by year's end.

iOS 17 is coming in the fall of 2023

Apple is poised to release iOS 17 in the fall, alongside its other flagship operating systems. Some features, like those outlined above, will arrive in subsequent updates, likely iOS 17.1.

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Skeptical

All vapor ware until it’s on a phone. Why announce something then say it won’t be released FFS?

williamh

Skeptical said:

All vapor ware until it’s on a phone. Why announce something then say it won’t be released FFS?

So you are saying that Apple should not share what it's working on with developers at a developers conference?

Xed

Skeptical said:

All vapor ware until it’s on a phone. Why announce something then say it won’t be released FFS?

I don't have a problem with you, personally, counting all unreleased SW, features, and services as "vaporware" until it's actually released but it's silly to just make a blanket statement that all the iOS 17 updates shown at WWDC are "fake news" and ridiculous to not understand what the point of the WWDC.

Most people just don't even follow WWDC and are pleasantly surprised (or resentful) of the changes they'll see in September.

JonG

Skeptical said:

All vapor ware until it’s on a phone. Why announce something then say it won’t be released FFS?

Vaporware is defined as :  

• software or hardware that has been advertised but is not yet available to buy, either because it is only a concept or because it is still being written or designed.

The technical definition almost fits, but since this wasn't advertising, but a developer conference to allow outside companies/individuals to begin programming integrations for release on Day 1.  As a company that develops for both MacOS and iOS/iPadOS I will state that it is invaluable to see the roadmap.

The fact that you wanted to listen in to developer information as a consumer matters very little to me as a developer.  In the history of Apple's information releases to date, there has been relatively little unrealized vaporware put out.

By your argument, unless an item is in-stock for you, it is vaporware.  So iOS 17 itself is vaporware and by your argument should be kept under wraps until it is released, preventing anyone from testing and developing for it.  Also, we should do away with CES as well, since all they do is show what is coming soon.  Car companies shouldn't ever announce new models until they are at the dealers.  Tesla shouldn't take online orders, because they build cars to order, they are vaporware until they are delivered.

This isn't about when a product is delivered, but if a company has a history of announcing items that never come out.  Or if they announce items just to drum up funding for them (Shark Tank, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, etc.), which I very rarely back because I've been failed too many times.

williamh

BiC said:

JonG said:

Skeptical said:

All vapor ware until it’s on a phone. Why announce something then say it won’t be released FFS?

Vaporware is defined as :  

• software or hardware that has been advertised but is not yet available to buy, either because it is only a concept or because it is still being written or designed.

The technical definition almost fits, but since this wasn't advertising, but a developer conference to allow outside companies/individuals to begin programming integrations for release on Day 1.  As a company that develops for both MacOS and iOS/iPadOS I will state that it is invaluable to see the roadmap.

The fact that you wanted to listen in to developer information as a consumer matters very little to me as a developer.  In the history of Apple's information releases to date, there has been relatively little unrealized vaporware put out.

By your argument, unless an item is in-stock for you, it is vaporware.  So iOS 17 itself is vaporware and by your argument should be kept under wraps until it is released, preventing anyone from testing and developing for it.  Also, we should do away with CES as well, since all they do is show what is coming soon.  Car companies shouldn't ever announce new models until they are at the dealers.  Tesla shouldn't take online orders, because they build cars to order, they are vaporware until they are delivered.

This isn't about when a product is delivered, but if a company has a history of announcing items that never come out.  Or if they announce items just to drum up funding for them (Shark Tank, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, etc.), which I very rarely back because I've been failed too many times.

Where did you get that definition - Vaporware is that it's not on the device.  It's pretty simple.  And don't go to beta software BS.  In terms of hardware if you can't buy it - it's vaporware - That's why Apple has had a tradition to announce and release - it's a solid tactic.  They learned from the original Macintosh.  Skeptical is SPOT ON

It seems like you haven't been paying close attention.  Apple is doing what they've done for ages - they announce the upcoming software features at the developer's conference.  Just like they announced the vaporware Vision Pro and the vaporware iOS 17, and upcoming vaporware operating systems for the watch, AppleTV, etc.  It's unusual for the announcements to not come to pass.  (Did they announce that charging thing that was canceled?)  In any event, your definition of vaporware is the cockeyed one.  The definitions of vaporware others are using seem pretty solid - the internet might not be an unimpeachable repository of facts but they didn't just make it up like you did.

BTW, the whole vaporware issue had to do with products that were announced with little or no chance of ever coming to market. Vaporware was stuff that didn't really exist. Microsoft, in my view, used to announce some things just to screw around with their competitors.

williamlondon

What a stupid fucking thread this turned out to be, thanks to the first (MacRumors-style) post, where all the morons there race to be the first negative comment.

bestkeptsecret

The Journal app really has me excited about 17, so a tad disappointed that it isn't coming out at launch.
Anyway, still looking forward to it.

digital_guy

Any chance there could be an AirDrop regardless of where the person is?

Xed

digital_guy said:

Any chance there could be an AirDrop regardless of where the person is?

You mean like sending a file via email, iMessage, Dropbox, etc?

digital_guy

Xed said:

digital_guy said:

Any chance there could be an AirDrop regardless of where the person is?

You mean like sending a file via email, iMessage, Dropbox, etc?

Direct file transfer, I guess it would need to be limited to contacts only, and similar to what AirDrop offers, but regardless of the location of either the sender or receiver. This would be a direct file transfer, outside of any cloud, message, or mail facility. Currently, (long distance) file transfers depend on messaging, mail, or some type of ‘cloud’, each with limits or complexities.

Xed

digital_guy said:

Xed said:

digital_guy said:

Any chance there could be an AirDrop regardless of where the person is?

You mean like sending a file via email, iMessage, Dropbox, etc?

Direct file transfer, I guess it would need to be limited to contacts only, and similar to what AirDrop offers, but regardless of the location of either the sender or receiver. This would be a direct file transfer, outside of any cloud, message, or mail facility. Currently, (long distance) file transfers depend on messaging, mail, or some type of ‘cloud’, each with limits or complexities.

 Once you're outside of the viable communication range you can't make a direct ad-hoc network connection. No matter the scenario at least one other device (and likely many others) will need to be including to allow you to send a file to someone in Japan from England.