iOS 17 arrived as promised on September 18th and it comes with a lot of new features and supports for iPhone X series and above devices. Here we have listed many of the key features in the new version of the operating system, and make some suggestions for your question - Should I upgrade to iOS 17?
What’s new in iOS 17?
1. iPhone on StandBy
StandBy mode is one of the key features of iOS 17. When you are not using your iPhone, you can put it horizontally on the charger to activate StandBy mode. Ditch wallpaper and icons, your iPhone instantly becomes a clock, a calendar, a digital photo frame, or an information center with widget smart stacks. You can also edit the widgets by pressing the StandBy interface for a long time. In iOS 17.1, Apple gives StandBy mode more setting options. (See our guide on How to Use StandBy Mode on iPhone New Features for more information.) Be sure to check out our 5-in-1 Foldable Wireless Charging Stand if you want to take advantage of this feature.
2. Fresh Contact Posters
Contact Posters remain the big visual twist for iOS 17. On previous iOS versions, you could differentiate contacts by ringtones and thumbnails on your phone. You can now create custom Contact Posters for yourself or your contacts, which can be photos, Memoji, or a variety of colors, as well as support for designing names - a feature that feels like an integration of Apple's customizable lock screen with Contacts. Contact posters will appear when someone calls you, FaceTimes you, or when you’re searching through contacts. Moreover, if you update your poster, you can also choose to automatically sync it to your contacts.
3. NameDrop with AirDrop
NameDrop, a new facet of AirDrop, allows you to exchange contact information with others by holding your iPhone or Apple Watch close to other’s iPhone or Apple Watch. You can quickly exchange contact information through AirDrop when making new friends. If you are Airdropping a large number of files and it takes a while, as long as you start the process within range, there is no need to stay in range for the transfer to finish, the files will be sent over the Internet. Bringing two iPhones together can initiate SharePlay, so you can listen to music or watch videos with another person who has an iPhone.
4. Reactions on Facetime
FaceTime supports both audio and video messages, so you can leave a video voicemail if someone doesn't answer your call. FaceTime also supports a range of Reactions, with eight effects including rain, confetti, and hearts. You can trigger them from the menu or via hand gestures in front of your iPhone's front-facing camera; for example, if you hold up the double peace sign, confetti will rain down behind your face, but you'll need an iPhone 12 or newer to take advantage of the gesture controls.
5. iOS 17 Emojis
Apple is placing a big emphasis on Stickers in iOS 17, so that they're now built into the emoji keyboard, making them more accessible in third-party apps. Compared to last year's iOS 16, now you can turn these into your own stickers for big meme potential. You can add effects to these stickers and even create Live Stickers with Live Photos. Stickers can be used not only in iMessage messages, but also in memos, editing photos, and even some third-party apps support sending, giving you more opportunities to add your personal touch.
6. Safari Updates
Apple has made privacy an increasingly large part of its updates and marketing, so in iOS 17, Apple has added a Private Browsing to Safari. With Private Browsing turned on, Face ID is required every time, so that when you hand your phone to someone else, your private tabs will be hidden, which further improving the protection of user privacy. In addition, you can also use Siri to read supported webpages aloud in the Safari app. Activate Siri, then say something like “Read this”, Siri will automatically read the content of the current page. If you want to relax your eyes, you can try this new feature.
7. Live Voicemail
When someone leaves a voicemail, the Live Voicemail feature displays a real-time transcription of the message on the Lock Screen as the person is speaking. As long as the audio is clear enough, iPhone will interpret what someone is saying. Depending on what is said, If it’s something you want to address right then, you can pick up the call (U.S. and Canada only). After a call, you can find voicemails captured by your phone with Live Voicemail in the Voicemail tab of the Phone app.
8. New Journal App
Journal promoted at the iOS 17 conference was recently launched in the iOS 17.2 version on November 10. A fun new feature that iOS 17 brings to your iPhone is Journal, which can add details to any entry containing photos, music, recordings, and more to mark important moments. It will also create personalized moment suggestions for users to record based on their photos, music, workouts, and more. If you are someone who loves to write on iPhone, Journal is a great app that can help you record the beautiful moments in your life, which is more convenient and useful.
Should I update to iOS 17?
For those still using iOS 16, upgrading is worth considering if you're interested in the new features and changes in iOS 17. But if you are really worried that the overall iPhone experience will be reduced after upgrading, you can wait a few more days and observe the feedback from users who have upgraded before making a decision.
Users who are still using iOS 15 or even lower versions can hold off on upgrading for now, unless you really want to use one of the new features of iOS 17 or have to upgrade after buying new AirPods, Watch, etc. It should be noted that when the iPhone has just been upgraded to a new system, it will take some time in the background to build indexes, organize data, etc. This process may lead to device heating and battery consumption is fast, which can not represent the real using experience of iOS 17.
Share your thoughts in the comments with us if you have updated your iOS to the latest version.
