iOS 17 Rumored to Have 'Fewer Major Changes Than Originally Planned' as Apple Shifts Focus to AR/VR Headset
iOS 17, the next major update for the iPhone, could be a less significant update than Apple was originally hoping as the company, and its engineers, focus more heavily on the upcoming AR/VR headset.
Apple has been working on its AR/VR headset and its accompanying operating system, xrOS, for several years. With the launch of the headset now expected in 2023, Apple's engineers have been focusing less on other operating systems, including the upcoming iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says iOS 17, which is internally codenamed Dawn, could end up having "fewer major changes than originally planned" due to Apple focusing more on xrOS for the upcoming headset. Gurman says a similar approach is taking place with macOS 14, codenamed Sunburst.
iOS 14, announced in 2020, and iOS 16, announced last June, were two significant updates, bringing redesigned widgets to the iPhone Home Screen, App Library, new features in stock apps like Maps and Safari, a redesigned lock screen, and more. iOS 17, alongside iPadOS 17, macOS 14, and watchOS 10, will be announced during WWDC in June.
Popular Stories
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors.
Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too.
2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple didn't update the...
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.
iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design
The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years.
iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack)
At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
