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
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects Apple to release new AirPods Pro this year, and he said the earbuds will have a key new feature: heart rate monitoring.
From his Power On newsletter today, with emphasis added:As for Apple's other devices, there's a lot in the fall pipeline — though many of the new products are only incremental upgrades.
There will be Apple Watch updates, faster Vision...
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should be unveiled in a few more weeks, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman corroborated a rumor that iPhone 17 Pro models will be "available in an orange color."
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are...
We're only weeks away from Apple's annual iPhone event – rumored to take place on September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023.
By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for enhancements,...
Apple has "considered" releasing a bumper case for the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Similar to the bumper case that Apple introduced for the iPhone 4 in 2010, Gurman said the iPhone 17 Air version of the case would cover the edges of the device, but not the back of it. Those bumper cases were made of rubber.
Given that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to have ...
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through what to expect from the Apple Watch SE 3, Series 11, and Ultra 3, and whether it's worth holding off on an upgrade until next year.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
The third-generation Apple Watch SE is rumored to feature a larger display (perhaps like the Apple Watch Series 7), the S11 chip, and...
Apple's iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in September 2025. This release follows Apple's recent trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall.
To unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely...
