Top Stories: visionOS SDK, iOS 17 Beta 2, and More

It's been two weeks since WWDC wrapped up, and this week saw Apple release the second round of betas of its upcoming operating system updates introduced at the conference, plus the initial release of developer tools and a simulator needed to allow developers to build apps for the Vision Pro headset.

top stories 24jun2023
This week also saw another iPhone 15 rumor while we continue to dig into all of the changes in iOS 17, so read on below for a few tidbits we've seen over the past week!

Vision Pro Developer Tools Now Available With New visionOS SDK

Apple this week released a visionOS SDK, allowing developers to start creating apps for the Vision Pro headset ahead of its launch in early 2024. Apple has also made a visionOS simulator available in Xcode 15 beta 2 on the Mac that offers an emulated Vision Pro experience.

apple vision pro sdk
The visionOS developer tools are available for Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com.

Starting in July, developers will also be able to apply for a Vision Pro developer kit and have the opportunity to attend developer labs in Cupertino, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo.

Video: A First Look at visionOS for the Apple Vision Pro

On our YouTube channel, we have shared a video offering a first look at the visionOS simulator in Xcode. The simulator provides access to apps like Safari and Settings, Control Center, and more.

visionOS Demo Thumb 2
The simulator offers a much more limited visionOS experience than will be available on the actual Vision Pro, but it provides a preview of what to expect when the device launches to the public early next year.

Everything New in iOS 17 Beta 2

Apple made the second beta of iOS 17 available to developers this week for testing. As usual, there are a handful of smaller changes in the beta, so check out our list of everything new.

General iOS 17 Feature Blue Green
iOS 17 developer betas are available to anyone with a free Apple developer account, and a public beta will be available in July. The software update will be released later this year for the iPhone XS and newer.

Kuo: iPhone 15 to Have Upgraded Ultra Wideband Chip for Enhanced Vision Pro Integration

Apple's next-generation iPhone 15 models coming later this year will be equipped with an upgraded Ultra Wideband chip for enhanced compatibility with the Vision Pro headset.

iphone 15 dummy models
iPhone 11 models and newer are equipped with a U1 chip for spatial awareness. The chip helps to power features such as Precision Finding for AirTags, directional AirDrop, handing off music to a HomePod, and more.

iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma Add Passkey Support to Your Apple ID

Starting with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, users with an Apple ID will automatically be assigned a passkey, allowing them to sign into their Apple ID with Face ID or Touch ID instead of their password on various Apple sign-in pages, like iCloud.com.

iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ID Feature 3
Passkey support for Apple IDs will also be available for third-party apps and websites that support the "Sign in with Apple" feature, according to Apple.

5 New AirDrop Features Coming in iOS 17

Since its introduction in iOS 7, AirDrop has become the favored way for iPhone users to instantly share photos, videos, documents, and more to nearby Apple devices with relative ease.

5 New AirDrop Features Feature
Given its widespread popularity, the feature hasn't changed all that much over the years. But this year, Apple is stepping things up a gear by bringing several new capabilities to AirDrop that make it even more useful.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...

Top Rated Comments

Apple Fan 2008 Avatar
31 months ago
The visionOS SDK is the most exciting news
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anthogag Avatar
31 months ago
I "can't wait" for :apple: to release the public betas.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Akrapovic Avatar
31 months ago
iOS17 beta feels a little faster, seems to use less battery (Dev beta 1 was using a LOT) and the keyboard seems faster and smoother to appear. Quite a large jump from Dev Beta 1.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
segfaultdotorg Avatar
31 months ago
The iBackpack with the built-in AirTag isn't a top story? Sad!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
31 months ago

The visionOS SDK is the most exciting news
While it's exciting to see Apple push in this direction, the way you do things traditionally for mobile and desktop for VisionOS to act as substitute is going to be challenging.

Remember this is Apple's first attempt at spatial computing (3D interface). The concept of your interface is floating in front of you requires you to think in 3D, because before you had windows/volumes, now you added spaces which is a view that you can rotate and look at it from different directions.

The big question for the future is how advanced with this extension to iOS/IPadOS development become? Will consumers acceptance to working with spatial computing be more popular then what the iOS and iPadOS provides now? Can they ever provide multitasking of many things occurring in different spaces all at the same time that it compares to what UNIX provides? Probably too many questions, we have a whole year to see how VisionOS matures. :cool:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Powerbooky Avatar
31 months ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/06/24/top-stories-visionos-sdk/')

iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma Add Passkey Support to Your Apple ID

Starting with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma, users with an Apple ID will automatically be assigned a passkey ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/06/20/ios-17-macos-sonoma-apple-id-passkey/'), allowing them to sign into their Apple ID with Face ID or Touch ID instead of their password on various Apple sign-in pages, like iCloud.com.

Passkey support for Apple IDs will also be available for third-party apps and websites that support the "Sign in with Apple" feature, according to Apple.

Article Link: Top Stories: visionOS SDK, iOS 17 Beta 2, and More ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/06/24/top-stories-visionos-sdk/')
And MacRumors still doesn't use "Sign in with Apple".

Please ditch the "Log in with (we mine everything from you) Facebook".
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)