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

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Apple Fitness Plus expansion hero

Apple Fitness+ Coming to 28 New Regions With Digital Voice Dubbing

Monday December 8, 2025 6:19 am PST by
Apple today announced that Fitness+ is expanding to 28 new markets on December 15 in the service's largest international rollout since launch, accompanied by new language dubbing and a K-Pop music genre. Apple Fitness+ will become available in Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and additional regions on December 15, with Japan scheduled to follow early next year....

Top Rated Comments

Apple Fan 2008 Avatar
32 months ago
The visionOS SDK is the most exciting news
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anthogag Avatar
32 months ago
I "can't wait" for :apple: to release the public betas.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Akrapovic Avatar
32 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
32 months ago
The iBackpack with the built-in AirTag isn't a top story? Sad!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
32 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
32 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)