Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has shared that iOS 17 will be comparable to iOS 15 in that will focus on updates to the main system applications, instead of revolutionary changes or standout new features like the iOS 14 widgets or the iOS 16 lock screen redesign.
In addition to the changes to the Wallet app, Gurman noted that there will be improvements in the Search app amid a bigger push to location-related features and Search.
Gurman also said that he hopes sideloading a unique feature in Europe to comply with the Digital Markets Act, that developers may have to incur an additional charge to make apps available through a third-party service, and that these features will likely not be mentioned during WWDC.
Instead, Apple will likely carry out these changes in a similar way to how it quietly adapted to regulatory changes in the Netherlands that forced Apple to allow third-party payment systems on dating apps.
Gurman has previously said that watchOS 10 will be the biggest update to watchOS since its introduction. He doesn’t expect the design to change, but apparently there will be many new ways to use and interact with the system. He also said that he has not heard any information supporting the presence of app folders on the watch.
Finally, Gurman suggested that macOS 14 will not be an “innovative or significant” update. Instead, he believes Apple is simply focusing on supporting features carried over to its other operating systems for a consistent cross-platform experience.
