iPhones running iOS 17 to be usable as smart displays when locked

iOS 17 is coming later this year alongside new iPhones, and a new report today from the generally very reliable Mark Gurman at Bloomberg sheds some light on what we can expect from Apple's next OS version, aside from performance improvements all-round.

Perhaps the most intriguing new feature will be the ability to use your locked iPhone running iOS 17 pretty much like a smart display. It will show calendar appointments, weather information, and notifications in a new style reminiscent of an independent smart display.

This view will allegedly only appear when the iPhone is in landscape orientation. The obvious idea behind this is to make the handsets more useful when they're on your desk or nightstand. There will be a dark background with bright text for easy readability when this feature is activated.

Apple is said to also be working on a new horizontal interface for iPads, but it's unclear when that might hit, as the company has recently been slow to bring over new iPhone features to its tablets. Speaking of tablets, Apple is apparently still developing a low-cost tablet that can magnetically attach to walls and stands, although this is said to be a very slow-going affair.

The Wallet app will get some "significant changes" in iOS 17, and there will be enhancements to location services too, as well as a new journaling app designed to "add note taking and a stronger social element to the device". Expect new features for logging your mood and coping with weak vision too, as well as the Health app making the jump over to iPadOS.

Finally, AirPlay might be making much more of an appearance in hotels and "other places that offer TVs and speakers", and the feature itself will be upgraded (though it's not clear how) in the next version of Apple's mobile software, along with SharePlay.

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 17 at its WorldWide Developer Conference on June 5.

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