In case it’s not obvious from this week’s launch of iOS 17.2, a few of the promised options on Apple’s iOS 17 roadmap gained’t make it to your iPhone till after we ring within the new yr.
As has been the norm over the previous few main iOS releases, when Apple unveiled iOS 17 throughout its June Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC), it introduced all of the options that might be coming throughout all the lifecycle of iOS 17. Whereas we knew many of those wouldn’t make the reduce or iOS 17.0 in September, Apple had promised they’d all arrive “later this yr” — that means by the top of 2023.
By and enormous, Apple has delivered on practically all of these marketed options. When iOS 17.0 was launched, we had been nonetheless ready for Apple’s Journal app, Collaborative Apple Music Playlists, AirDrop Transfers over the Web, Message enhancements resembling Stickers tapbacks and a catch-up arrow, Favourite Songs in Apple Music, and iMessage Contact Key Verification.
Whereas iOS 17.1 checked off just a few of these, a lot of the large ones arrived in iOS 17.2 this week — with two notable exceptions.
Within the early betas of iOS 17.2, Apple teased us with Collaborative Playlists, however ended up pulling the function by the fourth beta. This led many to consider it wouldn’t make it into the ultimate launch — they usually had been proper. Apple was reportedly involved that it may be ripe for abuse by spammers and wished to take some further time to lock it down earlier than releasing it to the general public.
The excellent news is that Collaborative Playlists have returned within the first beta of iOS 17.3, which was launched yesterday with a brand new Stolen Gadget Safety function. Nonetheless, the dangerous information is that we’re not going to see a public launch of iOS 17.3 earlier than January — on the earliest.
If there’s any doubt, Apple has additionally confirmed this in its iOS 17 Options PDF, which now features a footnote beside “Collaborate on playlists” that claims it’s “Coming in an replace in 2024.”
Nonetheless, that’s additionally not the one function that’s been delayed into subsequent yr. The identical footnote can also be listed beside “AirPlay in resorts,” a function Apple introduced at WWDC that might will let you simply join your iPhone to a lodge’s Wi-Fi and start streaming to the TV in your room just by scanning a QR code.
Whereas the explanation for the delay of this second function isn’t completely clear, it’s extra doubtless a logistical drawback than a technical one. A report earlier this yr stated LG was getting ready to ship suitable TVs to taking part resorts. Nonetheless, these nonetheless have to be put in, and the networks have to be upgraded to ship the seamless expertise of not solely connecting to the TV but additionally to the lodge’s Wi-Fi community. Very similar to the Lodge Keys function in iOS 15, there are plenty of transferring elements concerned right here, and it’s additionally unclear what number of resorts Apple desires on board earlier than it formally rolls out the function.
Oddly, whereas Apple’s iOS 17 web page has tagged that function with a badge that signifies it’s not coming till 2024, it hasn’t (but) achieved the identical for the collaborative playlists function. Nonetheless, the extra detailed PDF makes it clear it’s not within the playing cards for this yr, which shouldn’t come as a shock contemplating the timeframe and the unlikelihood that we’ll see any extra iOS 17 updates between now and December 31.